Visiting Panama in January 2025 was a bit surreal. Marjorie and I, being the planners we are, had an entire Panama trip booked years before – but it never happened. Our early 2021 trip to Panama had been thoroughly thwarted by a little something called a global pandemic.
As life went back to normal, we hesitated on rescheduling Panama. Not only did it dredge up some scratchy memories, but as things were still in flux through about 2023, we wanted to be sure we weren’t at risk at missing one of the most important things (the Panama Canal, of course).
So, 2025 came around and we finally redid the itinerary – making it even better in our opinion. Our travel path is a bit unconventional in all the best ways. Looking back, we really got all the features of Panama and it’s high on the list of favorite places.
Day 1 -Flight in Panama City
I flew to New York and we coordinated our flights to take the same plane down to Panama City. It was a day flight and we landed at 8pm. We decided to play it easy and used Marjorie’s points at the Marriott in Panama City We got a little ice cream pick me up and then went to bed, ready to start the next day’s adventures.
Day 2 – Drive to El Valle
We chose the Marriott we did so we could walk to the rental car spot the next day. We did this because all the blogs we read said that renting from the airport in Panama was a nightmare and to avoid doing it. We also wanted to avoid needing to pay for and park our car for a night we didn’t need. So we chose the National in Obarrio.
Was this actually easier? I’m not sure – we definitely had great service from that branch of National but, outside of Old Town, Panama isn’t a super walkable city. Both the pick up and drop off of the car outside of the airport was a less convenient as I had hoped.
But we ultimately got our wheels and started the 2-3 hour drive to El Valle de Anton. We did a lot of driving on this Panama trip and, while it was very easy to navigate, this was definitely a country with extensive pot holes. Driving took a lot of concentration and dodging but was ultimately easy.
Since we arrived on a Sunday, we made sure to stop at the El Valle Public Market all the blogs will mention. It was… not great. It’s just like any other market you’ll see and “artisan” was pushing it – it was standard souvenir fare. We did stop for lunch at El Rincon which was decent if not mind-blowing.
After lunch, we checked into our Airbnb. It was so delightful. Cute rooms with two lovely patios equipped with hammocks. Really friendly and walkable to town. The grounds were very beautiful with lots of birdsong too. Don’t hesitate to snag this spot.
After we got settled, we headed for our first hike, Cerra la Silla. Huge props to this blog for her in-depth hiking info! We never would have found this hike with it, but it was a perfect first one.
It’s easy to drive to the “entrance” – we left the car on the side of the road well before the actual trail. So there is a long walk before you even start the hike. At the end, you do have to pay a small fee (I think $5) to go on the private property. Very easy, and the path is very well marked.
The entire Cerra la Silla hike was gorgeous. A bit narrow at times but truly breathtaking. We didn’t get to the very end of the trail because it was so windy and we both got extremely nervous on a very narrow stretch. We decided we’d just enjoy the view where we were and not get blown off at the very beginning of our trip.
It was a great hike that left us perfectly worn out. After we climbed down, we had dinner at The Golden Frog, which I definitely recommend. Super cute and very tasty (looks like a nice option to stay as well!)
Day 3 – El Valle and more hiking
I needed to start our morning with a little sustenance, so we walked into down and stopped for caffeine at Kare Coffee. Very cute spot with a delightful latte.
Our second hike in El Valle was to see La India Dormida. This is a popular hike for the area and totally different than yesterday’s from a landscape perspective, which was really fun. Much more jungle-like with a beautiful waterfall.
It also was a bit more challenging than we expected but in a fun way versus a scary way. Though there were some slippery parts, and a little scrambling, it was very do-able. Highly recommend using All Trails for this hike as there were a couple spots where we had to zig vs. zag and having the app kept us confident. They also let you take/rent walking sticks for 1 euro at the base of the climb and they were a great euro spent!
We were so worn out and sore after two days of hiking so we ended the day with an early dinner at La Ranita which had a lovely little patio and really great guac and ropa vieja. Definitely worth stopping and there’s even ice cream just another block down!
Day 4 – El Valle –> Santa Catalina
We knew the drive to Santa Catalina would be a long one so we got on the road fairly early, but not before a quick meal at Heaven’s Cafe. Perfect spot for breakfast and clearly a local fav as well.
Honestly, the first part of this road trip was terrifying. The route out of El Valle takes you high into the mountains on lesser used road. You have to go up very narrow roads with lots of switch backs. This in of itself isn’t great, but they were also in extremely poor condition so I was often forced to drive on the wrong side of the road and just hope no one was coming down the other side. I’m not confident I’ve ever literally white-knuckled a drive before but, we made it!
Once we were past the first bit, it was easy driving through really beautiful country. The last hour of our trip was on completely dirt/gravel roads as they were expanding and building what would surely end up being a very nice highway. For now, though, it was more pot holes and heavy concentration.
We finally made it to Catalina’s Hideaway which, let me tell you, is an absolute gem. What a lovely little oasis – right on the beach but also with a pool and the cutest cabins. The cabins were on the river and not the ocean but it was still really beautiful.
The restaurant on site was top notch, which was good because we didn’t realize how far away Catalina’s Hideaway was from Santa Catalina proper (another 30 minutes one way, due to the road construction). Not a big deal, just good to plan ahead. We had to go into town to pay ahead for our snorkel trip, so we stopped at Surfer’s Point for a pretty decent acai bowl with a great view.
