Travel
First Impressions of Panama: Me Encanta Todo
From kind smiles to fantastic food, Panama is a must-visit country
I’d never thought of visiting Panama until recently.
My boyfriend and I were planning our first trip together to Brazil. We live in Boston, so there are no direct flights from Boston to Brazil (LATAM is coming back with this itinerary soon!).
We decided to go to Panama as an extended layover, stay for 3 days and take a direct flight to Rio.
We arrived in Panama City on October 8th, at around 2:50 pm CDT. The almost-6-hour-flight was so smooth!
But it was raining and I thought that would ruin our entire first day. I was very much wrong!
The Uber driver was chatty and gave us a historical tour of the buildings, architecture, and food. The skyline is beautiful and the first restaurant we tried had one of the best squash soups I’ve ever had. (Continue reading to check out the place!).
We tried a local beer and a local rum. And chocolate. And walked a lot. (The rain stopped a few times which made everything more enjoyable).
From kind smiles to fantastic food, Panama is a must-see country.
FLIGHT
We booked our flights on Copa Airlines. My boyfriend is the expert when finding good flight deals so I give him all the credit. He used the Skyscanner “multi-city” option to search for our flights.
We found out that there was a direct flight from Panama City to Rio. So we booked one direct flight from Boston to Panama City, with a layover of 3 days (same reservation), and another one from Panama City to Rio.
Easy-peasy!
STAY
We are staying in the Casco Antiguo area — a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site, built in 1673 after the destruction of Panama Viejo in 1671, when it was attacked by pirates.
The hotel is La Compañia: a boutique hotel recently bought by Hyatt.
The hotel was built where it was a former convent and its architecture was preserved: there is the French wing, built by Jesuit priests in 1739; the Spanish wing, dating back to 1688; and the Beaux-Arts rooms in the American wing, which was once a high-end department store constructed in 1905.
FOOD
When the Uber driver picked us up from the airport, I asked what would be the traditional food that was a must to try. “Sancocho de Pollo, claro!”.
Sancocho de Pollo is a delicious chicken soup made with stewed chicken, onions, carrots, garlic, and oregano, and served with rice as a side. You can find a recipe here.
We went to have a late lunch at Nomada Eatery, and we order the Sancocho Pollo (of course!), a Passion Fruit Frozen Margarita, Fish Tacos, Shrimp Burrito, and Squash Soup. Everything was so delicious and the waiter was so polite.
In Panama, it is common to give a 10% tip — sometimes it is included, sometimes is not. So it is always good to check the bill before paying. Oh! And Panama's currency is USD.
NIGHT
According to the Uber driver and other people we met throughout the day, Casco Viejo (or Casco Antiguo) is famous for its night scene.
We went to have a beer at La Rana Dorada Casco, and a rum cocktail at Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar (I got a Cocoa Rum and it was incredibly delicioso!). Both of them are very close to our hotel and 2 minutes apart from each other.
Have you been to Panama? What are your favorite spots? I’d love to know more and add them to my list of must-see places!
And if you haven't, what do you wanna know more about it?
Cheers!
Love,
Mariana
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