Around the World in Reality: Panamá

In April, we celebrated five years of marriage. We decided to travel to five new countries this year to celebrate, and Panamá is number three.

When choosing a new country, I tend to start with the budget and not the location. As a result, I stumbled upon a very reasonable flight from RDU to PTY. I didn’t know much about Panamá outside of the Panamá Canal, but after digging deeper, it piqued my interest. I always believe you can find interesting things to do, see and eat in *most* places if you just do your research, and that’s exactly what I found in Panamá.

Day 1 – Wednesday, May 25

HIGHLIGHTS: Panamá Canal + Concolon Panamanian Street Food

After a smooth flight to the Tocumen International Airport, we caught an Uber to our hotel, the Waldorf Astoria Panamá. We arrived and were able to check in quickly. When booking, I opted for a room with a terrace to enjoy the fantastic weather of Panamá, and I’m glad I did. Even though it is the rainy season, it was still perfect.

Our first adventure was to the Miraflores Visitors Center on the Panamá Canal. As an engineer by education, I was eager to see this! The Panamá Canal is one of the engineering wonders of the world that allows ships to sail from the Atlanta Ocean to the Pacific Ocean (or vice versa) through Panama instead of going around South America. If the ships were to take the route around South America, it would take them an additional 22 days! The Panamá Canal was built on top of a mountain, so in order for the boats to pass through, the locks have to lower the boats from the water level to sea level. The locks are essentially a boat elevator! We were able to see three ships pass through the locks that afternoon. Simply amazing!

For dinner, we headed to Conconlon Panamanian Street Food. It’s an eclectic little restaurant that wasn’t far from our hotel. I opted for the one pot, a seafood dish with coconut rice on the bottom. It was absolutely delicious. Donnell wasn’t feeling as adventurous, so he had a pizza.

Day 2 – Thursday, May 26

HIGHLIGHTS: Fonda Lo Que Hay + Nomé + Tantalo Kitchen

I woke up early (per usual), and decided to lounge on our terrace until Donnell woke up. A good decision as I was able to catch the sunrise. The colors in the sky were absolutely beautiful. It was a great way to start the day.

Donnell often says I pack a lot into trips (which is true!), so I promised I would opt for a slow start on this trip. We had a solid buffet breakfast at the hotel, and then headed to the pool. It was a very nice area with a hot tub. We were truly able to relax as there were only a handful of people there.

After lounging by the pool for a few hours, we got dressed and headed to Casco Viejo, the historic city center of Panamá City. Casco is definitely where the city comes alive. It is packed full of hotels, restaurants, historic sites and fantastic views.

Since we had a late breakfast, we opted for an afternoon snack at Fonda Lo Que Hay. I had the Picada mixta de torrejitas de pescado, calamar y ajillo, con salsita picante de la casa (Mixed minced fish torrejitas, squid and garlic, with a spicy house sauce), and Donnell had the Wrap de lechuga con encurtidos, mantequilla de pepita de marañon y aderezo de sésamo (Lettuce wrap with pickles, cashew butter and sesame dressing). Both were delicious! I also had a Aperol Nómada. It was a beautiful variation of the Aperol Spritz.

After Fonda, we had some time to kill before our next activity, so we decided to explore Casco a bit. There was a lot to take in. On one street we would see new hotels and condos and on the next street, we would see locals living in spaces that seemed barely inhabitable. It’s a detail we often overlook, but I believe it’s important to acknowledge.

Next, we had a chocolate tasting and making class at Nomé, a Panamanian Chocolate shop. This was one of the highlights of our trip! We were walked through the entire process to make chocolate starting with the basics of the cacao fruit. We were able to taste test along the way and eventually made our own chocolate bars. It was fascinating and such a fun experience!

For dinner, we ate at Tantalo. Another beautiful restaurant with some amazing art throughout it. Donnell had the Cashew Crusted Atlanta Salmon, and we shared the Tantala Mac N Cheese, Sexy Corn Ribs and Eggplant Carpaccio. Of course, everything was AMAZING, but the Eggplant Carpaccio was on another level. Through Around the World in Quarantine, I’ve gained a fondness for eggplant, and I love its versatility. The photo of this dish doesn’t do it justice.

We couldn’t leave without heading to the rooftop, so we enjoyed a few moments sipping a mojito and taking in the view.

Day 3 – Friday, May 27

HIGHLIGHTS: Isla Taboga + Pedro Mandinga Rum Distillery Tour + Primitivo

This was the only early start Donnell had to endure, but it was worth it. We took an Uber out to the Amador Causeway to catch the Taboga Express Fast Ferry to Isla Taboga. The entire drive there the weather looked ominous but cleared up as soon as we arrived. The ferry was a smooth 30-minute ride that included views of ships waiting to pass through the Panamá Canal.

