Panama Overview

True, the Panama Canal might be one of the greatest human-made wonders of the world. Put that aside for the moment and consider Panama’s other wonders: lush mountain forests, Caribbean beaches surrounded by coral reefs, a thriving and skyscraping metropolis, vast ranches of highland villages. Panama’s 2.5 million people create a diverse culture, including vibrant indigenous groups and recent international immigrants. Far east in San Blas and Darién, dugout canoes provide access to hidden remote villages and images of Western pop culture’s fashions are replaced by Kuna molas, traditional patched cloth panels. Pristine Caribbean shores and untouched forests are within a few hours’ drive of Panama City, Central America’s most modern city. The political situation in Panama is stable and the tourist and national park infrastructure is unmatched.

• Planning Your Trip

Passports, Visas, And Customs. Passport. Required of all visitors. Must be valid 3 months after arrival. Visa . Not required of citizens from the UK or EU. For others, visa is valid for ...more

• Cultural Essentials

From Pre-Dependence To Independence (Pre-Columbian—Ad 1821).   Some eleven thousand years ago, hunter-gatherers made their first appearance on the Panamanian isthmus and eventually settled in villages ...more

• Land

Panama is an isthmus connecting North and South America. It lies between Costa Rica on the west and Colombia on the east, and between the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south ...more

• Beyond Tourism

School for International Training (SIT) Study Abroad, 1 Kipling Rd., P.O. Box 676, Brattleboro, VT 05302, USA (☎ +1-888-272-7881 or 802-258-3212; www.sit.edu/studyabroad). Semester-long program in Panama ...more