Retirement & Lifestyle

The big news in Panama every February is carnaval. This is the biggest party in Panama each year—more eagerly anticipated than Christmas. During the days of carnaval, thousands of people from every corner of the country dance to earsplitting music, while beautiful parade floats and elaborately dressed carnaval queens saunter down every major avenue of the country.

In this Panama Special Report, we bring you the Pacific coastal towns of Venao, Tonosi, and Cambutal.

This is a natural paradise, a region of Panama that boasts some of the best deep-sea fishing in the world, plus surfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Around Coiba lies the largest coral reef on the Pacific side of the Americas.

If you like outdoor activities, then this is a region ripe with opportunity to get out and explore.

From April or May to December or so, Panama’s rainy season (also called the wet season) sets in. During this time—the majority of the year—you can safely expect a downpour per day. The rain may last mere minutes but, more often than not, the precipitation doesn’t let up for a couple of hours. After several months of no moisture in the dry season, though, the country is a dustbowl, so by the time the rains roll back in, many welcome the wet weather.

Early months, say, from April to August, may not see rain at all—but storms usually occur in the afternoon, and often the sun shines bountifully before and after. At the height of the season, though, November and December, say, you can almost set your watch by the thunderstorms, and entire days tend to be overcast. You might even see the occasional all-day storm during these months—a true rarity in the tropics.

By no means should you let the wet season rule your life—there’s no reason to hibernate for these overcast and unpredictable months. Wondering what all there is to do that won’t get rained out? This rainy season survival guide puts the best of Panama’s indoor opportunities at your fingertips…