Category Archives: Panama

Three Exciting and Popular Attractions of Panama City

Panama City, with its beautiful coral atolls, museums, parks, zoos and colourful neighbourhoods, makes for a delightful tourist getaway. The many attractions here can often confound visitors, making it hard for them to decide what to see and what to do. We thought about short-listing top three of the all-time favourite attractions in the city. Here, check out these attractions.

Panama City by Matthew Straubmuller/ CC BY

Panama Canal

Panama Canal by Lyn Gateley/ CC BY

An epic man-made marvel, Panama Canal is undoubtedly Panama City’s most fascinating and popular tourist attraction. This 80-kilometre ship canal connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. The best way to explore the diversified beauty of this canal is to go on a cruise here. Miraflores Visitors Centre is an interesting attraction of the canal that houses four giant halls. Each of these halls showcases artefacts from the canal’s construction days and also its marine ecology. A nearby restaurant serves delicious snacks and offers excellent views of the canal.

Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo

Situated in the Soberania National Park (20 minutes from downtown Panama City), the Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo is home to over 15,000 plant species and a diverse wildlife. The popular wildlife attractions of the zoo, such as jaguars, tapirs, monkeys and scarlet macaws, are housed in their recreated natural habitats. The zoo’s most prized exhibit is the Harpy Eagle – world’s largest bird of prey. Summit is another highly popular attraction that’s loved for its remarkable collection of palm trees.

Religious Colonial Art Museum

Dating back to the 18th century, the Religious Colonial Art Museum is located in the former St. Dominic of Guzman’s Chapel. The museum houses an interesting array of colonial-era artefacts such as paintings, sculptures, and sacred relics finely crafted from bone and silver. The marvellous gold altar remains the star highlight of this popular art museum. Temporary exhibits are also displayed, and some of the most famous ones so far have been the Jesus Resuscitated, Pelican, and the Virgin of Perpetual Aid. Besides the exhibits, the old building in itself is of great architectural and historical interest.

Panama – Practical Information for First-Timers

Panama

Panama, one of the most popular holiday destinations in Central America, features balmy weather along with numerous fascinating lures. For travellers boarding flights to this tropical destination, here are few tips that might help to make their holiday trips hassle-free and rewarding.

Visa Tips

As per the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Britons arriving in Panama by flights do not need a visa to enter the country. However, if you are travelling by sea, you need to obtain a visa before-hand. It is also important for visitors to have a return or onward ticket and an equivalent of US$500 or a credit card. An initial stay of 180 days is granted on entry to Panama. Extensions are not normally allowed unless you apply to change your immigration status within 180 days (for business purposes, marriage, etc). For further information on entry requirements, check with the Embassy of the Republic of Panama in London.

Passport Requirement

Britons contemplating a holiday in Panama and booking seats on flights bound for the nation should make sure to carry a valid passport with a minimum period of six months validity from the date of exit from Panama. British citizens travelling to Panama must ensure several unused pages in their passports.

Airport Tax

A US$40 airport tax is charged on departure and you need to pay the tax only by cash. This is usually included in one’s flights’ fares. Passengers are advised to check with their carrier. For more recent and updated information, one can visit the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, www.gov.uk.

Local Laws

Travellers aboard flights arriving in Panama for a gratifying holiday trip must be mindful of following country’s local laws and regulations to the dot. Drug related offences have zero tolerance in Panama and possession of even very small quantities may lead to imprisonment of up to 15 years. The judicial process in the country is fairly slower as compared to the UK and prison conditions are comparatively stricter and harsh.

Flights Info

Apart from the sea and land route, Panama is well connected by flights with various destinations around the globe including several airports in the United Kingdom. Particularly for Britons planning to board on flights departing from London’s popular Heathrow Airport, popular choices of airline for air travel to Panama include British Airways, American Airlines, Air France, Delta Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch. Most of these airlines operate indirect/connecting flights to the popular airports in Panama.

Compare tickets to Panama on all major airlines at https://www.traveltrolley.co.uk/flights/south-america/panama/

Top Attractions in Panama City Which Draw Tourists!

Top-Attractions-in-Panama-City-Which-Draw-Tourists

With excellent dining, top notch attractions and great beach fun, a Panama City holiday is a sure-fire way to enjoy vacations in Panama. Go explore beaches, hangout with your family in this paradise or enjoy anything else, you will surely never regret booking those flights tickets for this wonderful place. This “Crossroads of America” is where North and South America meet. Travellers can enjoy abundance of water sports along with angling and fishing. Certainly, few days in the city and you will only gloat over your decision to board flights for Panama City! Some of the top attractions for holidaymakers in the Panama City are:

Ancon Hill

Come visit the breath-taking 654 feet steep Ancon Hill which offers great views of the entire Panama City. There are three points from where people can admire the views, besides the popular jogging and hiking paths on the road up the hill. After booking flights and landing here, you will adore the experience in the pristine wilderness of the Ancon Hill. If lucky, travellers there can also spot the occasional deer, sloth or armadillos.

Amador Causeway

Three islands in the Panama City are connected to the Panama Canal by the Amador Causeway. Catch splendid views of the Bridge of the Americas and the Panama City from this Causeway as multitudes of travellers love to spend their holidays here. Besides, the restaurants as well as bars nearby dole out some of the tastiest food and drinks around.

Panama Canal

Behold the Panama Canal, one of the world’s best known engineering accomplishment! You can cross it entirely or just choose to go halfway, but will surely love the hours spent exploring. Flights to the city sell like hot cakes, as hordes of travellers jostle with each other to observe this grand achievement. Visit the Miraflores Locks Museum nearby and watch the transiting ferries in the canal from its top floor.

Coiba National Marine Park

Go snorkelling or enjoy scuba diving on the Pacific Coast at the well known Coiba National Marine Park. With aquatic species diversity of 800, its water is brimming with exotic life species. The waters carry a wide variety of marine life which is clearly evident within this National Park.