Panama is the country literally no one pays attention to. The only thing I really knew about Panama was the Panama Canal from school. I never thought that Panama was full of gorgeous hikes, endless waterfalls, crystal clear ocean, white sand beaches, jungle, and crazy wildlife. Even the city, Panama City has its charm, and I don’t even like cities. Let me take you on an adventure through Panama's intense and wild nature.

Why did I end up traveling to Panama? Well, as I didn’t know much about the country I did some research. I kind of planned on going to Chile or Argentina, but then I decided I wanted to go somewhere warm and with a lot of things to do. So I googled a place that would not be too far from Ecuador (where I currently live) Panama obviously showed up on the map and I googled things to do in Panama. When I saw all the hikes that were possible to do there, I didn’t even hesitate, I booked my ticket. I reached out to some travel agencies in Panama, and the one that I resonated with me the most was Travelling Souls Panama. They wanted to take me to all the places I had listed. We had good communication from the start and the company seemed very professional and knowledgeable.

When I arrived in Panama, I was picked up by Josias, the co-owner of Travelling Souls Panama. I had run out of space on my hard desk, so I had to buy a new one and I needed a sim card to use in Panama, Josias drove me to wherever I had to go immediately and then dropped me off at Hotel Santa Maria in Panama City.

Hotel Santa Maria

Hotel Santa Maria is a luxury hotel with an outside pool, restaurants, bar, spa, a small cafe, and spacious rooms. The hotel is located just outside Panama City and has a large beautiful golf course. I stayed for one night before Josias and the crew picked me up the next morning for a tour of Portobelo, a Caribbean town north of Panama.

Portobelo

Portobelo means “beautiful harbor” in English. The name was actually given by Christopher Columbus in 1952. It is located in the northern part of the isthmus. It takes about two hours from Panama City. Portobelo used to be the largest colonial Spanish port in Central America and today has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gold from Peru would be shipped to Spain, where treasures from the east would make their way to Panama City. Portobelo became a target of pirate invaders who attacked the city.

Today, you can only see the remains from the port, but it’s very interesting to see and hear the story about this little town. The cannons still point toward the entrance to the bay. We walked around and I really enjoyed the views over the bay and the islands.

Portobelo today is most known for its Congo culture. The houses are colorful, and Afro-Carribean cuisine, beautiful beaches, islands, and the infamous mangroves that look like a dolphin from above. Portobelo also has a very known church with the Black Christ. I have never seen that before, so that was quite interesting. They say that the sculpture of Nazareno (the BlackChrist) washed ashore and was picked up by fishermen. It is still a mystery how that happened and where it comes from.

Panama City:

I had 4 days in Panama City. Travelling Souls Panama had some ideas of what to do already. I told them that the only thing I knew about the city was the infamous hike that has the best view, which is called Ancon Hill. Josias had some really good suggestions on what to do in the city. He mentioned bicycle tours, the Ancon hill hike, and checking out some local culinary experiences.

Go Panama Biking Tours

The bicycle tour was organized by Go Panama Biking Tours through Travelling Souls Panama. The tour starts at the Micholls Cafe in Casco Viejo, the old town of Panama City. We biked along the Cinta Costera, where you have a complete view of Panama City. Then we biked towards Mercado de Mariscos, where the local fish market is. We stopped to get some shade and ice-cold, fresh coconut to cool down in the heat. Then we returned back to the Micholls Cafe via Av Balboa.

The old town, Panama City

The old town reminded me of Cartagena in Colombia. The colonial buildings were painted in different vibrant colors, the streets were tidy, with palm trees, and a compact neighborhood. Now it is a hotspot for tourists, making it a perfect place for coffee drinking and strolling during the day and partying on the different rooftops at night. You find many cute cafes and local shops there.

Ancon Hill Viewpoint

Then the next day, we planned on going to Ancon Hill viewpoint for sunrise. But all the gates were closed and they told us that they didn’t open until 8 AM in the morning. We tried to go another way because I really wanted to see the views from the top during sunrise. But unfortunately, we were followed by the local police, and they didn’t let us through. We managed to hike to the beginning of the viewpoint, so I got a couple of pictures, but without me in it though. After the hike I went back to Hotel Bristol for some sleep, then Josias and his girlfriend came over to help with some content creation for the hotel.

