Panama fits a lot into a small country: ships passing through the Panama Canal locks, the cobbled streets and rooftops of Casco Antiguo, rainforest inside the capital city, and Caribbean islands where water taxis take the place of buses. Most first trips start in Panama City, where the Canal, the old quarter and the ruins of Panamá Viejo are all within easy reach, then add Bocas del Toro, about a 45-minute flight away.
This page starts with our ranked picks for a first trip, best first, each with a practical tip. Below them you will find every sight we cover in Panama City and Bocas del Toro, with opening notes and checked entry fees where we have them, followed by answers to common questions.
The 18 best things to do in Panama
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- 1Panama City
Watch ships pass through the Miraflores Locks
The Panama Canal opened on August 15, 1914, and its Pacific end is easy to reach: the Miraflores Visitor Center sits about 15 minutes by car from downtown Panama City. You watch ships being raised and lowered from a ground-level terrace, first-level bleachers or the main viewing deck. Your ticket also includes a 45-minute 3D film about how the canal was built and how it works, narrated by Morgan Freeman. Plan on about 1.5 hours for the visit. If you want to see the larger locks added in the expansion, the Agua Clara Visitor Center on the Caribbean side is about an hour from the capital, near Colón.
Tip: Check the ship schedule on the Panama Canal's website before you go, because transit times vary, while the film runs on a fixed daily timetable.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (visitcanaldepanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Buy a ticket, $[fee] - 2Panama City
Wander the old streets of Casco Antiguo
Casco Antiguo, in the San Felipe neighborhood, opened in 1673 as a refuge for settlers after pirates attacked the first city, now Panamá Viejo. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of cobbled streets, colorful doors and stone buildings that mix Spanish and French colonial styles. A good loop starts at Plaza Santa Ana and the Coca-Cola Café, passes Plaza Herrera and the Mola Museum, climbs to Plaza de Francia, follows Paseo Esteban Huertas along the old wall, passes the National Theater and ends at Plaza de la Independencia and its cathedral. The Church of San José is known for its impressive gold altar.
Tip: Take a taxi or ride-hailing car, or park free at Cinta Costera 3 and walk in, since parking inside the district is scarce.
Sources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Free to visit - 3Bocas del ToroBook ahead
Snorkel and swim at the Zapatilla Cays
The Zapatilla Cays lie inside Bastimentos National Marine Park, a protected area of 13,266 hectares of beaches, mangroves, coral reefs and tropical forest. Boats leave from Isla Colón, and the water taxi ride takes about 40 minutes. Cay 2 has a hut, trails, restrooms and a ranger cabin, and you can snorkel over coral reefs with tropical fish, sea turtles and starfish, or walk the trails and watch for sloths, birds and frogs. Cay 1 is fully protected for turtles. The cays are nesting areas for four of the world's seven sea turtle species, including the endangered hawksbill.
Tip: Book through an official local operator, and bring water, sunscreen, a hat and insect repellent, since there are no camping areas in the park.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Boat tour, $[fee] - 4Panama City
Climb the ruins of Panamá Viejo
Panamá Viejo holds the remains of the original Panama City, founded in 1519 when Pedro Arias Dávila and about 100 settlers made it their home. It was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You walk among the ruins of the old cathedral and other buildings, and you can climb the bell tower for views over the modern skyline. The Plaza Mayor Museum on site shows finds from the excavations, and an artisan market sells local crafts. It is about a 10-minute drive or a 30-minute bus ride from the city center.
Tip: The ticket office closes one hour before the site does, and the site is closed on Mondays, so arrive well before the afternoon.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Patronato Panamá Viejo; Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Pay at the ticket office, $[fee] - 5Bocas del Toro
Walk the trail to Playa Estrella
Playa Estrella, on Isla Colón, is known for the starfish that you can see from the water. The walk from Boca del Drago is 1.5 km, easy and about half an hour long, crossing mangrove forest and wooden bridges over clear lagoons. Boca del Drago itself is 14 km by road from Bocas Town, and a boat trip from there goes to Isla Pájaros for snorkeling. You can also reach Playa Estrella by water taxi from the main dock in Bocas Town. The beach is good for swimming and snorkeling alongside the starfish.
