When I visited Panama City, I was backpacking through Central America and stayed at Casa Areka because we arrived without booking anything and basically wanted the cheapest decent place we could find for the night. But if you’re trying to decide where to stay in Panama City, the area matters just as much as the hotel itself. The city is spread out, and staying in Casco Viejo feels completely different from staying around El Cangrejo, Albrook or the Amador Causeway. So in this guide, I’m breaking down the best areas to stay in Panama City first, followed by the hotels I’d actually consider at different budgets. Best Hotels in Panama…

When we arrived in Panama City, we only had one night and one full day before continuing our trip through Panama. At the time, that wasn’t because I’d researched how many days in Panama City we needed and decided one was perfect. We were traveling through eight countries in Central America in three weeks with basically no plan, and we wanted to keep moving. But after actually spending the day exploring Panama City, I didn’t leave wishing we’d stayed another two or three days just to see more of the city. If I went back, I’d still give Panama City itself one full day. If I had more time, I’d…

Panama City was the first stop of my three-week trip through Central America, and we only had one night and one day before continuing across Panama. We had absolutely nothing planned. We hadn’t researched what to do, hadn’t checked the weather and somehow arrived during rainy season, so our day mostly involved walking around in the pouring rain and figuring things out as we went. If I did it again, I’d plan it a little differently. I’d spend the morning exploring Casco Viejo, go back to the local place where we found a cheap lunch, and then spend the afternoon on the Panama Canal, looking for monkeys and getting out…

Panama City is NOT the place that has endless hostels for you to choose from. I stayed at Casa Areka when I visited Panama City at the beginning of my Central America trip, but if I went back today, there’s actually another hostel I’d choose first. That would be Viajero Casco Viejo. I’ve stayed with Viajero before in Medellín, Colombia, and had such a good experience with the chain that it would easily be my first choice. So, whether you’re looking for somewhere social, somewhere cheap or simply a good place to stay, these are my picks for the best hostels in Panama City. Best Hostels in Panama City: My…

Panama City was the first stop of my three-week trip through Central America, where the plan was to travel through eight countries by land and somehow make it to Mexico in time for our flight home. And when I say that was the plan, I mean that was literally the entire plan. My friend asked if I wanted to join him, I said yes, and we ended up starting in Panama City because we found a cheap last-minute direct flight from Madrid. Neither of us was particularly interested in the city, and we were much more excited about getting to Bocas del Toro, but we had one night and one…