TRAVEL INFO
GETTING THERE
BY AIR
Panamá offers optimal air connections with Europe, North and South América. Copa Airlines is the International Airline of the Republic of Panamá. Flying from Montreal, Toronto, Washington, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston, New Orleans, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Nassau, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Cancun, Guatemala City, San Pedro Sula, San Jose, La Havana, Montego Bay, Liberia, Belize City, Kingston, San Juan, Curacao, Aruba, Barranquilla, Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia, Cartagena, Bogota, Medellin, Barranquilla, Managua, San Salvador, Cali, Pereira, Bucaramanga, Saint Maarten, Punta Cana, Santa Clara, San Andres Island, Quito, Port Of Spain, Guayaquil, Iquitos, Manaus, Geortown, Lima, Santa Cruz, Recife, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Asunción, Cordoba, Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile. While Air Panama connects the National destinations. Additionally, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways fly from their respective Hubs in the USA. Aires, Avianca, Conviasa, SBA Airlines, LAB, La Venezolana, TAME and VIVA Colombia from South América. Aero Mexico, Condor, Cubana De Aviación and TACA from Central América. Air France, Iberia, KLM and Lufthansa from Europe and Emirates from Asia.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Aero Mexico
Phone: +507 301 0404
50 Av & 76 Street, San Francisco, Panama City.
Air France
Phone: +507 340 5800
Tocumen International Airport.
Aires (LATAM Airlines)
Phone: +507 238 3478
Tocumen International Airport
www.aires.aero
Air Panama
Phone: +507 316 9000
Marcos A. Gelabert Airport, Albrook, Panama City.
www.airpanama.com
American Airlines
Phone: +507 238 4695 / 4699
Calle 50 Plaza New York, Panama City, Panama.
Avianca
Phone: +507 238 4096
50th street, Building Solendeg, Panama City, Panamá
Copa Airlines
Phone: +507 217 2672
Business Park, Torre Norte, PB , Costa del Este, Panama City, Panama.
Delta Airlines
Phone: +507 214 8118/238 4793
Torre Las Americas. PB, Panama City, Panama
Grupo Taca
Phone: +507 800 0555 / 206 8222
50th street, Building Solendeg, Panama City, Panamá
Iberia
Phone: +507 227 2322/ 3966
Balboa Av & 43th Street, BBVA building PB, Panama City.
KLM
Phone: +507 264 6395
Tocumen International Airport.
Lufthansa
Phone: +507 833 9737/ 300 1400
Obarrio, Eurocentro Building PB, Panama City.
United Airlines
Phone: +507 265 0040
Balboa Av & y Aquilino de La Guardia, Building Galerías Balboa, PB, Panama City.
BY LAND
Panama has road connections with Colombia and Costa Rica. From Costa Rica, the Interamericana Highway runs from the border town of Guabito in Bocas del Toro Eastwards to Panama city and beyond.
To drive from Colombia is neither feasible nor advisable; the road to the Eastern Darién region is unpaved from Yaviza in The eastern Darién Region.
BY SEA
Panama has 2 important commercial ports, one in The Caribbean Sea, Colon and the other one in the Pacific, Balboa in Panama City; they are connected through the Panama Canal.
It is possible to come from Costa Rica and Colombia in small ships.
DOCUMENTS AND VISAS
To enter to Panama is needed a valid passport, a return ticket and an economic solvency of minimum 500 USD. A tourist legally can remain in Panama for 90 days; in some cases up to 180 days. Depending on nationality it might be required a stamped Visa.
Major credit cards are widely accepted in most important tourist destination and can be also used in cash machines (ATM).
AIRPORT TAXES
A departure tax of 40 USD is levied on International flights. Usually it is included in the flight ticket.
IMMUNIZATION
Most immunizations are not necessary to travel to Panamá. Nevertheless, for those traveling to the eastern side of the Panamá Canal, the Guna Yala and Emberá regions, Darién, Colón and some island a vaccination for yellow fever and tetanus 15 days in advanced is compulsory as the diseases are endemic in some areas.