Tip: Look but do not touch: never lift a starfish out of the water, because handling stresses and can kill them.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Ask your boat operator, $[fee] - 6Panama City
Hike to the Cerro Cedro viewpoint in Metropolitan Natural Park
Metropolitan Natural Park covers 230 hectares inside the capital and is described as the only tropical forest within a Latin American capital city. It has seven marked trails that need no guide. The Mono Titi Path, rated moderate, climbs to the viewpoint on Cerro Cedro, where you see Panama City, the Canal, Casco Antiguo, the Cinta Costera and the Bridge of the Americas. Squirrel monkeys often move through the trees along that path, and the park has recorded 283 bird species. It is about half an hour by car from the Cinta Costera, and several bus routes stop near the entrance.
Tip: Stop at the Visitor Center first to pay the entrance fee, pick up trail information and ask about guided tours.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Pay at the Visitor Center, $[fee] - 7Panama City
Explore Frank Gehry's Biomuseo
The Biomuseo, on the Amador Causeway, is the only building Frank Gehry designed in Latin America, and its colorful design is as much of an attraction as the galleries. Eight permanent galleries tell how the isthmus formed and how its rise changed the world. Panamarama is a three-level projection of Panama's ecosystems, and Oceans Divided uses two tall aquariums to show how the Pacific and Caribbean evolved apart. Outside, the Biodiversity Park has gardens and views of ships passing under the Bridge of the Americas. Take bus C850 from the Albrook Metro station to reach it.
Tip: Tickets are sold at the museum's box office, and the museum is closed on Mondays.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Biomuseo (Museo de la Biodiversidad)Non-resident adult: $20 · Pay at the doorLast verified
- 8Panama City
Cycle or stroll along the Amador Causeway
The Amador Causeway runs about 6 km into the Pacific and joins the islands of Naos, Perico and Flamenco to the mainland. It was built with rock removed during the Panama Canal excavation, and from 1920 to 1980 it carried the fortifications that guarded the canal's southern entrance. Today you can walk, jog, cycle, rent a scooter, kayak or paddleboard, and the old military buildings hold restaurants, shops and clubs. The views take in the city skyline and the Pacific entrance to the Canal. Boats to Taboga Island and the Las Perlas archipelago also leave from here. From Albrook Metro station, take bus C850.
Tip: Go on a Sunday morning, when Avenida Balboa closes to cars for the Recreovía and the cycling route runs from Paitilla to the end of the causeway.
Sources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Free to visit - 9Panama City
Learn the canal's story at the Interoceanic Canal Museum
The Panama Interoceanic Canal Museum stands on Plaza Catedral in Casco Antiguo, in a heritage building that was once the Grand Hotel. During the French canal effort it was acquired to house the administrative offices of the canal company. Eleven galleries cover the French attempt, American construction, the handover to Panama and the new locks, and highlighted objects range from the Spanish colonial route across the isthmus to life in the Canal Zone. Audio guides come in Spanish, English, French, Ngäbere, Guna and Emberá. It pairs well with a visit to the locks at Miraflores.
Tip: Ask for an audio guide, and remember that the museum is closed on Mondays.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá; Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Pay at the door, $[fee] - 10Bocas del Toro
Hike from Red Frog Beach to Old Bank
Red Frog Beach on Isla Bastimentos is about 15 minutes by water taxi from Bocas Town, and it is named for the tiny red frogs of the forest behind it. From the beach an easy forest trail leads to Old Bank, an Antillean community known for seafood, coconut dishes and music such as calypso and reggae. Along the way you may see howler and white-faced monkeys, sloths and birds. In Old Bank, try Afro-Caribbean dishes such as coconut rice and beans, rondón fish soup or pan bon, a sweet fruit bread brought by Jamaican workers.
Tip: Bring a swimsuit and some cash, watch your step, and never touch the frogs, since they can be poisonous.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Private path, $[fee] - 11Panama City
Climb the canopy tower at the Rainforest Discovery Center
The Panama Rainforest Discovery Center sits beside Pipeline Road in Gamboa, on the edge of Soberanía National Park, about 40 minutes by car from Panama City. A 174-step spiral staircase climbs the observation tower to a top deck 32 m up, above the canopy. A 1.1 km forest circuit leads from the visitor center, with a deck by Calamito Lake for watching water wildlife, and hummingbirds visit the visitor center deck, where coffee or tea is free. Pipeline Road is famous among birders for holding the record for the most bird species seen in 24 hours.
