Panama City is a vibrant Latin American capital city with great food, culture, and plenty to do, but there are a few things you need to know before you go! For example, did you know that weather forecasts are typically wrong? Or that locals wear long pants in the hot…
If you are planning to move to Panama City, it can be difficult to pinpoint which neighborhood to move to. Do you want to be somewhere quiet or in the middle of everything? Or be in a house or an apartment? Or want an oceanview? This bustling metropolis has it…
Life in Panama is what you make of it and it can offer an incredible tropical lifestyle with year-round hot weather, beautiful destinations, safety, and overall interesting place to call home. I originally came in 2011 to do a study abroad trip and ended up never leaving. During my years…
If you’re looking for a quick and easy day trip to the beach from Panama City, it doesn’t get any easier than Taboga Island. Taboga Island is home to 1,700 inhabitants that are mostly Panamanians and just a few foreigners that have made it their home. The history of the…
Just past the port city of Portobelo in Colon, Panama, is a town called Puerto Lindo. There, a gorgeous oasis in the making awaits boaters who circumnavigate the Caribbean. They stop at or near Linton Bay Marina, which is in the process of construction to become the paradise of Panama…
Instead of getting the typical tourist t-shirt or magnet that says Panama, look into getting these one-of-a-kind items: Panama Hat Panama is famous for their Panama Hats (which are actually made in Ecuador not Panama), and they are actually in style right now. A good quality hat is going to start…
I was browsing the Expats in Panama Facebook Group earlier this week and came across a great story that I wanted share by Canadian expat Cryss who is living in Bocas del Toro, Panama. She was in a situation that no one wants to be in: walking alone at night…
When I was 20 years old I sold my car, packed up my life into two suitcases, put my dog in a carry-on bag, and took off from Louisville, Kentucky to Panama City, Panama to begin a new adventure in my life. I had visited Panama a few times for…
I am a Canadian expat in Panama. When I meet new people here, I am often confused for being an American. It’s an understandable mistake–I’m white, I speak English without a noticeable accent, I watch baseball, and I hang with a predominately American group of friends. Whenever I tell new…
Panama’s former dictator, Manuel Noriega, is suing Activision for using his name and likeliness in their video game Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Noriega did not give permission to use his image and claims the game portrays him as ‘a kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state’, and is…
Panama continues to be the “Hub of the Americas” with the newly announced non-stop flight to Denver, Colorado. The route will be operated by United Airlines with a Boeing 737-700 aircraft that has space for 118 passengers. The service will begin on December 3, 2014 and flight time will be…
The government announced today that the cost to use the Panama Metro will be .35 cents a ride (.70 round trip) and charges will begin on June 15, 2014. https://twitter.com/rmartinelli/status/466717108416413697 The Metro was inaugurated on April 5 and since it’s opening it has been completely free for users to ride. President Martinelli…
The Panamanian tourism sector is focussing on the Caribbean side of Panama this year, which is a part of the country that remains largely undeveloped compared to the Pacific side. There will be three new hotels being constructed in the Colon province. One of them will be part of the…
Panama can be a frustrating place to live or visit if you don’t know a word of Spanish. There are plenty of English speaking Panamanians and foreigners living here but the average Joe you will encounter throughout the day most likely knows very little English. Will you be able to…
Starting on Tuesday, May 6th users found breaking the Metro rules will be fined, informed Metro legal advisor Mara Arosemena. According to Decree No. 261, people found littering, smoking, or eating inside the stations or trains will receive a fine. Also prohibited are traveling with animals, with the exception of…
Juan Carlos Varela was announced as the new president of Panama on Sunday, May 4 and will serve the 2014 – 2019 presidency. He will succeed President Ricardo Martinelli who served as president from 2009 – 2014. https://twitter.com/JC_Varela/status/463140277658873856 https://twitter.com/EstrellaOnline/status/463131185095663617 This was a very close election with Varela obtaining 39.2% of…