Ancon hill Panama — Sunrise at Ancon Hill.

Bristol Hotel Panama

Bristol hotel is a Registry Collection Hotel located in the financial district of Panama. The hotel has a spa center on the top floor with a sauna that guests can use. The hotel also offers a gym. the rooms are very spacious, and the best part is that they are all soundproofed with air conditioning where they provide free toiletries, iPod docking, and a flat-screen TV. The hotel also has a lounge bar and a restaurant on site where they serve Panamanian cuisine.

Overall, Panama City is a great city to explore for a couple of days. If you like cities, you can spend weeks here. It is such a vibrant, fun, and clean city but keeps in mind, Panama City is a bit expensive compared to other south and Latin American countries. The rest of the country is fairly cheap. Costa Rica is way more expensive than Panama for instance.

Later that day, we had dinner at La Tapa del Coco. I think that was the highlight of my food experience in Panama. The chef, which also is the owner, connects with all his customers. The food he makes is beyond this world. It is a great mix of African and Panamanian food. The drinks are also very good. If you ever go to Panama City, this is the place you can’t miss.

San Blas

After Panama City, I headed to San Blas, where I wrote about in this article. San Blas reminded me of Maldives, but without all the big luxury resorts. San Blas gives you the authentic, simple island life, protected by the Guna people. The turquoise-blue clear water, white sand beaches, catamarans sailing around the islands, palm trees, and ocean life can remind you of Galapagos. San Blas has everything for an unforgettable island vacation.

Anton Valley

After San Blas, we headed straight to Anton Valley or El Valle de Anton. My favorite place in Panama. Anton Valley is actually a volcanic crater and offers loads of hiking opportunities. Anton Valley is a paradise for outdoorsy people and I understand why. Waterfalls around every corner and hiking with breathtaking views remind me of Hawaii.

Anton Valley is just a small town just a few hours from Panama City. It has cute cafes, markets, and adventure hostels. The most famous hostel is called Bodhi Hostel, which is where we stayed at. The hostel offers tours almost every day, also yoga classes and family dinners. The vibe there is nice and it is easy to get in contact with other travelers.

Adventures in Anton Valley

Staying in the Bodhi hostel made everything so much easier. Traveling with an agency, I worried about not meeting other fellow travelers. But since they had good contact with Bodhi Hostel, they let me stay there. The next day I signed up for one of the hikes that I had requested. Cerro La Gaita is the name of the hike.

Cerro La Gaita

I had the alarm on for 4 am, so we could make it for sunrise. I had no expectations as I hadn’t read anything about the hike, I had just seen some pictures of it. We arrived at the starting point at around 5am. We hiked in the dark, the incline is very steep and slippery because of the mud, but is doable. It takes about an hour to reach the beginning of the stairs which is surrounded by jungle. It reminded me a little bit of Haiku stairs on Oahu, Hawaii. From the summit, you have a view of many other hikes such as Cerro Picacho.

The next days in Anton Valley were followed by more hikes, waterfalls, and gaining new friendships.

The hikes we went to were: Cerro Turego, Cerro La Silla, La Pomes, Polo Azul, and Tavida waterfall, Cerro Turega hike was the next on the list, but the weather was not great. But we went anyways hoping it would clear up.

Cerro Turega hike

Cerro Turega hike is a very steep mountain. The trail leads you past waterfalls, before reaching the intense climb. It was not smart to do it in heavy rain, since the trail is so steep, it felt like we took one step forwards and ten backward. It was very heavy but fun. We had hoped for good views when we finally reached the summit, but we couldn’t see anything but clouds. We waited at the summit for at least an hour before we descended back down to swim in the waterfalls. On the way down we also saw a sloth.

Cerro La Silla

Cerro La Silla is a very easy hike, but one of the more beautiful ones. You can walk to the entrance of the hike from Bodhi Hostel, and that is exactly what we did. From the summit, you can see 360 views of Anton Valley and the towns around it. It is a short, but very fun hike. We went there for sunrise, which I really recommend, but I’m sure it is very beautiful during sunset as well.

