26 Feb2014
Interesting facts about Panama capital
When I was planning my visit to Panama country (after just visiting Bocas del Toro islands back in 2012 where I practiced yoga), I knew I wanted to spend more time in the capital but people kept telling me there was not so much to do.
I did not listen to them and still took a lot of day trips or 2 – 4 day trips and then came back to Panama City again. I made friends at the hostel so it felt great each time I went back there and found my friends greeting me with hugs. Thank you Edgardo, Heider, Nicol etc. :)
As I spent more days in the Panama capital than most of the travelers usually do, I got to know the city better than I expected.
I wrote down a list of some interesting facts about Panama capital:
- around 1.5 million inhabitants – almost 1/3 to 1/2 of country’s inhabitants live in the capital
- it’s a Miami/Hong Kong-style capital city
- more than 30 skyscrapers are now under construction in Panama City – so many skyscrapers it makes you feel like in New York or somewhere else in the US
- around 100 cruise ships go through Panama City per year
- people looked weird at me when I was walking barefoot
- Panama is rated the 5th cheapest capital city in the world by a 2012 survey in The Economist
- there’s horrible traffic jams in the city so I almost always prefered to walk. But if you take a bus, get ready to spend a lot of time very personal face-to-face with many locals. Like my local friend said ”one can only listen to music in Panama as there is nothing else to do” and I add ”when wasting half a day on a bus.”
- most locals spend 2 hours commuting to work every day and then back home the same time, and sometimes also 1 hour waiting for the bus to come by. It was caused when around 1,200 red devil buses where replaced by only 400 white-orange Metrobuses because a red devil bus can legally carry 40 people and the Metrobus 100 but obviously, around 90 people have always squeezed into the red devil bus which means around 2 thirds of Metrobuses are now missing in the Panama capital.
- you need to get an orange Metrobus card ($2) and charge it with money to use before boarding a bus. Sometimes you can ask a person at the bus stop to use theirs if you give them money – this is also the only way to use a bus from the Tocumen airport to the downtown as there’s no place to buy Metrobus card at the airport so you need to ask a local to use their card if you don’t want to pay for the taxi.
- Goethals Memorial is designed like the Panama Canal when the 2 palm trees lines resemble the width of the canal and the 3 steps the 3 locks
- there’s minimum 57 McDonalds in Panama City
- both the locals and tourists love jogging along Cinta Costera
- palm trees around
- Panama capital is more expensive than I thought
- you can pay in US dollars everywhere. No need to use local Balboas at all.
- big new cars are everywhere – many of them with black non-transparent windows
- yellow taxis like in the US
- the taxi drivers horn at ”white” people when walking on the street letting you know a taxi is coming so expect to hear horning all around you all the time
- people just love horning in Panama capital in general to make the other cars drive faster as sometimes they get stuck in traffic just because they are texting or not paying attention
- Panamanian guys love to whistle and shout at foreign women, some will even follow you until you send them ”to hell”. Even policemen bodyguarding bank money with rifles were blowing kisses at me.
- very few zebra crossings so you basically have to run among the cars most of the time
- not many sidewalks so it is not a city for pedestrians, most of the time you have to walk along the road or along broken sidewalks
- hot but windy
- street vendors with fruit, clothes, water and other drinks
- many shopping malls – Panama is known as a shopping capital and there’s a mall at every corner
- in the malls there’s many gays working in the shops with clothes – similarly to other countries
- 4 large shopping malls – Multiplaza (the most upscale one), Multi Centro and Albrook in the city, and Metro Mall close to the Tocumen airport (with free shuttle to and from the airport)
- it’s cold inside the shopping malls
- the malls open for public at 10am and you will see people waiting to get into the malls even an hour earlier
- the prices differ so much between the malls where the tourists go and small local stores (e.g. for a pair of flip flops you’d pay around $0.99 at a local market to $18.99 – $60 at a touristy mall)
- the locals eat pretty unhealthy – similar to Mexico I’d say
- many streets are closed for construction
- many one-way streets
- they drive like crazy and have 0 consideration for other drivers
- the ”white” skin people are all expats; most of the population are mestizos (European-Indian population) and the Antillean blacks came here to help with the canal construction and stayed.
