Panama City 3-day itinerary

Arrive at the Miraflores Locks Visitor Centre when it opens at 8am to watch the first transits of the day from the top-floor observation terrace. The scale is staggering — ships carrying 14,000 containers squeeze through lock chambers with less than a metre of clearance on each side, guided by electric locomotives called mulas running on tracks along the lock walls. Each transit uses 200 million litres of fresh water from Gatun Lake. The museum floors below cover the canal's devastating construction history — over 25,000 workers died during the French and American construction periods, mostly from yellow fever and malaria.

Take an Uber to the Amador Causeway — a 6km road built on rock excavated during the canal construction, connecting four small islands to the mainland at the Pacific entrance of the canal. Start at the Biomuseo, designed by Frank Gehry (his only work in Latin America), a riot of angular coloured metal panels housing an excellent natural history museum explaining how the formation of the Isthmus of Panama 3 million years ago connected North and South America and changed global ocean currents and biodiversity forever. Then walk or cycle the causeway with views of the canal entrance, the Bridge of the Americas, and the modern skyline.

Walk or jog the Cinta Costera — Panama City's spectacular 8km waterfront promenade that curves along the Pacific coast from Casco Viejo to Punta Pacifica. The path is lined with parks, public art installations, exercise stations, and views of the dramatic glass-tower skyline that has earned Panama City the nickname "Dubai of the Americas." The sunset over the Pacific from the Cinta Costera is one of Central America's best urban views — the modern towers catch the golden light while pelicans dive in the bay below.

Explore Casco Viejo in the cool morning hours before the heat builds. Walk from Plaza de Francia (the memorial to the 22,000 French workers who died during their canal attempt) along the seawall promenade past the National Theatre and the Canal Museum to Plaza de la Independencia where Panama declared independence from Colombia in 1903. Duck into the Church of San Jose to see the baroque golden altar — legend says it was painted black by Jesuit priests to hide it from pirate Henry Morgan, saving it from his destruction of the original Panama City in 1671.

Take an Uber 15 minutes north to Parque Natural Metropolitano — the only protected tropical rainforest within the limits of a major Latin American capital. The 265-hectare park has well-maintained trails through lowland tropical forest where you can spot sloths, toucans, agoutis, and Geoffrey's tamarins (tiny monkeys endemic to Panama). Climb the Cerro Cedro trail to the mirador at 150 metres for a panoramic view of the city skyline rising above the jungle canopy — a view that perfectly captures Panama City's unique character.

Drive east to Panama Viejo — the archaeological ruins of the original Panama City founded in 1519, the first European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. The stone cathedral tower still stands 30 metres high among the excavated remains of the convent, hospital, and houses that were destroyed when Henry Morgan sacked the city in 1671. The museum explains the pre-Columbian indigenous history and the colonial founding. Afterwards, head to the Mercado de Mariscos (seafood market) near Casco Viejo for the freshest and cheapest ceviche in the city — $3–5 per cup at the upstairs food court.

Depart Panama City at 5am in a 4x4 transfer for the 3-hour drive to the Caribbean coast and the Guna Yala indigenous territory — home to the San Blas Islands, an archipelago of 365 palm-fringed islands scattered across crystal-clear Caribbean waters. The drive crosses the Continental Divide through dense jungle on a rough mountain road before descending to the coast where a motorboat takes you 20 minutes to the island. The San Blas Islands are administered entirely by the Guna indigenous people under their own autonomous government — one of the most intact indigenous governance systems in the Americas.

Spend the afternoon island hopping between 2–3 islands in the San Blas archipelago. The water is impossibly clear — you can see the white sand bottom at 5 metres depth from the boat. Snorkel over shallow coral gardens teeming with tropical fish, starfish, and sea cucumbers. Lunch is typically fresh-caught lobster or fish grilled over coconut husks on the beach, served with coconut rice and plantain — prepared by the Guna families who live on the islands. Many islands are tiny enough to walk around in 10 minutes with just a few palm trees and a family dwelling.

The return drive to Panama City takes 3 hours, arriving around 7pm. Clean up and head to the Mercado de Mariscos for a final ceviche, or treat yourself to dinner in Casco Viejo at one of the neighbourhood's excellent restaurants — Donde Jose (a 16-seat tasting menu restaurant showcasing Panamanian ingredients) or Fonda Lo Que Hay (a casual open-air spot with creative local dishes at reasonable prices). Walk the illuminated streets of the old town one final time — the colonial buildings are beautifully lit at night and the rooftop bars buzz until late.