Tip: Book through the reservation form on the center's website, and go in the morning, when howler monkeys are calling.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Rainforest Discovery Center (official); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Foreign visitor, adult: $30 · Pay at the entranceLast verified
- 12Panama City
Walk Las Bóvedas and Plaza de Francia
Las Bóvedas is a historic walk along the old wall that once protected the city, with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Casco Antiguo and Panama Bay. Nearby, Plaza de Francia has a stairway to climb and a tribute to France's role in building the Panama Canal. Paseo Esteban Huertas, also built on the old city wall, gives more views of the skyline and the bay. On the usual walking route it comes after Plaza Herrera and the Mola Museum, so it fits easily into a day in the old quarter.
Tip: Come in the late afternoon and finish at a Casco Antiguo rooftop for a drink at sunset.
Search tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Free to visit - 13Panama City
See Guna molas at the Mola Museum
The Mola Museum, known as MUMO, celebrates and preserves molas, the textiles made by Guna women. More than 200 molas are shown across five permanent exhibitions that cover technique, cosmovision and protection, environment, layered molas and narrative molas. The displays trace where molas came from and how they became a form of cultural resistance to colonization, and they highlight the role of Guna women in protecting the tradition. The museum is reached from Plaza Herrera in Casco Antiguo, so it slots neatly into a walk through the old quarter.
Tip: Visit on a weekend if you can, when special exhibitions and paper-mola-making workshops are offered; the museum is closed on Mondays.
Search tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Free to visit - 14Bocas del Toro
Dive or snorkel the reefs at Cayo Coral
Bocas del Toro has more than 40 dive sites, and the archipelago is home to 89 percent of the coral species found in the Panamanian Caribbean. Cayo Coral is about 20 minutes by boat from Isla Bastimentos. It is rated beginner level, with a maximum depth of 18 m (60 ft), and has reef fish, sponges and barracudas around underwater caves and tunnels. Its coral reefs are praised for their bright colors, and you can end the trip with seafood at a local restaurant and a taste of the local hot sauce.
Tip: Tank diving needs an international certification such as PADI, so take a Discover course if you do not have one, and book reef trips through a local tour operator.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Boat tour, $[fee] - 15Bocas del Toro
Look for nesting turtles on Bluff Beach
Bluff Beach, on Isla Colón, is 9 km from Bocas Town and more than 4 km long. Its sand is an intense color that the tourism board attributes to its coral origin, and waves draw surfers. Some sections are isolated and undeveloped. Between April and September, leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles come ashore to nest at night. Surf season in Bocas runs from December to March.
Tip: Visit between April and September for a chance of nesting turtles at night, or December to March if waves are your goal.
Search tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Free to visit - 16Panama City
Ride the Cinta Costera from the seafood market
The Cinta Costera is a waterfront path along Avenida Balboa, and cyclists have a dedicated lane starting in Paitilla. The route continues along Cinta Costera 3, past the Torrijos Carter Viaduct and on to the Amador Causeway, about 5 km of waterfront in all. Several shops in the city rent classic, tandem, family and electric bikes. A popular start is the Mercado del Marisco, the seafood market, where you can try ceviche or fried fish with patacones before you set off.
Tip: Rent a bike in the city and keep to the waterfront lane, because Casco Antiguo itself has no bikeways.
Search tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Free to visit - 17Bocas del Toro
Surf or stroll around Isla Carenero
Isla Carenero is a small island about 2 minutes from Isla Colón by water taxi, and you can walk around it in about an hour, passing beaches, bars, hotels and surf spots. Carenero Beach is lively, with restaurants, bars and tours. Surf spots here suit all levels. Old Mans offers high, frequent waves, with the best months from December to April and July, and surf shops and hotels rent boards. Point Break is for advanced surfers, with consistent swell, five peaks and waves up to three meters.
Tip: Leave Point Break to advanced surfers, since its bottom is coral and rock.
