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General
Information
Whether is snorkeling
or tank diving, the diving enthusiast
is bound to find his appeal in
any of the various waters of Panama.
Panama offers both, the lively
and colorful clarity of Caribbean
style Atlantic; the vast and mysterious
Pacific Ocean full of large marine
species, exactly where 
Balboa discovered it; and the jungle
encircled Gatun Lake, bed of the
Panama Canal.
The isthmus of Panama, running
on an east-west axis, finds the
Atlantic Ocean on its northern
shores. Starting from the west,
the first dive site is Bocas del
Toro. The scuba diving in and
around Bocas can be enjoyed throughout
the year, with most of the dive
spots no more than one hour boat
ride from Bocas town. The water
temperatures is very tropical
and constant, so full or even
short wetsuits are not required.
Water visability varies from one
dive spot to another, and is always
dependent on weather conditions.
The months of September and October
are traditionally the better months,
due primarilly to more suitable
climatic conditions. During this
period there is less rain and
wind, allowing for clearer water
conditions.
Getting
There
International Airlines serving Panama
with regularly scheduled flights:
American
Airlines
Avianca
Continental
Airlines
Copa
Airlines
Cubana
Delta
Airlines
Iberia
Lloyd
Aero Boliviano
Grupo
Taca
Mexicana
West
Caribbean
Local Air Services
A variety of national airlines operate
from the International Airport Marcos
A. Gelabert, in Albrook. They offer
routine and charter flights to more
than 150 airfields in the Republic.
Aeroperlas
www.aeroperlas.com
Bahía Piña, Contadora,
David, Free Zone of Colón,
Bocas del Toro, Changuinola, Chitré,
La Palma, El Real, Jaqué,
Garachiné, Sambú,
Special Flights.
Aeromapiex
E-Mail
David, Bocas del Toro (Island),
Changuinola and Panamá City.
Aerotaxi
iflyap@aeroperlas.com
San Blas
ANSA
iflyap@aeroperlas.com
San Blas
Aviatur
aviatur@sinfo.net
San Blas, Darién, Sambú,
Garachiné, La Palma, Jaqué,
Piña, Contadora, San Miguel.
Special Flights.
Helipan
www.helipan.com
Helicopter Rental & Tours.
Helix
www.aero.com.pa
Helicopter Charters Flights.
Entry Requirements
All visitors require a valid passport
and an onward/return ticket.
Additional requirements vary according
to nationality and are subject to
change. You are recommended to check
with a Panamanian Consulate or Embassy
or ticketing agents for airlines
that fly to Panama to obtain the
most updated information.
At the time of writing, nationals
from the following countries do
NOT REQUIRE any further documentation:
Argentina, Austria, Belgium Costa
Rica, El Salvador, Finland, France,
Germany Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary,
Israel, Italy, Luxemburg, Paraguay,
Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Switzerland
and UK.
Nationals from the following countries
do REQUIRE a tourist card (US $5)
or a tourist visa, available from
Panamanian embassies and consulates,
airlines serving Panama, border
crossings, or at the international
airport : Antigua, Australia, Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia,
Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia,
Denmark, Granada, Greece, Guyana,
Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan,
Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands,
New Zealand, San Marino, South Korea,
Suriname, Taiwan, Tobago, Trinidad,
USA, Venezuela.
Nationals from Chad, Ecuador, Egypt,
Philippines, Peru, Dominican Republic
and Thailand require tourist visas
and should contact an embassy or
consulate.
If your country is not listed above,
contact your nearest Panamanian
Consulate or Embassy or the Panamanian
Immigration office Tel: 507-227-1448
Fax: 507-227-1227
Upon entry, every visitor is given
a stamp allowing him or her to remain
in Panama as a tourist for 90 days.
This may be extended by applying
to an immigration office in Panama
City, David or Chitre, the only
offices that can issue an extension.
For information regarding Pensionado
and other Residence Visas, 2nd Passports
etc. click here
You may enter Panama with 200 cigarettes
and 3 bottles of liquor tax free.
If you try to leave Panama with
articles made from endangered species
you may be severely punished.
Please note: There is a US$20 departure
tax when you leave Panama.
Travel
Tips
Getting Around
If your stay is confined to Panama
City, don't bother with buses or
rental cars. Taxis are available
for reasonable fares. Choose a relatively
new car that is in good condition.
The slightly higher fare is more
than worth it for reliability and
cold air conditioning. For longer
trips or journeys to remote areas,
plan to get a vehicle with four-wheel
drive capability, as you may be
driving on rugged terrain. These
vehicles are popular and run out
fast, so plan ahead. Most major
towns have car rental agencies,
so renting a car is a relatively
easy process. It's important to
bring the rental reservation document
that states the agreed upon rate.
Remember, you must be at least 25
years old to rent a car (23 if paid
by AMEX). All major rental car agencies
are represented in Panama.
