Relentless exploration opens the door to magnetic new places, bold ideas, and the next big experiences. Fueled by our travelers’ thirst for discovery and our own unquenchable curiosity, we’ve been exploring Panama for over a year.
Our team has been cultivating partnerships with local artists, culinary tastemakers, and finding ways to elevate iconic experiences to the Journey level. We’re excited to spotlight what we’ve been finding, designing, field-testing, and fine-tuning. Here’s an insider look at Panama.
If you want to get straight into trip inspiration, jump to our curated itineraries: Ultimate Panama and Pacific Passage: Costa Rica to Panama. Or, if you prefer the human touch, ask our team to reach out for a chat.
Casco Viejo: Where Worlds Meet
Our inquisitive travelers are always asking us: what’s on the horizon? The next hidden gem, the next vibrant neighborhood on the rise, the next place that stirs the senses. We believe we’ve found it in Casco Viejo – a bustling, bohemian quarter full of energy, charm and character. A few of our Journey team relocated to really get under its skin, walking street to street, meeting artists, chefs, curators and community leaders, uncovering what makes this special corner of Panama tick. We can’t wait to share it with you.
Casco Viejo is the magnetic heart of the capital – a place where history clings to every sun-drenched wall and energy buzzes through each narrow street. Perched on a peninsula and surrounded on three sides by water, this UNESCO World Heritage Site has lived many lives. Originally founded in 1673 after the old city was ransacked by pirates, it was relocated and rebuilt by the Spanish with grand intentions. Over the centuries, the streets have witnessed colonial rule, independence movements, decline, and a remarkable rebirth.
A living archive of Panama’s complex past, its architecture tells this story: a blend of Spanish colonial, French elegance, neoclassical flourishes, and later, touches of American urban planning from the Canal era. Today, it’s a creative and cultural melting pot, where centuries-old churches stand proudly beside art galleries, rooftop jazz bars, design studios, and independent boutiques. We really fell in love with the feeling of these streets, there’s a certain pull – edgy, artistic, and full of possibility. The coffee is excellent, the food scene is even better, and it’s the kind of place that makes you want to stay out late and get up early, just to see what you might discover.
“The team has spent over a year on the ground in Panama, and I’m thrilled by the connections they’ve made. What’s emerging is a completely different side of Panama, one full of untapped potential and extraordinary experiences. It’s the perfect complement to what we’re cultivating with Journey Costa Rica.”
– Javier Echecopar, Managing Director, Journey Costa Rica
The Real Heart of Any Place Lies in its People
Time and again, we’re reminded that it’s the connections we make with those who live and breathe day to day life that unlocks a richer experience. Seeing a place through local eyes lets us gain a deeper, authentic understanding that can’t be found any other way. After spending months on the ground in Panama – meeting, listening, and getting to know the trailblazers and visionaries shaping this under-the-radar destination – we’ve been building the kind of relationships that open doors. It’s through these connections that we’ve gained the privileged access that make our journeys like no other.
Aristóteles: Part Artist, Part History Book
We were drawn in by his sense of humor as much as his amazing paintings! This celebrated local legend’s pieces are a window into Panamanian history and culture, a topic that runs through the artist’s veins. Be welcomed by Aristóteles and his wife at their home-meets-studio, dive into the stories that permeate his paintings, or pick up a brush and learn the art of expression with your host.
The Visionary Chocolatiers
What started as a tiny chocolate workshop run by two friends has become one of the city’s most exciting hidden gems. Tucked into a quiet residential street, Casa 25 is part neighborhood bar, part chef residency, and part cacao-fueled fever dream. Their small-batch chocolate – made with beans from indigenous growers in Bocas del Toro – is reason enough to visit. But stay for the ever-changing, chef-led tasting menus and organic wine pairings that make every night feel like a best-kept secret.
Curated Canal Access
Of course, no visit to Panama is complete without witnessing the Canal – but we do it the Journey way. Forget the crowded decks and video explainers. Instead, you’re hosted by one of the Canal’s directors, getting front-row access just feet from the locks, where the sheer force and precision of this engineering marvel truly comes to life.
A Space for Meaningful Moments
We’ve met up with the director of a brilliant grassroots NGO working with local children from underserved communities – building community gardens, screening movies for families, and helping to provide the essentials. Our team is super excited to volunteer, an opportunity we’d love to extend to any of our guests who feel the same pull. As a company working towards our B Corp certification, this is the kind of human connection that drives us.
