Panama is internationally known because of the huge Panama Canal. The Canal connects the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean Sea, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean. But Panama has more to offer then only a passage through by boat. Panama is located next to Colombia and Costa Rica in the north of Central America. It is one of the smaller countries but probably the most developed together with Costa Rica in Central America. It is divided in ten provinces; Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, Coclé, Colón, Darién, Herrera, Los Santos, Panamá, West Panamá and Veraguas.
General information about Panama
About 75% of the people living in Panama are Mestizo. Mestizo’s are people that are decedents of European and Native Americans. The main language is officially Spanish but it is common to speak English and Kuna in the Kuna Yala region. The currency that is used by Panama is the Balboa, this valuta has exactly the same value as an US Dollar. You can also pay with US Dollars in Panama. The most famous places for tourist to visit are Panama City, Bocas del Toro, Boquete and San Blas. Panama has a tropical climate with a wet and dry season. This results in a diverse natural biosphere where many different species can be found. Panama contains cloud forests, dense jungles like the Darien Gap and coastal mangroves. Because of its location near South America it is located outside the Hurricane belt, which prevents it from getting hit by large storms.
Panama City
The capital of Panama is Panama City, which was founded in 1519. The capital is home to around one million Panamanian residents and is growing quickly. Almost ¼ of all Panamanians live in Panama City since the total population of Panama is 3.8 million people. The city is located on the south side of Panama facing the great Pacific Ocean. One of our favorite neighborhoods in Panama City is Casco Viejo or Casco Antiguo, this is part of the old city that functioned as a fortress in the old days. Not far from Panama City are some other tropical islands of Panama. These are the Pearl Islands and are located not far out of the coast of Panama City. When you enjoyed San Blas be sure to visit them!
Sleeping in Panama City
Before you visit San Blas you are probably staying in Panama City or sailing from Colombia. Panama City is a nice place to stay for a couple of nights to explorer the Panama Canal and amazing city-life of the capital of Panama. You have countless options to stay for the night in Panama City. We can recommend the following awesome places for backpackers #1 Hostel Villa Vento Surf and #2 El Machico Hostel
. Looking for more luxury? Than you should go to the hotel Riu Plaza Panama City*****, Hard Rock Hotel Panama City****** or the Royal Sonesta Hotel & Casino*****. One of the best things of these hotels is the beautiful view over the city!
Want to travel to San Blas from Panama City? We will show you how to get there on this page.