{"id":31680,"date":"2021-07-13T10:42:45","date_gmt":"2021-07-13T15:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panamaadvisoryinternationalgroup.com\/blog\/?p=31680"},"modified":"2021-07-13T10:42:45","modified_gmt":"2021-07-13T15:42:45","slug":"overlooked-countrys-got-stunning-beaches-active-volcanoes-cute-sloths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/panamaadvisoryinternationalgroup.com\/blog\/overlooked-countrys-got-stunning-beaches-active-volcanoes-cute-sloths\/","title":{"rendered":"This Overlooked Country\u2019s Got Stunning Beaches, Active Volcanoes, and Cute Sloths"},"content":{"rendered":"

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While Costa Rica often gets the bulk of the Central America hype, Panama\u2019s got its own excellence going on right next door. And we ain\u2019t just talkin\u2019 about the canal. Nestled between the Pacific and the Caribbean, not only is it convenient as all get out for American travelers\u2014they take US dollars, you won\u2019t need adapters for your electronics, and English is widely spoken in the major towns\u2014but jeez, is it beautiful. The country\u2019s got just about everything a nature-lover could hope to gush over, from crystal-clear oceans to volcanoes that cast vast shadows over forested landscapes.<\/p>\n

From Panama City, you can hop on a quick flight to free dive around the nine inhabited islands and 300 tiny islets of Bocas del Toro, summit the active Baru Volcano in the Chiriqui Province, or boat out to Coiba\u2019s eerie abandoned prison and colorful coral reefs. Fuel your adventures with Geisha coffee, Panama\u2019s famous heirloom gourmet coffee (and the world\u2019s most expensive coffee bean!), and get ready to laugh at the days when you thought Panama only had a famous waterway to offer.<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s open in Panama and how to get there<\/strong><\/h2>\n

International travelers are welcome to visit Panama right now. (Hooray!) To get in, you\u2019ll need to provide a negative Covid test taken no more than 48 hours before travel\u2014even if you\u2019re vaccinated. You\u2019ll also need to complete a\u00a0health affidavit<\/a>. Although everything is pretty much open during the day\u2014that includes beaches, restaurants, hotels, casinos, public transportation, and more, all with some limitations\u2014you\u2019ll want to keep in mind that there\u2019s a nationwide curfew in place from 10 pm to 4 am every day. More info\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since it\u2019s a connecting point for routes continuing to South America, most major airlines from the US fly to Tocumen International in Panama City. Whether you leave from Los Angeles or New York, the 5-6 hour flight will run you a little over $500.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"National<\/picture>LEONID ANDRONOV\/SHUTTERSTOCK<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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Start in Panama City<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Spend a day or two in\u00a0Panama City<\/strong>, where you\u2019ll find modern skyscrapers and ancient cobblestone, a blend of\u00a0Indigenous and European cultures,\u00a0funky murals, historic buildings, and some of the most Instagrammable balconies you ever did see.<\/p>\n

Make the almost-150-year-old\u00a0Central Hotel<\/a>\u00a0your home base, as it faces the gorgeous\u00a0Casco Viejo<\/strong>, a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that dates back to 1673. Sip coffee generously throughout the day, and\u00a0for dinner, head to\u00a0Mano de Tigre<\/a>\u00a0for fresh octopus or\u00a0CasaCasco<\/a>\u00a0for vegetarian options and comfy couches where you can watch the sun set over the city. If you want to keep the party going into the evening, move on to the super chill\u00a0Lazotea Rooftop Bar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Make time to go to\u00a0Biomuseo<\/a>, an interactive and pretty surreal biodiversity museum designed to mimic the Panamanian jungle. If birds are more your thing, hit up the nearby\u00a0Panama Rainforest Discovery Center<\/a>, whose work focuses on aviary conservation. Other notable museums in town include the\u00a0Canal Museum<\/a>, which details the construction of the Panama Canal, and the\u00a0Museo de la Mola<\/a>, featuring traditional textile art made by the Guna Indigenous community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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