Why the Capital’s Culinary Scene is the Next Big Thing
We’ve always loved exploring a destination through its food, and Casco Viejo might just be one of the most exciting culinary hotspots in the world right now. Over the centuries, Indigenous communities saw the arrival of Spanish colonizers, the African diaspora – whose presence spans from colonial-era enslaved populations to Afro-Caribbean migrants – and successive waves of Asian immigrants, beginning with Chinese laborers in the 19th century. The result is a richly layered national heritage that comes to life most vividly in its bold, interwoven culinary traditions.
We’ve been eating our way across town to uncover the very best of the city’s culinary scene. Places like Cantina del Tigre, where Afro-Caribbean flavors meet modern flair in an ever-evolving menu. Fonda Lo Que Hay, a playful, progressive kitchen led by one of the country’s most exciting chefs. And Maito, the first Panamanian restaurant to break into Latin America’s 50 Best, a must-visit for anyone seeking flavor, heritage, and serious culinary craft.
But we don’t just book you a table – we open the kitchen door. Thanks to the relationships we’ve built, our travelers are invited behind the scenes, where they can clink glasses with top tier chefs, hear the stories behind the dishes, and experience that rare kind of night when everything aligns – the food, the wine, the energy, the company. It’s this kind of access that transforms a great dinner into an unforgettable exchange.
Panama’s Answer to Villas: Coastal and Island Retreats
We’ve loved discovering Panama’s secluded estates nestled on both the Pacific and Caribbean coastlines or tucked within pristine archipelagos. Far from the crowds, these boutique retreats offer a rare kind of luxury: intimate immersion in nature, with no compromises on comfort. These secluded sanctuaries are home to some of the most unique and quietly spectacular stays in Central America. What do we love most? Their commitment to conservation – connecting travelers to the land and sea while helping protect these wild, extraordinary places for generations to come. Here’s a taste of our curated collection of coastal and island retreats.
Sweet Bocas
Where: Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Caribbean Coast
What: A “floating” overwater 20,000-square-foot villa connected to a 54-acre island with a freshwater lake.
Why Go: World-class surfing with uncrowded waves; transparent Caribbean water stretching to the horizon; the ultimate hammock hangouts; barefoot luxury – high-end hospitality without the fancy dress code.
Positive Impact: Members of the archipelago’s indigenous community built the villa from scratch; earthwork design guided by permaculture; farm-to-table cuisine – all produce grown, cultivated and foraged on site.
El Otro Lado
Where: Portobelo Bay, Caribbean Coast
What: Four sea-facing casitas and the three-suite “Casa Grande”, tucked between Portobelo National Park and the sea, close to UNESCO-listed fortifications.
Why Go: Biodiversity – tropical trees, coral reefs, mangrove forests; cultural richness – historic town with Indigenous, Congolese and colonial heritage; connection to surroundings – rainforest hikes, bird and wildlife watching, river kayaking, hidden coves and beach picnics.
Positive Impact: Big focus on Portobelo’s social development – collaborations with the guardians of local Afro-Caribbean culture like painters, musicians, dancers, cooks; free music school and a cultural preservation program run by the property’s NGO.
Simca Island
Where: Gulf of Chiriquí, Pacific Coast
What: Private island covered in dense tropical forest and 10,000 acres of untouched coastline across the channel.
Why Go: Immersion in wild and protected nature; eclectic and colorful design; premium diving and fishing, ultra-private paradise; 40 miles of mountain tracks for ATV adventures, horseback riding and guided jungle walks.
Positive Impact: Development limited to a small portion of the island; home to the Liquid Jungle Lab – a world-renowned marine research center working with the Smithsonian Institution to protect the vibrant ecosystems that define this coastline.
Panama Ecological Reserve
Where: Near Pedasí, Azuero Peninsula
What: A 1,519-acre pocket of the Azuero Peninsula’s coastline with an estate made up of three luxurious homes. A dedicated farmer cultivates produce for guests in the onsite organic gardens and orchard. You’ll see more wildlife than humans.
Why Go: Old-growth tropical forest, an expansive forest restoration project, 4.5km of secluded beaches, and some of Panama’s best surfing. Spot dolphin pods and summer humpback whale migrations from the infinity pool.
Positive Impact: The owners are united in their vision of regeneration and conservation of the native ecosystems, which they’re achieving through sustainable land management. Their initiatives have also seen over 47,000 sea turtle babies released and over 70,000 native trees planted so far.
Panama: Untapped and Undeniably Electric
If you’re craving something new and exciting – start in the hustle and bustle of a 21st-century colonial city pulsing with edge, art, museums, and a culinary scene that’s rewriting the rules. Then trade it all for a coastal escape: world-class diving, lush wildlife sanctuaries, barefoot luxury, and water adventures that redefine immersion.
Panama is the next big thing in the luxury travel scene – check out these Panama and Costa Rica to Panama itineraries we put together and chat with our team to start planning your next extraordinary travels with Journey.
