If you have been traveling with us to fun destinations this month—and, if you haven’t, go to our website to catch up!—you’ll see we are leaving North America for Central America!
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Today’s itinerary for a trip to Panama is generously shared by Nia Hines, CTA, founder of Notiq Agency. We hope you find these tips helpful as you plan your client’s next adventure to Panama.
Nia’s Travel Diary: Panama, Central America
UPON ARRIVAL
We flew into Tocumen International Airport (PTY), the busiest airport in Central America. We opted for private transportation to our resort—something I’d suggest to anyone looking to be extra cautious while traveling!
DAY 1
On our first night, we had dinner at an amazing rooftop restaurant and lounge, LAZOTEA, with live music, and a magician entertained us at our table while we were waiting for our food and enjoying our fantastic drinks. Highly recommended!
After dining on delicious food, we restaurant-hopped over to the Red Lion, another local spot within walking distance, which had more of a nighttime lounge vibe. We sat out on the balcony that offered gorgeous city views—not a bad ending to our first night there!
DAY 2
To kick off our second day in Panama, we went to Emberá Querá, a Panamanian village. Instead of walking, we opted to be picked up from our hotel and taken to a location for a boat ride into the village, where we spent the day. We were welcomed by a lively dance session (which we joined in on, of course!) before a personal tour guide took us around the village, pointing out the many different plants the native people use in their daily lives. He showed us species of plants that help with epilepsy and different plants to help naturally treat cancer, just to name a couple. We experienced an amazing lunch which offered freshly caught fish, cooked to perfection! We supported the village by purchasing some of the indigenous people’s local artwork and handcrafted goods.
DAY 3
We spent our entire third day in the city of Panama just out and about, sightseeing in Casco Viejo and getting to know the locals. During our time exploring, we met a woman who had just moved to Panama from the United States! A brief rain shower came through, so we ducked into a cafe, Nomada Eatery, where we ordered pizza and drinks and played a few rounds of Jenga to wait out the rain.
Afterward, we jumped in an Uber and headed to Alta Vita Spa for a little pampering. We enjoyed full-body massages and body scrubs; it was heaven! Once we came out of our post-spa-day daze, we went to El Trapiche San Francisco—a local restaurant that specializes in Panamanian food—before making our way to the MultiPlaza Mall. (We just wanted to see what Panama’s malls were like and what kind of stores they had!)
Then we went back to the city to Santa Rita for dinner and a nightcap. The food was amazing, as was the live music! Fun fact: Enjoying live music and rooftops is absolutely a thing in Panama! Most restaurants have live music, especially at night. Following dinner, we strolled around the square (the Casco Antiguo and numerous walkable squares) and just enjoyed ourselves! When we finally decided to head back to the resort around midnight, we’d been out exploring Panama and soaking up the city for about 12 hours.
DAY 4
After a full day of activities, we planned a relaxing beach day to cap off our trip to Panama!
DAY 5
We headed back to the United States. What an unforgettable trip it was!
It certainly sounds like it. Thank you, Nia!
