Once a jungle-covered mountain overlooking the Chagres River Valley, Barro Colorado Island became an island after Lake Gatún flooded during the building of the Panama Canal. Today travelers come to the protected rain forest preserve to explore the secondary-growth forest and enjoy the park’s great biodiversity.
Sparkling like a jewel at the edge of the enormous Darién wilderness, tranquil Bayano Lake (Lago Bayano) was created in 1976 and has been a scenic escape from the big city ever since. The famed Bayano Lake Caves, a Paleolithic cavern carved by water erosion over the centuries, riddle the lake’s undulating southern shore.
Panoramic views from Panama City’s highest point make Ancon Hill (Cerro Ancón) a must-see stop for many visitors who come to watch passing ship traffic in the Panama Canal far below. There’s more than vistas to this urban park: it’s also home to sloths, anteaters, and monkeys and makes a great escape from the capital's buzzing activity.
Tumbling 280 feet (85 meters) from dense jungle, Chorro el Macho waterfall is a scenic highlight of the Anton Valley (El Valle de Anton). Included in many guided tours of the area, the waterfall offers visitors a chance to spend time in the lush forest that blankets the Anton Valley, which is the crater of an extinct volcano.
Gorgeous Contadora Island (Isla Contadora), close to the capital, was once the seat of the Spanish pearl industry in the surrounding archipelago. Today, the Counting House Island, as it’s called, is home to elegant mansions, upscale shopping and dining options, and a wealth of outdoor adventure opportunities both in the water and on land.
As the second largest city in Panama and Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal, Colón is home to the Colón 2000 Cruise Terminal. This terminal, along with adjoining Cristóbal Pier, is a major hub and jumping-off point for those looking to explore the city and famed canal. The area also has the world’s first intercontinental railway and pristine white sand beaches.
Easily accessible Metropolitan National Park (Parque Natural Metropolitano) ranks as one of Latin America's only municipal wildlife reserves, encompassing 573 acres (232 hectares) in the heart of the city. Though not exactly pristine—it was a key staging area during the 1989 US invasion—it remains a remarkably well-preserved dry tropical forest, one of the world's most threatened biomes.
Perched at the mouth of the Panama Canal, Punta Culebra Nature Center introduces visitors of all ages to the country’s vibrant biodiversity. You'll encounter bright frogs, colorful fishes, sloths, and other wildlife at its indoor-outdoor exhibits. Highlights include aquariums and two short walking trails through a dry tropical forest.
Panama is home to seven indigenous tribes, including the Embera, who live in the middle of the rain forest and have mostly resisted modernization. Houses are typically built on stilts at the riverside, where they’re organized around a communal dwelling. Visit an Embera village for a unique glimpse at a traditional way of life.
Presiding over Cathedral Square (Plaza de la Catedral) in the Old Town (Casco Viejo), the Metropolitan Cathedral is one of Panama City’s most significant religious buildings and a striking landmark. Constructed between 1688 and 1796, the cathedral’s conglomeration of neoclassical, baroque, and Renaissance architectural styles has been painstakingly restored in recent years and remains a working church.
Hidden in the heart of the Anton Valley, the Piedra Pintada, or Painted Rock, is one of Panama’s most enigmatic sites. Standing about 10 feet (three meters) tall, the gigantic sandstone boulder harbors a fascinating collection of pre-Columbian petroglyphs painted on its underside.
There are many opportunities around Panama City to learn about the famous Panama Canal. To understand more about many of the people who helped build it, however, head to the Afro-Antillean Museum of Panama (Museo Afro-Antillano de Panama). The small museum focuses on the Afro-Antillean peoples and their role in the canal.
With just the right conditions, both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea are visible from the top of Barú Volcano, Panama’s highest point at 11,398-foot (3,474-meter) elevation. The vast park of Barú Volcano National Park covers not only the summit of this active volcano, but also its various craters and even more hiking trails that enable visitors to see them.
This 17th-century church in Panama City’s Casco Viejo neighborhood is famed for its golden altar, far grander than the building’s modest exterior. The altar is actually older than the church and was salvaged from Panama Viejo (Old Panama Ruins) following a devastating 1671 attack and looting by the privateer Sir Henry Morgan.
Glimpse Panama’s wild side at this ecotourism complex in Gamboa, complete with darting hummingbirds, forest canopy observation platforms, and lush trails. Its location on the jungle-flanked Pipeline Road has long been famed among bird-watchers. Whether you’re watching aquatic birds in Calamito Lake from a waterside deck, or spotting monkeys swinging through trees, there’s plenty for nature lovers to see and do.
Located on an island south of Panama City, Fuerte Amador Cruise Port is an important stopover for cruise ships entering and exiting the Panama Canal. Ten minutes away by car, Panama’s capital city is a vibrant metropolis with energetic nightlife, historic architecture, and some of the country’s finest museums.
Isla Pelicano is a tiny island in the remote San Blas archipelago of Panama. The uninhabited island attracts day-trippers looking for a peaceful, relaxing retreat. With no internet access and little cell service, Isla Pelicano gives off deserted island vibes—in a good way. Most travelers also make stops at other islands in the archipelago, like Isla Perro (Dog Island).
Linking the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean via Central America, the Panama Canal Railway follows a picturesque path across the Isthmus of Panama. Well-appointed train coaches let you ride in style through tropical rainforests alongside the Panama Canal. A popular option for cruise passengers docking in Panama, a ride on the Panama Canal Railway offers an up-close look at this important route.
Basalt rock formations swoop and curve at Los Ladrillos, a dramatic cliff in Boquete that hints at the region’s simmering volcanic past. While the spot is justifiably popular with photographers and nature lovers, it’s not just for sightseeing: Los Ladrillos is a popular rock-climbing area with routes that range from beginner-friendly to challenging. Local climbing instructors are readily available for those keen to ascend the rocks.
Three waterfalls submerged in thick rainforest and connected by a hiking trail await visitors at the Lost Waterfalls outside of Boquete. The sound of rushing water breaks the silence in this quiet corner of Panama’s mountains, with just the breaks in the canopy and the waterfalls providing a view of anything other than a wall of green.