The Pan American Highway, also known
as Interamerican Highway, joins
Panamanian cities with Costa Rica.
At this time, the Darién
jungle continues to be impenetrable,
preventing access by land to Colombia.
A tour by car along the Transisthmic
Highway joins Panama City with Colón.
Even the most remote areas of Panama
are accessible by paved secondary
roads. The bus service is good and
covers the entire country as well
as the other countries in Central
America and Mexico.
Religion
Most Panamanians are Roman Catholic.
However, due to the great diversity
in the country, there are numerous
churches, temples and synagogues
all over the country. There is freedom
of religion in Panama.
Language
Although the official language in
Panama is Spanish, English is widely
spoken and understood in the major
cities.
Climate
The country enjoys an agreeable
tropical climate and an average
daytime temperature of 80 degrees
Fahrenheit, with cooling in the
evenings. The average humidity is
70%. The rainy season goes from
May to December. Throughout the
dry season, trade winds keep the
air continuously cool. In the mountains,
the average temperature is between
50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Clothing
Light clothes are recommended. Business
clothing is formal. A light jacket
for men and a tailored suit or a
two-piece pants suit for women is
recommended. A wide-brim hat and
sun glasses are necessary if you
go to the shore or inland.
Time Zone
Panama's time is five hours behind
Greenwich Mean time (GMT). Thus,
Panama is on Eastern Standard time
(EST); it does not have daylight
saving time.
Electricity and Public Services
The current is 110w - 60hz and 220w.
Telephone and international cable
services in Panama are excellent.
There is a direct-dial system to
locations inland and all over the
world. Our country code is 507.
Local calls are 10 cents and the
bright blue Cable and Wireless phone
booths are everywhere, although
some take calling cards only.
For international calls your best
bet is to bring an international
calling card with you. International
calls made through hotels,like everywhere
are very expensive. A more time
consuming option is to go to a Cable
and Wireless office to make an international
call or send a fax. You can also
visit one of the numerous internet
cafes that offer Net2Phone international
phone calls for 25 cents a minute.
Renting a cellular phone in Panama
is easy, as several companies offer
convenient plans for those visiting
the country. Most companies require
a valid passport and a deposit,
which can be paid in cash or with
credit card; for an additional fee
insurance is available. Calls are
charged on a "per minute"
basis, and are offered on a daily,
weekly and monthly plans, with international
access often available. Each company
might differ in their policies and
pricing, thus we recommend that
you act accordingly.
The two major cell phone operators
are Bell South and Cable & Wireless.
There is an enormous amount of competition
between the two, so services are
quite extensive reasonably priced.
If you wish to purchase a phone
several options are available to
you. Both prepaid and one year contracts
are available.
Money
Since 1904, the United States dollar
has been the legal currency in Panama.
The Balboa, the Panamanian monetary
unit, is par valued with the dollar.
Prices can be expressed in Balboas
(B/.) or in Dollars ($). Traveler
cheques and credit cards are widely
accepted. The International departure
duty is US$20.00, payable in the
airport. The hotel tax is 10%. The
added tax value to products and
services, with the exception of
food and medicines is 5%.
You can access your American bank
account in Panama City at the ATM
machines that have "Cirrus"
or "Plus" sign on them,
provided that you have a personal
ID number. Look on the back of your
debit card to see if it has these
names. This a quick and hassle-free
way to get cash in increments of
up to $500 a day, depending on the
daily limit your card imposes.
Business Services
More than 150 international banks
and their branches operate in Panama.
The United States, Brazil, Colombia,
Venezuela, Taiwan, Argentina, South
Korea, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands,
Switzerland, Canada, China, Spain,
France and others are represented
here. The banking hours vary, but
most of them are open from Monday
to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m. Some banks offer services on
Saturday.
Most private business offices are
open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 or
6:00 p.m. It is customary for all
offices and stores to close for
the lunch period for at least one
and a half hours. Office hours for
government offices vary and it is
advisable to check prior to visiting
any government office.
If a holiday falls on Sunday, it
is observed on the following day.
The executive branch is authorized
to designate days of national mourning
on which all offices and commercial
businesses are closed.
Medical
Health care is both excellent and
reasonably priced in Panama. Many
of the country's physicians earn
their degrees in the U.S. and other
industrialized countries, and the
state university offers a top quality
medical program. Bilingual doctors
are common in all Panama City hospitals.
Water supply is safe to drink with
few exceptions throughout the country.
Health
No vaccines or pills are necessary
prior to visiting our country. Remember,
the tropical sun can be strong;
so it’s wise to take protective
sunglasses and sunscreen with you.
Although Panama is indeed a tropical
country, mosquito control is effective.
Exceptions would include hiking
and over-nighting in the jungle,
in which case you should use protective
insect repellant.
Water
Panama is the only country in Latin
America where you can drink water
straight from the tap.