As I made my way back from Lima, Peru to NYC I had a 23 hour layover in Panama City, Panama on June 23, 2019. I arrived that morning around 8 AM and let me tell you it was a breeze going through immigration. The folks at the airport were so chilled out.
Panama City reminds me a lot of NYC and I think it has to do with the ongoing interaction they have with the USA.
There were several ways to travel from the Airport to the center of Panama City, but since time was an essence, I decided to hop in a cab and paid about $15 US to get to my hotel. The ride was about 30 minutes or so, the traffic was decent during the morning rush.
I really needed to check into my hotel ASAP and take a quick shower before exploring the town. Since I’m a planner, I already had an idea and list of things in mind that I wanted to tackle during my short stay in Panama City.
Where to stay in Panama City?
There were so many high end and reasonable hotels, motels, inns and hostels to stay in Panama City. However, I was drawn to the Ramada Plaza Panama Punta Pacifica City Hotel. The Ramada is located in the heart of Panama City and walking distance from some of the most authentic restaurants and the famous Albrook shopping mall in Panama city. The hotel was also a 5 minute drive to where you can catch the hop on hop off bus.
…check in was at 3 PM, but I got lucky and was able to check in around 830 AM that morning…
I was impressed with my room…oh my…it was spacious and the the bed was extremely soft and comfortable…the shower was enjoyable and to top it off I had this beautiful view of the city from my hotel room…
The Ramada also have a restaurant and bar where you can enjoy a nice meal or drink before heading back to your room and call it a night, but take advantage of the complimentary breakfast. The staff here were very nice and helpful.
What to do in Panama City, Panama?
The cheapest and best way to travel around Panama City is to purchase a day or two days Citysightseeing pass…thats where you get the hop on and hop off buses and then make your way to the places you want to explore more…just pay attention to the bus schedule so you can plan your time accordingly and be able to travel seamlessly to your next stop.
The cost of a day pass was around $40 and included an entrance ticket to the Panama Canal.
- My first stop was at the Panama Canal, which is considered the 8 wonders of the modern world of engineer. There are 3 locks that operates 365 days. The canal connects the transfer of cargos between the pacific and caribbean ocean. It was so amazing to walk around and scope out the canals, learn more about the history, grab lunch, snack, drinks, satisfy your sweet tooth, take some pictures of this incredible and historical site, enjoy the fresh breeze if the weather is nice and if you get lucky you may be able to see one of the ship/cargo making it way through the canal. They also have an imax theater next door where you can explore if you have time.
- My second stop was at the Bio Museum which highlights Panama’s natural and cultural history that emphasize the role of human in the XX1 century. Get ready to explore the 8 galleries which tells a story of Panama’s natural and cultural evolution. There were so many cool sound effects and 3 D short films to make your tour more meaningful at the Bio Museum. It’s totally worth exploring if this is your kinda thing. To top it off they also have a a beautiful garden filled with sunflowers facing the ocean.
Considering I had an early flight out to NYC the next morning, I called it an early night.
WhErE iS gAtAnGaLiE 