Panama

What we love about Panama is the sheer diversity of lifestyle options the country has to offer… from First-World city living to absolutely off-grid ruggedness, from rustic country living to upscale beach communities… this country has something to suit just about everyone…

Let’s take a tour, starting in the city and moving our way westward to Panama’s wild interior…

In this Panama Special Report, we bring you the areas of Balboa, La Boca, and Amador Causeway, all located within Panama City.

Only a few miles away from the hustle and bustle, the bright lights, and the hectic honking of cab horns, brings you to what used to be considered the Canal Zone. You know you’ve entered this area when on one side you see multicolored storage containers stacked one on top of the other, like a Lego village, while on the opposite side of the street you see boxy, tan-colored old military barracks and government buildings.

The Caribbean Coast of Panama is notoriously underdeveloped—a pro or a con depending on what kind of lifestyle you’re looking for. This side of the country’s infrastructure is basic at best, and, as a result, fewer foreigners have settled on Panama’s northern side. English is less generally spoken than on the Pacific side, though the touristy Bocas del Toro is an exception— here the high volume of visitors means most working in the service industry speak English, and many businesses are American or Canadian owned.

Bocas del Toro is often regarded as Panama’s top tourist destination—and for good reason, too. This is one of the most pristine areas on Panama’s Caribbean coast, and tourists have taken note of its dense rain forests, clear and clean turquoise water, and white-sand beaches.

Bocas del Toro is a province in Panama consisting of a small portion of the mainland as well as an archipelago of nine islands. It borders the Caribbean Sea to the north, Chiriquí to the south, Costa Rica to the west, and the indigenous Ngäbe-Buglé comarca to the east.

Until recently, it has been regarded as little more than a slum. To be fair, some corners of the town could leave you with that impression, but things are changing here.

The government is beginning to take note of the tourism potential and is investing in infrastructure accordingly. As recently as a decade ago, paved roads, sewage treatment, and even slightly reliable electricity had yet to arrive to town. Today, Bocas is more attractive than ever before and continues to improve thanks to the locals, tourists, and foreign residents alike. Improvements in infrastructure are ongoing and at a steady pace. Even recycling has now been recognized as a necessity if they are to save their pristine sand and surf.

The tiny finger of land that pokes out from Panama City’s southeastern corner and into the Pacific Ocean is San Felipe—better known to most as Casco Viejo, Casco Antiguo, or, simply, Casco.

Casco is laid out in grid format like a classic European city. Every few blocks, you’ll find a tree-lined plaza or the spire of a cathedral, all of which casts an Old World charm over the place. At only four avenues wide, the neighborhood is small and compact; a tiny treasure trove of historical structures best explored on foot. But despite all the visual reminders of the past, it’s also constantly evolving…

Most of Panama City’s cultural events are hosted in Casco Viejo. On any given day, you attend a gallery opening, watch a parade, listen to a concert, or stumble upon an impromptu event on the streets. There’s almost always something going on here… The best way to find out about events is to simply wander the streets.

Casco is sought out by tourists from around the world… If the prospect of living in the thick of all the action sounds appealing, Casco is probably for you.

In this Panama Special Report, we bring you a closer look at the District of Chame and its most popular town, Punta Chame, which—in high season—draws beach-goers of all stripes, from surfers, kite-surfers, sport-fishermen, extreme sport-lovers, etc.

While it shares the same stretch of coastline as expat hot spot Coronado (which has seen major development over the past decade), Chame remains largely undiscovered, unpenetrated, and underrated.

Located in the Panamá Oeste Province, Chame comprises 11 small towns that sprawl out along the Panamerican Highway. On the hour-and-a-half drive it takes to reach the area from Panama City, you pass national parks, sleepy hamlets, mountains, and mangrove forests before finally arriving at the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.

In this Panama Special Report, we bring you the city of Colón, which in many ways is the counterpoint to Panama City, which is located on the opposite end of the Panama Canal.

Aside from Panama City’s colonial old town, nowhere else in Panama has the same architectural charm—except for Colon.