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Lima to Panama: Panama City, the Canal and Bocas del Toro

Lima → Panama City → Bocas del Toro

Casco Viejo, Panama
"Casco_Antiguo_(San_Felipe)_-_Pamama.jpg" by Garcia.dennis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Bocas2 (Bocas Del Toro)
Photo: Panapro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Canal & Caribbean Best season (general guide): Dec–Apr (Panama City); Sep–Oct also good in Bocas

Panama joins two oceans, and this route shows both sides of the country: the canal and capital on the Pacific and the islands of Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean. From Lima there are non-stop flights to Panama City. A short domestic flight then takes you to Isla Colón in Bocas del Toro.

In Panama City, the restored streets of Casco Viejo and the ruins of Panamá Viejo, the original city, are part of the UNESCO-listed Colonial Transisthmian Route. At the Miraflores Locks, a visitor centre lets you watch ships being raised and lowered as they cross between the Atlantic and Pacific. The Amador Causeway and the Biomuseo are nearby. Bocas del Toro is very different, with houses on stilts, bicycles and water taxis. Day trips go to Starfish Beach, the national marine park at Cayos Zapatilla, and mangrove channels where dolphins are sometimes seen. Snorkelling is good when the water is calm.

The main dry season from about December to April is the best time for Panama City and the Pacific side. Bocas del Toro has its own pattern, with calmer seas and clearer water often in September and October.

Ships pass the locks at different times of day, so check the visitor centre's schedule. Practical notes: in Bocas, check the sea conditions before booking a boat trip.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Panama City: day one, Casco Viejo; day two, Miraflores Locks; day three, Panamá Viejo and the Amador Causeway. Then spend days four to seven in Bocas del Toro: day four, fly to Isla Colón; day five, Starfish Beach; day six, Cayos Zapatilla boat trip; day seven, snorkel or mangroves.

Suggested outline

  1. Lima

    Start

  2. Panama City

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    A skyline of towers beside the old colonial quarter of Casco Viejo. The Miraflores Locks visitor centre overlooks ships passing through the Canal.

  3. Bocas del Toro

    By air · 4 nights suggested

    An archipelago on the Caribbean near Costa Rica, reached by a short domestic flight. Water taxis link beaches, mangroves and reefs.

    Bocas del Toro Isla Colon
    "Gobernacion, Bocas del Toro, Isla Colón.jpg" by Charlotte Elton, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Panama City — Arrive; Casco Viejo· Lima → Panama City (by air)
  2. Day 2 · Panama City — Miraflores Locks
  3. Day 3 · Panama City — Panamá Viejo and the Amador Causeway
  4. Day 4 · Bocas del Toro — Fly to Isla Colón· Panama City → Bocas del Toro (by air)
  5. Day 5 · Bocas del Toro — Starfish Beach
  6. Day 6 · Bocas del Toro — Cayos Zapatilla boat trip
  7. Day 7 · Bocas del Toro — Snorkel or mangroves
  8. Day 8 · Bocas del Toro — Travel home from Bocas del Toro· Bocas del Toro → Lima (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Panama City

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Bocas del Toro

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