- many small hairdressers and barbershops at the streets – it seems like men are obsessed with having a hair cut and you honestly won’t see almost any Panamanian men with a beard. The funniest thing about all the barber’s is that most of them look like cages, almost open-air boxes or local stores with metal bars around.
- the bus drivers seem not to talk at all. The biggest move they do is when you ask them about your stop and they just show you or move with the head yes/no. No idea why they do not talk to you even if you speak Spanish.
- I found not many people smiling at the street, I cannot say they are not friendly, they just don’t smile as much as for example the Mexicans or the Embera village tribe people
- the shop vendors in the malls say hi to you from far
- the closest national park great for wildlife is Parque Natural Metropolitano which is just a $3 taxi drive and it has a panoramic view of Panama City. The Metropolitan National Park is the only world’s tropical rainforest located within a city and hosts 4 mammal species and 200 bird species.
- Panama capital is the best combination of ultra-modern and historic
- Panama Viejo historical ruins are from the 16th century – the first Panama city was founded there, later Casco Viejo in the 17th century
- Panama capital it is one of the hottest capitals in the world and I can surely agree with that
- the best night life is in Casco Viejo, calle Uruguay, Amador Causeway and the business district
- you can take a scenic Panama Canal Railway from Panama to Colon town which is 40 miles across the isthmus with rainforest surrounding you
- Panama capital was called by Tripadvisor one of top 10 food and wine destinations in Central and South America
- the lowest rate of crime against tourists in the region – but do not to go El Chorrillo neighbourhood at night
- construction vehicles blocking street after street all the time in Panama capital
- when the Bridge of the Americas became not enough for all the traffic in the capital, puente Centenario – Centennial bridge was built but for a certain period of time there were no roads going to the bridge
Marcello Arrambide
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Lol. I think people will look weird at you anywhere if you walked barefoot. Not unless you’re in a beach or by the pool :-D I sure hope you weren’t in either these places when they stared you down because then it means they’re an odd bunch!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Well, coastline should be fine for walking barefoot too, right? It is healthy so I am just using any opportunity I could ever get to forget about my shoes :D One of my crazy things …
Linda Bibb
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We were in Panama City for 2 1/2 years. I’d like to add that the horrendous traffic is partly/mostly due to the fact that the city is installing a subway system AND overpasses at the same time. Unfortunately they don’t plan it out. If they need the road closed today, they close it. The result is that drivers get a surprise when they want to turn and find out they can’t, so they end up switching lanes at the last minute to find alternate routes.
El Cangrejo is another spot for nightlife, especially Via Veneto and Via Argentina.
Panama used to be part of Colombia. Panamanians don’t consider Panama as part of Central America.
Panama is a mecca for birders; it has more species than Costa Rica.
Panama City’s best weather is from December to April.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Aw, thanks Linda for your comment and tips :) Really helpful ;)
Rod Austin
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Looks like an amazing place–definitely very different from home. All the more reason to place it on my must-travel list. Thanks!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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You should go for it, Rod!
Arina
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Wow! I never thought that Panama capital would look so so good. Amazing photos!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Thank you so much :)
memographer
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These facts are great. The 5th cheapest capital city in the world! I didn’t expect that. And the lowest rate of crime against tourists in the region was surprising to know. Thanks for sharing, Sexy!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Oh, thank you :) All those facts were new to me too ;)
Laura
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I’ve been interested in visiting Panama City lately and these facts are pretty cool. I like the comparison to HK and Miami!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Thanks Laura. Let me know if you decide to visit Panama City if you need any more tips ;)
Tim
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What a beautiful city and a commanding skyline … I’m planning on spending some time here, so all this info is very useful to me! Cheers!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Glad to help :)
Sandra
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You know, we were planning on going on a trip to Panama this month and despite my hours of searching, it was so hard to find any good travel information online. Particularly from travel bloggers, whose opinions I always like to read. So thank you for sharing your posts about Panama; they’ve been a pleasure to read!
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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I am so glad Sandra you find my posts useful because I had the same problem before visiting Panama so I know how it feels :) Hope you enjoy your visit if you decide to go in the end ;)