I’m from Kentucky so I was a little down that I would be missing the Kentucky Derby festivities again this weekend. One of my friends had the brilliant idea of going to Panama’s horse racing track on Derby day to have our own Derby celebration. I texted all my friends…
When I first moved to Panama I went through a lot of awkward and different situations that I wasn’t used to back home in Kentucky. Here are some of my favorites that I can laugh at now: Plantains are not bananas My first trip to the supermarket was the most…
Instead of heading to the interior of Panama during Semana Santa like everyone else this weekend, I decided to stay home in the city and be productive. I’ve made a few tweaks and changes on my blog, did laundry, and binged on Netflix for a few hours. One of the…
Panama’s new metro recently opened and while passengers are loving the fast transportation system, taxi drivers are not a fan. Before the metro opened, Panama’s infamous taxi drivers used to either drive around the city piling as many people as they could in a car or they would stop and…
Panama’s first Metro was inaugurated on Saturday, April 5 and then opened to the public on Sunday after 38 months of construction. The first line of the Metro includes 19 trains each with 3 cars and 15 stations going from Albrook to Los Andes. Operating hours will be 5:00 am…
The International Film Festival kicked off in Panama yesterday for the 3rd year. During the week there will be films from around the world shown at the Teatro Nacional, Cinepolis Multiplaza, open air projections at Plaza Cincuentenario in Casco Viejo, and a few other locations. The same films have been…
After two consecutive years of double digit growth, Panama’s economy slowed down a bit to 8.4% growth in 2013. The easing in growth comes as investments in large-scale infrastructure projects, including the $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal, draw to a close. One of the other major infrastructure projects…
Starbucks, the coffee franchise on every corner of the U.S., plans to open stores in Panama at the beginning of 2015. In April 2011, Starbucks Coffee Company signed an agreement to begin operating franchises in Central America. Since then they have opened 5 stores in El Salvador, 4 in Costa…
Tired of hoping the border every six months to renew your tourist visa in Panama? I did that for my first two years here and I’m finally happy to be a permanent resident now. I just completed the Friendly Nations Visa that was recently created and I’ll write a blog…
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about how I was beginning classes at Casco Antiguo Spanish School. I’ve been going there every Saturday morning for three hours – giving up my Friday nights in Panama – so I can finally get better at speaking the language of the…
Uber, the transportation app taking over the world, has just launched in Panama. The app allows you to hail an Uber driver based on your location using your smartphone and then the fare is calculated on distance and time it takes to arrive to your location. Payments are managed through…
There are several websites in Panama like Groupon in the U.S. that offer deals on restaurants, spas, events, and tours for over half off. Subscribing to these can be a great way to save money whether you live here or are just visiting. Here is a list of the websites…
Panama City, Panama was ranked as one of the least expensive cities in the world to live in according to the latest Worldwide Cost of Living Survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit twice a year. The survey takes a look at 400 individual prices across 160 products and services…
This year me and a group of friends headed to Penonomé, Panam¡ to celebrate the legendary carnaval in Panama there. We spent two days of non-stop partying at the culecos and Peskito, which lead to some interesting things happening. Here’s my list of the 10 things that happened at carnival…
Panama’s legendary carnavales are coming up this weekend and I’ll be heading to Penonomé to celebrate. This is going to be my second carnaval so I thought I should share a checklist of the things you must bring in case it’s anyone’s first time. Carnavales Checklist Cooler Necklace: I put…
One of my favorite hobbies in Panama City, Panama is pool crashing at luxury hotels. There is nothing like enjoying the view of an infinity pool overlooking the ocean at the Trump, and enjoying that view for free. As a foreigner it is pretty easy to get away with using…
My work recently relocated to an office in El Cangrejo that is near the street that the Veneto Hotel is on. I usually take the Metrobus to get there but I was running a little late one day so I needed to take a Taxi. This is how the conversation…