Sources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Free to visit - 18Panama City
Spot humpback whales in Panama Bay
From July to October, humpback whales arrive in the Pacific waters off Panama City to breed and raise their calves. August is the busiest month and gives the best chance of a sighting. Boats and ferries from the Amador Causeway head toward Taboga Island and the Las Perlas archipelago, and you scan the horizon between the islands. Sightings depend on the weather and the whales' behavior, so they are never guaranteed. A trip pairs well with a day on the causeway.
Tip: Choose an operator that keeps at least 250 meters from the whales and limits watching to 30 minutes, or 15 minutes when calves are present.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)
Every sight, city by city
Bluff Beach
The longest beach in the archipelago, about 9 km from Bocas Town, with strong waves and turtle nesting.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on TiqetsBoca del Drago
A beach about 14 km by road from Bocas Town, with kayak rentals and boat trips to a bird island.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on TiqetsBocas Town
The main town of Isla Colón, with the largest range of hotels, tours, shops, ATMs and nightlife in the archipelago.Entry: Free to visitBocas Town waterfront restaurants
Waterfront restaurants in Bocas Town serving patties, coconut rice and seafood.Entry: Pay as you goCayo Coral
A reef about 20 minutes by boat from Isla Bastimentos, suited to beginner snorkelers and divers.Entry: Boat tour, $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsIsla Carenero
A small island two minutes by water taxi from Bocas Town, with beaches, bars and surf breaks.Entry: Free to visitOld Bank
An Afro-Antillean community on Isla Bastimentos known for rondón, coconut rice and the sweet fruit bread Pan Bon.Entry: Pay as you goPlaya Estrella
A calm beach known for its starfish, reached by a 2 km road or trail from Boca del Drago.Entry: Ask your boat operator, $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsPolo Beach
A calm Bastimentos beach protected by a reef, good for swimming and snorkeling.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on TiqetsRed Frog Beach
A Bastimentos beach about 15 minutes by water taxi from Bocas Town, named for its tiny red frogs.Entry: Private path, $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSan San Pond Sak Wetland
A protected wetland on the mainland where kayakers look for manatees, turtles and birds.Entry: Guided tour, $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsWizard Beach
A long Bastimentos beach for surfers, reached by a forest trail, with strong currents for swimmers.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on TiqetsZapatilla Cays
Two cays in Bastimentos National Marine Park with white beaches, reefs and nesting hawksbill turtles.Entry: Boat tour, $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsAfro-Antillean Museum
A museum in Calidonia on the history of the Afro-Antillean workers who came to build the Canal.Entry: Pay at the door, $[fee]. Closed MondaysSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsAmador Causeway
A 6 km causeway built from Canal rock, with skyline views, bike and kayak rentals and waterfront restaurants.Entry: Free to visitBiomuseo
Frank Gehry's colorful museum on the Amador Causeway about how the isthmus formed and changed the world.Entry: Pay at the door. Closed MondaysSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsCasco Antiguo
The UNESCO-listed old town of Panama City, opened in 1673, with colonial squares, museums, cafés and rooftops.Entry: Free to visitChurch of San José
A Casco Antiguo church known for its gold altar, on the old-town walking circuit.Entry: Check opening hoursSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsCinta Costera
The waterfront promenade and bike path along Avenida Balboa, closed to cars on Sunday mornings.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on TiqetsMercado de Mariscos
The seafood market on Avenida Balboa, known for ceviche and fried fish with patacones.Entry: Pay as you goMetropolitan Natural Park
A 230-hectare tropical forest inside the city with seven marked trails and a viewpoint over the Canal.Entry: Pay at the Visitor Center, $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsMi Pueblito
An open-air museum with plazas on Afro-Antillean, rural Spanish-influenced and Indigenous life in Panama.Entry: Pay at the door, $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsMiraflores Visitor Center
Terraces over the Miraflores Locks to watch ships pass, plus exhibits and an IMAX film about the Panama Canal.Entry: Buy a ticket, $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsMola Museum
A free museum in Casco Antiguo with more than 200 molas, the layered textiles made by Guna women.Entry: Free to visit. Closed MondaysSearch tours on TiqetsMuseum of Contemporary Art
A museum in Ancón with more than 700 works by 20th and 21st century Latin American artists.Entry: Pay at the door, $[fee]. Closed MondaysSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsPanama Canal Museum
A museum in a heritage building in Casco Antiguo on the French attempt, the American era and the Canal handover.Entry: Pay at the door, $[fee]. Closed MondaysSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsPanama Rainforest Discovery Center
A birdwatching center beside Pipeline Road in Gamboa, with hummingbird feeders and a 32-meter canopy tower.Entry: Pay at the entranceSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsPanama Viejo
The ruins of the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific, founded in 1519, with a bell tower to climb.Entry: Pay at the ticket office, $[fee]. Closed MondaysSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsPlaza de Francia and Las Bóvedas
A plaza honoring the French role in building the Canal, beside the old wall walk with views of Panama Bay.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on TiqetsPlaza de la Independencia and Cathedral
The main square of Casco Antiguo, home to the Cathedral Basilica Santa María la Antigua and the Canal museum.Entry: Check opening hoursSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsPlaza Herrera
A small Casco Antiguo square lined with restaurants, on the way to the Mola Museum.Entry: Pay as you goPlaza Santa Ana
The square where the old-town walk begins, home to the Coca-Cola Café, a long-standing meeting place.Entry: Pay as you goQuestions travelers ask
What are the best things to do in Panama for a first trip?
