Panama City stay safe · Panama City travel safety advice
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Panama City travel safety advice
Panama City travel safety advice
Be careful in both Casco Viejo and the Panama la Vieja ruins area. There are tourist police aplenty in both neighborhoods but do not wander too far in these areas alone (even in the day) and certainly not in the evening (as of 2010 these areas are very safe, lots of activity and tourist traffic)
Stay out of El Chorillo, Santa Ana, and San Miguel. It is very dangerous right now due to infighting between drug gangs. Tourists have been kidnapped right off the street. El Chorillo borders San Filipe so it is very easy to accidentally walk into it.
Look both ways before crossing the street! Panamanian drivers are notoriously aggressive when the traffic allows and will not slow down for you even if you're lucky enough to find a crosswalk. There's only one way to cross the road here. Wait for a break in the traffic and walk. Once you start, keep going. Drivers will stop(99% of the time......). Otherwise you'll be stuck for hours waiting.
The central neighborhoods of Marbella, El Cangrejo, Obarrio, San Francisco, and the Banking Area are generally the most safe. In any case, be careful of your belongings, even if sitting in a restaurant, as people have had things snatched without noticing it, especially when enjoying a glass too many of Panama's great wine selection. It is never a good idea to drink heavily and walk back to your hotel.
A dumb tourist mistake is bragging aloud about how cheap things are when local wages are also much lower compared to Europe and North America.
It's always a good idea (in any country really) to spend a few minutes to find out exact taxi fares before taking a taxi and always have exact change for the correct fare. This avoids over-charging and problems with some drivers. Having to ask a taxi driver how much the fare is is the equivalent to wearing a "kick-me" sticker on your shorts, as you're telling him you don't know. Some have paid $20.00 to get from El Dorado to Via Argentina, but the real fare for one person is $1.75.
Outside of Multiplaza, Albrook and Multicentro are some very good looking Taxis. The drivers wear nice shirts and the Taxis have proper signs on the roof. The drivers will most likely ask you if you are interested. NEVER take theese taxis. All they do is wait for foreigners and then charge 4x the price.
Some taxis at the main bus station prey on visitors. Never put your belongings in the trunk. Sit in the back seat along with your belongings and have your luggage firmly grasped while entering and exiting the vehicle; otherwise, they can drive away with your things while you are still trying to get in. Lock the doors once inside. Avoid and ignore anyone who approaches you to "get a taxi for you"; go to the curb to get one yourself. At best they will want money for this "service" amounting to half the taxi fare; at worst, they are setting you up to be robbed with certain drivers with whom they work. Lastly, the cabs are marked on the door with a unique registration number -- memorize it or write it down and secretly tuck it safely away on your person before entering any cab.
Never lose your temper with taxi drivers or police (or anyone else really) no matter how bad you may find a situation or service in some places. Exert your rights politely but firmly.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Panama City
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Panama City - updated Apr 2024
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WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020
Panama City Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.