Celebrate 2014 in Panama

I’ll be celebrating my third New Year’s in Panama so I would like to offer a little wisdom on how it works here…

1. A lot of people leave Panama City to celebrate New Year’s at la beach with family and friends. If you stay in Panama City you will notice it’s much emptier than usual but there will still be plenty of parties going on.

2. Normally in the US people arrive before 12 to the bar or club in order to make it for the New Year countdown. But Panama is much more family oriented and I learned that people celebrate the New Year countdown with their family at their house and then go out to the bars and clubs together. So at 1am there will be entire families arriving to the nightclub: parents, grandparents, young children, aunts, uncles, etc. And they will party until it’s light outside.

3. Enjoy the fireworks! If you have lived in Panama for a while you surely have learned that Panamanians love fireworks (they are launched into the sky at least once a week for no particular reason). Find a place with a good view of the city and enjoy watching fireworks explode just inches away from a nearby high rise.

To really maximize your New Years in Panama, here are the top 3 parties taking place. Try to buy the tickets in advance because a lot of places jack up the price on the day of the event.

Reliquia: I am happy Relic is hosting one of the only affordable New Year’s parties this year so it will be where I go if I stay in the city. Cover is only $10 and they will have a mix of electronic and crossover music by DJ Elektra, Sontec, DJ Vegas, and Sergio Mix.

Tántalo: Tantalo Hotel is also hosting a good party this year where $80 will get you an open bar with premium liquor all night.

Buenaventura White Party: I think that this is going to be the party of choice for everyone who leaves the city and prefers to celebrate New Year’s at the beach. Tickets are $100 and include an open bar.

So those are my recommendations for the best 3 New Year’s parties going on this year in Panama. Head over to the Página de eventos de vida de PTY to see a full list of New Year’s parties.