Las Pomes Waterfall

This is a hidden waterfall, with turquoise blue water and lush greens around it. It is an easy steep downhill hike to get there. Going back up is a little more challenging. From Anton Valley, you can take a taxi or a car (preferably a guided tour) with Travelling Soul Panama. It is not easy to find the entrance to the hike if you are not familiar with the area.

Pozo Azul Waterfall

A little drive outside Anton Valley, you will find Pozo Azul waterfall. This is a really beautiful canyon with several waterfalls, you have to scale up each one of them with ropes. If you are not a fainthearted person, you will be fine. If you stay at Bodhi Hostel in Anton valley, you will have the chance to join a group trip there organized by the people who work at the hostel. Usually Jerry from Travelling Panama Souls. So I would highly suggest going on a tour with them.

Tavida Waterfall

After Pozo Azul, we headed to Tavida waterfall. Once you get out of the car you can hear the waterfall. This is not really a hike, but more like a short walk down a steep hill from what used to be a hostel. I am not sure if they still rent out rooms. But if they will start renting out again, you can see the waterfall right from the rooms. The waterfall is very cold but still worth a swim. There is a toilet where you can change clothes after.

After Anton Valley, we were heading towards the coast of the pacific side of Panama. But first, before heading to the beach towns, I wanted to do the most beautiful hike in Panama; Los Picacho in Ola. We left Anton Valley at 2am, so we could make the hike for sunrise.

Los Picacho in Ola

The hike itself is very steep and you need a guide for this hike to not get lost. You can also hike up another way, but then you get to another part of the mountain, the one side all the tourists go to. This is actually a new side of the mountain that Travelling Souls Panama tried out. After the steep climb, we reached the summit. We were sitting in the long grass waiting for the sun to rise. This is definitely the most beautiful hike in Panama with the best views of the ridges surrounding us. It reminded me of the Napali Coast of Hawaii. Please contact Travelling Souls Panama to do this hike. They will provide friendships, transportation, food, and a guide.

Santa Catalina

After Los Picacho, we drove to Santa Catalina. A surf town and a fishing village on the Pacific coast of Panama. Most people come here to surf or dive. La Punta is the most popular surf spot and is very close to all the hostels. Bodhi also has a hostel here, which is where we stayed at. The biggest reason why people include Santa Catalina in their itinerary is the Coiba National Park. It is a must-tour to do, here is why:

Coiba National Park

This is definitely the most popular thing to do in Santa Catalina. Wonder why? White sand beaches, crystal clear water perfect for diving, and amazing sea life. You can spot whale sharks. Whales, stingrays, dolphins, turtles, and other species. But it is not just below the water, above the water you can see monkeys and the most popular living habitat on the island, the crocodile. There is a mama crocodile and her baby. We were super lucky to see it. So cool. The beaches are super white, and the crystal clear water makes it look tropical and reminded me of the beach from the tv show “Lost”. Coiba island has been identified as a UNESCO World Heritage since 2005.

It takes about an hour and a half from Playa Santa Catalina, hopefully, the weather is good when you go, it was raining when we went, but it stopped once we hit the islands, and wow, what an amazing experience. The first thing we did was to stop at the best snorkel location. I didn’t have fins, so the swim was rough, I actually had to ask the boat to pick me up. But I got to see a lot of colorful fish and turtles. I didn’t go in whale season so I didn’t see any whales or whale sharks. But we found dolphins on the way back to Santa Catalina.

Rancheria Island

After the first snorkel spot, we went to Rancheria Island. This is actually the island you can stay overnight if you prefer, it is nothing luxurious but, to be honest, I would love to stay here overnight. Maybe next time. We got a sandwich to eat and some fruit. After a full day, I felt that was too little food, but not complaining. It was good. This is the island where you will most likely spot monkeys and crocodiles. They call the crocodile “Tito”, he is very famous and tourists love photographing him. Then we headed off and went for more snorkeling. At thing point, I was very cold, so I didn’t join. I regret that choice because they saw stingrays, wow!

Then we headed back to Santa Catalina, and we spotted dolphins and turtles on the way. Back in Santa Catalina, we went to a cafe to eat very good falafel at Sunset Catalina. They also have very good coffee.