Start in Panama City with the Miraflores Locks, the cobbled streets of Casco Antiguo and the Biomuseo, then add the ruins of Panamá Viejo and the rainforest at Metropolitan Natural Park. From there, fly about 45 minutes to Bocas del Toro for beaches, snorkeling at the Zapatilla Cays and Cayo Coral, and the hike from Red Frog Beach to Old Bank. If you have time, add a canopy tower visit at the Rainforest Discovery Center.
Sources: Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (visitcanaldepanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)How many days do you need in Panama?
Three days cover the main sights of Panama City: Casco Antiguo and its museums, the Canal and Biomuseo, and Panamá Viejo or the rainforest parks. Add three or four days for Bocas del Toro, which is about a 45-minute flight from the capital, so you have time for island hopping and a reef day. The tourism board's own itineraries run 10 days for Panama City and 8 days for Bocas del Toro if you want to go deeper.
Sources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)What is the best time of year for sightseeing in Panama?
Panama has a dry season from December to April, which the tourism board lists as the best time to visit, and a green season for the rest of the year, when rain is less predictable and forests are lush. Bocas del Toro follows its own pattern: March and September to October are the driest, November and December the rainiest, the calmest seas come from August to October, and surf season runs from December to March.
Sources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Which attractions should you book ahead in Panama?
Book the Rainforest Discovery Center through the reservation form on its website. In Bocas del Toro, book reef snorkeling and island tours through a local operator, and book the San San Pond Sak wetlands trip in advance through the local organization that manages the area. The Nivida Bat Cave needs a certified local guide, and booking in advance may allow a partial Canal transit. For humpback whale trips, choose an official operator.
Sources: Panama Rainforest Discovery Center (official); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)How do you get around Panama?
In Panama City, Tocumen Airport has a Metro station, buses and the Metro use the MiBus card, white tourist taxis charge standard rates, and ride-hailing apps are widely used. Casco Antiguo, the Cinta Costera and the Amador Causeway are walkable. Flights from Marcos A. Gelabert Airport in Albrook reach Isla Colón in about 45 minutes. In Bocas del Toro, water taxis connect the islands, and Isla Colón has paved roads for biking, walking and taxis.
Sources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Do you need cash in Bocas del Toro?
Bring some, especially for the smaller places. Isla Colón is the most developed island, with ATMs, pharmacies and a wide choice of restaurants and tours, so withdraw money in Bocas Town before heading out. On the hike to Old Bank the tourism board advises carrying cash for souvenirs, and on deserted beaches you should bring your own food and water. Protect the wildlife too: do not touch starfish, corals or the red frogs.
Sources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com); Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)Is there free tourist insurance in Panama?
Yes, for some visitors. The government provides tourist insurance at no cost that starts automatically when your passport is stamped at an authorized airport. It covers the first 10 days for travelers under 86 who arrive by air, including medical care for accidents or sudden illness, medical transfers, repatriation and legal assistance after theft, with help in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese. Pre-existing conditions are not covered, so consider your own travel cover for longer stays.
Sources: Panama Tourism Authority (tourismpanama.com, formerly visitpanama.com)