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Tips & Traps
Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
- TipA place or a move worth it
- TrapWhat to avoid, and how
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Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
Join RALF to share your own tips and traps
New this weekPicks from our Local GurusCommunity picksrefreshed every Monday
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The Feria Internacional del Libro de Panama fills the Atlapa Convention Center for six days, and its 22nd edition in 2026 ran in the last week of August. Expect author talks, book launches, children and youth activities and exhibitions, and in 2026 the closing was held in the Teatro Anayansi with the Orquesta…
The Festival Internacional de Cine de Panama, known as IFF Panama, held its 14th edition from 9 to 12 April 2026. The galas happen at the Teatro Nacional, while the Ciudad de las Artes hosts panels and classes for the industry program. Films come from Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, with a Panamanian section…
The Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional now calls the Teatro Aurea Baby Torrijos, inside the Ciudad de las Artes, its main home. The complex opened in January 2024 at the entrance to Llanos de Curundu, after the orchestra had used 13 venues over 82 years. Its 2026 season also visits the Teatro Nacional and the Teatro…
The Museo de Arte Contemporaneo is the only museum of contemporary art in Panama, set in the former Masonic Temple at Ancon. On the last Sunday of each month its Abierto Para Todos day brings free entry, workshops and guided tours. The museum closes on Mondays, so plan for the rest of the week, and ask at the desk…
Molas are Guna panels made by reverse appliqué: several layers of cloth are cut and the edges turned under and sewn, so colors show through, and even a simple one takes many hours. Imitations that copy Guna designs on bags and coasters are common despite a 1984 protection law. Buy from Guna women or their…
Summit Municipal Park sits on the road toward Gamboa, beside Soberania National Park. It began in 1923 as an experimental garden of the Panama Canal company and is now a botanical garden with a wildlife rescue center. Animals that cannot return to the wild are shown to visitors, and the harpy eagle, Panama's national…
Cerro Jefe rises about 1,000 m at the eastern edge of Chagres National Park, with cloud forest and views toward the canal, but the park has no visitor infrastructure of its own. Start early, because afternoon rain is common from May to November, and bring boots, a rain layer and water. Mobile signal can be patchy and…
Fondas are small local kitchens that serve breakfast and lunch to everyday Panamanians, and the most authentic ones sit in popular neighborhoods. For breakfast ask for hojaldras, a fried dough eaten plain or with fresh white cheese, beans or eggs, or a corn tortilla with white cheese. Go early, because at busy market…
People who approach you inside the terminal or just outside arrivals are informal drivers, and some say the official taxis have finished for the night. Walk to the marked taxi area yourself, agree the full fare before your bags go in the car, and ask whether tolls and luggage are included. Carry small US bills, since…
Metro and Metrobus cards now work with new readers. Tap when you enter, then tap again when you leave, because the fare is taken at the exit and the entry screen only shows your balance. The first read on a new reader can take about three seconds, so hold the card until the screen turns green. Locals top up with the…
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