TIME
All the country of Panama is on the same time zone, five or six hours behind Greenwich Mean Time depending on the season.
ELECTRICITY
All of Panama uses 110 volt electricity with US type flat two pin plugs. Is recommended to bring an adapter.
CLIMATE
Panama has a tropical maritime climate with a hot, humid, cloudy prolonged rainy season and a short dry season. It is completely outside the hurricane belt and experiences few if any natural disasters.
Most of Panama has two seasons: wet (“winter”) and dry (“summer”). Summer is roughly from December to April. In May, the rains start gradually with frequent showers, most lasting no more than an hour or two. The wet season generally culminates in November with major downpours.
Diurnal ranges are low; on a typical dry-season day in the capital city, the early morning minimum may be 24 °C (75.2 °F) and the afternoon maximum 29 °C (84.2 °F). The temperature seldom exceeds 32 °C (89.6 °F) for more than a short time.
Temperatures on the Pacific side of the isthmus are somewhat lower than on the Caribbean, and breezes tend to rise after dusk in most parts of the country. Temperatures are markedly cooler in the higher parts of the mountain ranges, and frosts occur in the Cordillera de Talamanca in western Panama.
OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS
New Year’s Day – January 1
Martyrs’ Day (Panama) – January 9
Carnival‘s Monday – The Monday before Ash Wednesday.
Carnival’s Tuesday – The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Holy Friday – Good Friday – Death of Christ
Labor Day – May 1
Presidential Inauguration – July 1. (Every 5 years)
Separation Day (from Colombia) – November 3
Flag Day – November 4
Colon Day – November 5
«Primer Grito de Independencia de la Villa de los Santos» – November 10.
Independence Day (from Spain) – November 28
Mothers’ Day – December 8
Christmas – December 25
Panama is prolific in Carnivals, festivals and popular celebrations, all rich in tradition and culture. These main celebrations are:
Festival de la Pollera – July in Las Tablas – Los Santos Province
Festival de la Mejorana – September in Guararé – Los Santos Province
Festival del Manito – August in Ocú – Herrera Province
Corpus Christi –June
Festival del Torito Guapo – October in Anton Valley – Coclé Province
Festival de Diablos y Congos – February in Portobelo – Colón Province
Festival del Cristo Negro de Portobelo – October in Portobelo – Colón Province
INTERNAL TRANSPORTATION
The Marcos Gelabert International Airport, locally known as the Albrook Airport is the main international hub and has connections to the most important tourist areas and cities. Most frequent air routes are Chiriqui – Boquete, Isla Colón – Bocas del Toro, El Porvenir – San Blas, La Palma – Daríen, Contadora Island, among others. Main domestic Airlines are Copa and Air Panama. Panama has an extensive internal road network which is relatively safe and in good conditions. Nevertheless, in some areas, air transportation is preferable. Numerous bus connections between the various cities offer night routes.
EMBASSIES IN PANAMA CITY
British Embassy
Phone: (507) 297 6550
Torre Humboldt, 4to Piso, Calle 53, Marbella, Ciudad de Panama
https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-panama-city.es-419
Embassy of France
Phone: (507) 211 62 00
Plaza de Francia, Las Bovedas, San Felipe
Embassy of Italy
Phone: (507) 2258948/49/50
Torre BBVA, Piso 25, Av Balboa, Panamá
http://www.ambpanama.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Panama
Embassy of Spain
Phone: (507) 207 1500
Plaza de Belisario Porras entre Av. Perú y Calle 33 A. Distrito de Calidonia – Ciudad de Panamá.
www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/Panama
Swiss Embassy
Phone: (507) 395 9922
Edificio Casa Blanca, Bella Vista, Calle 44 & Av Justo Arosemena. Ciudad de Panamá
Embassy of the United States Of America
Phone: (507) 317 5000
Cardenas, Panamá