Day 5 – Snorkeling Day Trip to Coiba
When we chose to go to Santa Catalina we definitely knew we were passing up other known hot spots (think: David and Boquete). But Marjorie and I love a little unique-ness to our explorations and when I say this gamble paid off, it really paid off.
This snorkeling day trip with Premier Coiba Tours from Santa Catalina is an absolute must-do. I was very nervous when we first arrived and I saw the small size of the boat because I’m very prone to sea sickness. I honestly almost turned around but decided I would make it work and I am SO glad I did.
The guides were fantastic and the entire day was perfect. They also do overnight trips on Coiba which we almost booked but decided we didn’t have time for – if you can make the time, I would recommend giving it a try, because I bet it’s incredible.
The beauty of this area is top notch. They give a short tour on the island of Coiba which is full of rich history. We learned about the former prison there (it was only closed about 20 years ago!) – it gives Alcatraz vibes. It was simultaneously fascinating and beautiful. We got back on the boat and they took us to eat lunch on literally one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been on.
And the snorkeling? Devine. They stopped at three spots that were all great and unique. They compare this place to the Galapagos and it’s an apt comparison – the water quality and fish variety is right up there with the Galapagos snorkeling we experienced.
Day 6 – Chilling at Catalina’s Hideaway
Rest day! We were absolutely beat from the full day of snorkeling so we were very hyped for our day of relaxation and books. We enjoyed food and drinks by the pool from the resort. Everything was delicious.
Day 7 – Road trip back to Panama City
We had a lazy-ish breakfast at Catalina’s Hideaway before checking out and hitting the road. It was another long trip (5-6 hours of driving) but our only objective was to get to Panama City in time to return our car – mission achieved.
Our airbnb in Panama City was amazing. Right in Casco Viejo, it was beautiful and perfectly located. I was in love with the wrap around balcony and, despite the heat, I spent a lot of time out there people watching. The space itself was incredibly nice and comfortable – don’t hesitate to book this spot.
Day 8 – More exploring of Panama City
Panama City is hot but that didn’t stop us from taking a nice, long, and really beautiful walk on the lovely ocean path called Cinta Costera. Between the skyscrapers and the ocean it was reminiscent to me of Chicago in the best ways.
We stopped at the Panama sign to get some pictures and then made our way back to Old Town.
For lunch we hit up the Snack Shack which was just down the block from our airbnb. Cute indoor space with lots of very fresh food options. Well worth a stop.
In the afternoon, we took advantage of this Airbnb Experience to make our own chocolate bar. This was really cute and fun. It’s a super small operation called Nomé. In addition to being delicious, you were supporting something very local. We bought a lot of chocolate for gifts and the chocolate making experience was easy but fun. Definitely an excursion that was worth it.
The day before we had decided we really wanted to try out a rooftop bar/restaurant as it’s supposedly a must-do in Panama. So we made reservations at CasaCasco and went up there just before sunset. You’ll definitely want to make reservations if you are going for views because it got very busy and most of the tables were reserved. I will say the food here was very mid, so I recommend going just for drinks and views. They were also playing the music at club-volume so don’t expect to have a conversation, just vibes.
Day 9 – Hiking and, finally, the Panama Canal
We wanted to get some more walking in so we decided to explore the Cerro Ancon Reserve in the morning. It was definitely a nice wooded area that was quite busy with locals getting in their exercise. Quite steep but we did make it to the top. It was beautiful along the way but unfortunately a lot of the vistas were pretty overgrown. I wouldn’t consider it a must-do activity for the city but it was a nice option for us.
Then, in the afternoon, we finally made it to the Panama Canal, which really is an absolute requirement if you are in Panama. There are buses, but we found Uber to be the easiest option. As someone who isn’t necessarily super into ships or engineering or anything, I figured I would find it mildly interesting. But, honestly? It was so cool to see.
We debated heavily the best way to see the canal – you can do tours on boats right on the water, or just look at the boats passing from the locks. We chose the latter and paid to enter at the Miraflores Locks and we are very happy with our decision. Watching from the locks gives you the best vantage point – if you were in the tour boats we saw you would be pressed right against one of these ships and not be able to see much at all. Plus being at the Miraflores locks gives you a lot of flexibility to come and go as you please.
We ended up staying to watch two rounds of ships go through – the sheer amount of water and the size of the ships was incredible. It was really neat to be there; we actually skipped the imax movie to enjoy the ships real time.
It was our last night and we decided to hit up a highly rated Italian restaurant, Masa, for their gluten free pizza – only to learn you have to call ahead days in advance for them to prep the gluten free crust. Whoops. So be mindful of that, if you are going there for that reason. The food itself was decent, though maybe not the absolute best, and it’s right on the edge of Old Town so – do with that what you will.
Day 10: Saying Good-bye
The fact is, I just love Central America. I love the climate and the fact that there is so much to see and do always in a very condensed area. The people are always nice, and it’s so easy to see not only the big things, but also the lesser known. Panama was fascinating in how, at times, it felt like other Central American countries. But other times you could absolutely see and feel how the country has changed because of all the foreign influence from the Panama Canal.
I’m super pleased with itinerary Marjorie and I did. While we missed the entire Boquete region, we still saw some unforgettable areas all with our own flexibility. Santa Catalina, El Valle, and Panama City are all wildly different areas and experiences and I consider them all must-dos if you are traveling to Panama.
The Roaming Reader 