When we arrived, we were greeted by a local guide who gave us a quick tour of the island. It was a quaint little island where the locals seemingly live a simple life. Our guide was also from Taboga and shared great historical facts about the island. We really enjoyed spending time with him.

The tour ended at the beach where we spent the next couple of hours. I bought a pina colada from a vendor near the beach, and it was so refreshing. Not only did I get the pina colada, but I got the remainder of the pineapple. An amazing deal for $7! The only downside was the flies also wanted my pineapples, too.

We caught a ride to a local place for lunch. We both had fried fish with rice and peas and a salad. IT WAS SOOOOOO GOOD! We don’t eat fried food too often, but this was well worth it. You could tell the fish was very fresh and the rice and peas were full of flavor. It was one of our best meals in Panamá!

After lunch, we explored for a bit more and then caught the ferry back to the Amador Causeway. But before heading back to the hotel, we could miss the opportunity to take the obligatory Panamá sign photo.

As I mentioned before, I always like to find unique things to do while traveling, and I happened to stumble upon the Pedro Mandinga Rum Distillery Tour. This place shared both a brewery and distillery. We were fortunate enough to have the owner give us a tour where he explained their distilling process. Before leaving, we tried their mojito in a can which was very good. Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring anything back because none of their products are in the duty-free store. They don’t ship to the states, but I hope this will change soon!

We left the Distillery and headed to Casco Viejo for dinner at Primitivo. We were there early, so we enjoyed the restaurant to ourselves for a bit until others began to arrive. I absolutely loved the aesthetic of this restaurant. The greenery on the ceiling and the rock walls with low lights really created a nice ambiance. For dinner, I had the Salmon a la Parrilla, and Donnell had the Langostinos Bocas (Prawns). Both dishes were amazing.

Since it was still early, we decided to walk around the corner to listen to some live music. Everyone had their families out enjoying the music on a Friday night. It was a complete vibe.

Day 4 – Saturday, May 28

HIGHLIGHTS: Michael’s + Ancon Hill + Mi Pueblito + A to Z Table

On our last full day in Panamá, we headed to Michael’s for brunch. It was a 20-minute walk and well worth it. Donnell had Blueberry Pancakes, and I had the Smoked Salmon Bagel. The portions were gigantic and delicious. They also had all-you-can-drink mimosas for $18. Who could turn that away? I opted for the lavender mimosa, and it was phenomenal!

Since we didn’t have enough time to visit the Gamboa Rainforest, we opted for a walk up Ancon Hill. It took us about 30 minutes to make it to the top. The incline was steep, but we couldn’t have asked for any better views! While there, we saw a sloth, a few monkeys and a toucan. It was so surreal to see these animals in their natural habitat!

At the base of the hill, we stopped at Mi Pueblito, a replica of the settlements of the main ethnic groups of Panamá. It consisted of three settlements: Plaza Interiorana, Plaza Afroantillana, and Plaza Indígena. We started with Plaza Interiorana. A kind lady came over to share some of the history associated with this plaza.

Next, we headed over to Plaza Afroantillana where Africa en America was taking place. In May, Panamá celebrates el mes de la Etnia Negra (the month of the Black Ethnic Group). There were events all month and even more throughout the weekend as Monday is Día de la Etnia Negra Nacional (National Black Ethnicity Day). Though we weren’t able to stay too long, we did take the time to browse the local vendors. I found some cute cute headscarves and jewelry that I purchased. Donnell was hungry, so we bought some pescado al escabeche (pickled fish) from Restaurante Fish Trap. He really enjoyed it. We stayed a bit longer and listened to the music while sitting with the locals. I truly felt immersed in Panamanian culture.

We headed back to the hotel to shower and get dressed. On our way to dinner we saw some amazing artwork. While there were many, this one caught my eye. I wish I could’ve captured the entire picture. Nonetheless, it was breathtaking.

For dinner, I decided to splurge. We had dinner at A to Z Chef’s Table in Casco. This intimate dinner consisted of 10-courses each curated and prepared by Chef Ariel Zebede. This experience was absolutely phenomenal. All of the dishes were unique and sourced locally. I wish I wrote down the name of each one of them, but unfortunately, I didn’t. I can’t say enough good things about this dinner. I would highly recommend for anyone who visits Panamá!

Day 5 – Sunday, May 29

HIGHLIGHTS: Moi Cafe

On our last morning in Panamá, we woke up, packed our bags and wandered around looking for breakfast. We came across Moi Cafe in the Centro Gastronómico by Balboa Boutiques. We had some amazing Açaí Bowls in this little unsuspecting cafe. It was the perfect way to end our time in Panamá.

Final Thoughts

Our trip to Panamá was definitely a great one. We thoroughly enjoyed every place we went. My favorite activity was chocolate tasting and making at Nomé, and Donnell’s favorite was visiting Isla Taboga. We both agree that A to Z Chef’s table was our favorite dinner. All of my research definitely paid off on this one!

Three down. Two to go!