Playa El Estero - for Sunrise

The next day I went for a sunrise walk to Playa El Estero. The conditions were good, and the reflections at the beach were so beautiful that I flew my drone. Really recommend going to this beach for sunset and sunrise. There is actually a hostel right next to the beach where the parties usually happen.

Overall, Santa Catalina is cool for people who surf and dive. Also, it is worth going to Santa Catalina just for Coiba Island since it is so unique. The town is cute, but from my experience, two nights are enough.

Jerry, one of the owners of Travelling Souls Panama needed more content from another fishing village called Pedasi. I said can skip Boquete to come and make some content for them, and I don’t regret it. I know I will come back to Panama and hike in Boquete when I have more time and maybe not during the rainy season.

Pedasi

We took the local bus from Santa Catalina to Divisa, where Alex, another friend of the company takes pictures and is very good with his drone skills. We got to the hotel, a very simple but beautiful hotel in Pedasi town. We went to eat dinner and then drove to Playa Venao, a surf town 34km from Pedasi. There I reunited with my friend Joshy who I met at Bodhi Hostel in Anton Valley. She dropped her phone in one of the waterfalls in Anton Valley and needed help. I managed to help her, and someone sent her a new phone from Panama City.

The next morning we went very early to Iguana Island. It was very scary because it was stormy and we were going to take the boat in pitch black. But it was more like a fun experience with the whole sky lit up because of the thunder and lightning.

Iguana Island

Since the weather was not the best, we couldn’t spot that many iguanas. They told me that when the sun is out, the beach is full of iguanas. Would be really cool to see, but I only spotted two of them. The sunrise didn’t happen either, were too many clouds. But either way, I am glad that I went to explore this little island with only iguanas and birds living + the rangers.

Playa Venao

This little surf town was very beautiful. Reminded me of Canggu, Bali. It is a small town with many cute modern cafes with bohemian vibes. It is very expensive, and food and staying at hostels are not cheap. But it is worth it for a couple of days to just relax and take it all in. We went to Playa Venao from Pedasi to watch the sunset while riding horses. It was so magical and fun. Other things you can do around Pedasi and Playa Venao are zip lining and an overnight visit to Isla Cañas. We did both.

Zip lining with ICT Experience and overnight tour to Isla Cañas

Through Travelling Souls Panama, we booked a trip with ICT Experience for Isla Cañas and the next day zip lining with 8 lines. Isla Cañas is most known as a very important nesting site for Pacific sea turtles in Panama. The island is also known for its mangrove ecosystem, with habitats of different marine species. The island was bigger than expected and there is a huge community living there. They have their own police, taxi, and local grocery stores.

We slept in a cute little apartment not far from the dock. Then an old local couple prepared delicious homemade food for us, telling us stories and showing us how they cooked. I loved it. For sunset, we took the local taxi to the beach where they are protecting and managing thousands of turtles that arrive on their beaches every year. We got the opportunity to see two turtles go to the ocean, hopefully surviving the big unfamiliar ocean with its many predators. Very a unique experience and on top of that, the best sunset I had seen in Panama so far. The next morning we went to go horse riding at the beach and then check out the mangroves.

Horse riding at Isla Cañas — Picture by @melon.s29, edit by me.

When we got back to the mainland, we went zip-lining. They told us that they had 8 lines. I have never been to zip lining with more than one line, so this would be very interesting. The first line was very short, just to get ahold of it. The second one was very long and steep. And it kept getting longer the further into the forest we went. It was so much fun and packed with adrenaline.

This was the last day I had with Travelling Souls Panama. The last night together, we spent at Selina hostel in Playa Venao. We had a couple of drinks and talked about life, and exchanged pictures and videos from the trip. I will write more about the rest of my Panama trip in another blog post.

If you come to Panama, I recommend going on tours with Travelling Souls Panama. Josias and Jerry, the owners of the company are amazing guys who only want what is best for you. They will make your trip unforgettable and take you to fewer tourist places as shown above. They know Panama in and out, and they speak English fluently. Thank you guys for making my dreams come true in Panama. Book your trip with Travelling Souls Panama here.