Panama City

Currency

Panama uses the US dollar as its paper currency, alongside locally minted balboa coins at parity. No exchange is needed if you carry dollars.

ATMs & cards

Banco General, Banistmo and BAC machines are reliable and common. Use those inside malls or bank branches rather than on the street. Fees are around $5 per withdrawal for foreign cards.

Panama uses the US dollar. Foreign-card fees run around $5 per withdrawal, so take out larger amounts inside malls or branches.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Casco Viejo, Marbella and Costa del Este are comfortable. El Chorrillo and Curundu are not and border the old town directly, so pay attention to which street you turn down. Use Uber rather than hailing taxis.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

• Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Yellow fever if you are going to Darién

Getting treated

Panama City has the best private hospitals in Central America, several affiliated with US institutions, at a fraction of US prices. Outside the capital, standards drop sharply.

Tap water is safe in Panama City but not everywhere else.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Sancocho is the national chicken soup and the standard hangover cure. Seafood at the Mercado de Mariscos is excellent and cheap — ceviche by the cup at the counter.

Getting around

• Metro — two clean, cheap lines, the best in Central America
• Uber — widely used, cheaper and less hassle than street taxis
• Walking — Casco Viejo is compact, though the rest of the city is not
• MetroBus — extensive but requires a rechargeable card
• Airport: Tocumen is 30-45 minutes from the city depending on traffic

Must-see

Things to do

• Watch ships transit the Miraflores Locks
• Explore Casco Viejo
• Walk or cycle the Amador Causeway
• Hike Ancon Hill for the skyline
• Visit the Biomuseo
• Day trip to the San Blas islands

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Spanish (Latin American)

• HelloHolaOH-la
• PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
• Thank youGraciasGRA-syas
• Yes / NoSí / Nosee / no
• Excuse meDisculpedees-KOOL-peh
• How much is it?¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta
• The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta
• Cheers!¡Salud!sa-LOOD

The c and z are said as an s here, not the Spanish "th" — gracias is GRA-syas.

Religion

Catholic

Catholic majority with a substantial Protestant minority.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Greet before asking; buenos días opens every interaction
• Use Uber rather than hailing street taxis
• Dress smart-casual for restaurants; Panama City is more formal than it looks
• Carry small dollar notes — change for large ones is often scarce

Don't

• Do not wander from Casco Viejo into El Chorrillo; the boundary is a single street
• Do not drink tap water outside Panama City, where it is generally fine
• Do not photograph the canal security areas
• Do not call the currency anything but the dollar in practice, despite the balboa