Snorkeling off Isla Iguana near Pedasi, Panama is for now…a secret

At our travel agency in Panama City, Panama we receive a lot of calls from customers who have only just hear of Panama recently. They have plenty of questions and some common misconceptions about the country, the culture and the best way to enjoy a Panama vacation.

Common Misconceptions About Panama Travel:

1. It’s Far – most folks are shocked to know just how close Panama is to the U.S. and Canada. Panama is just a 3 hour flight from Miami, 4 from Atlanta and Houston. Not only is it a quick flight, but a surprising number of airlines offer direct service, including: Newark, D.C., LAX, Houston, Amsterdam
   and Madrid.
2. The City Is Not Worth Seeing – Quite the opposite. Panama City is a cultural hub, the only place in Panama with plenty of hotel options (although frequently sold out), is nearby a handful of great national parks, native indians, and is far more modernized and sophisticated than 99% of visitors expect. Two nights in The City are a must.
3. There’s a Beach Resort Area - Nope. Panama’s large-scale development basically stops at The Canal. Once you head over The Bridge of the Americas into what is known as “the interior”, there isn’t a whole lot going on. That is a big part of the reason why you need to see it, but beach tourism and resort development is just not a big part of Panama’s agenda. There are only 2 major resorts (Decameron and Playa Blanca) and a few more on the way, but I’d personally say skip both.
4. Panama is Dangerous – Negative. Panama is far safer than many other competing destinations and generally speaking, a darn safe place to visit and live. While many still hold onto the image of Panama as a dangerous, swampy, 3rd world republic with a pineapple faced dictator…this is far from the Panama of 2008.
5. It’s Easy To Travel Around – Not so much. Travel times are long, the domestic airlines offer few routes and sub-standard service and private transport is expensive and hard to find. The highway system is excellent, but the road signs are NOT.I’m not trying to discourage you from visiting…but you need to be careful in creating an itinerary that’s realistic given your time constraints. The few semi-developed destinations we do have (Bocas, Boquete, San Blas, Pearl Islands, Pedasi) are a challenge to connect together on one trip…while of course being sure to factor in “acts of god” such as aircraft repairs, late arriving drivers, canceled bus services and the like. Trust me, unless you are expecting Disneyland, the challenges are worth the rewards…e.g. wide open spaces, pristine beaches, lonely trails, personal service, unspoiled locals.
   
   
6. That It’s Cheap – It is, and it isn’t. Panama is in a weird stage of development where there aren’t yet a lot of hotels and there aren’t many tourists. Thus, what few hotels there are, especially in the booming city, are PACKED. This has driven up prices a bit. Not to worry though, once you get outside the City and head to places like Pedasi, Bocas and the lesser visited side of Boquete (Volcan) you can actually “live like a local” and enjoy such delights at $.50 cent beers and $4 lunches.

While Panama struggles to make it’s mark on the tourism radar, plenty of misconceptions about travel here remain. The Panama tourism chamber (IPAT) and the industry face a 2-point challenge:

A. Battle of the Brands – The struggle to define the Panama brand. Believe me, there are VERY different opinions as to what Panama tourism should be among those in the industry and in government. While there exists such internal confusion, the outside world can only be expected to be equally as confused.

B. Erasing The Past – The new Panama must make such a strong impression so as to break through the noise of past conceptions.

Panama is still 5 years and a dozen quality hotels away from being a bona fide tourism destination. But that is in large part what attracts intrepid travelers who seek the road less traveled. Until then, Panama tourism remains a mystery to most of the world, the early birds will be happy to enjoy the Panama they knew before the throngs arrived. I for one, count myself among the lucky.

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Filed under: Country Guide on December 9th, 2008