Your Panama City CME conference.

Panama City after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Panama time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing near your study setting: a walk along Las Bóvedas, the promenade on the old city wall in Casco Antiguo, a visit to the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center, or a stroll on the Amador Causeway. Several museums here close on Mondays, so check days and opening arrangements before you go.

Travel, accommodation and admissions are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests; the city is simply the setting you choose for it.

Casco Antiguo on foot

The tourism authority calls Casco Antiguo a walled colonial city, with museums, hotels, rooftop bars and restaurants along its streets. Its plazas include Plaza de la Independencia, which is also called Plaza Catedral or Plaza Mayor, as well as Plaza Bolívar, Plaza Francia, Plaza Herrera and Plaza Santa Ana.

Las Bóvedas runs over the ancient wall that once protected the city, with views of the Pacific Ocean and Panamá Bay. Two museums sit in the district: the Mola Museum, which presents the Guna textile art, and the Panama Canal Museum, housed in a heritage building on Plaza Catedral. Its collection covers the French canal era and the American period after 1903.

The canal and the Causeway

The Miraflores Visitor Center has terraces for watching ships pass through the locks, along with guided history and an IMAX film about the canal. Check the schedule for ship traffic and film showings against your 2:00 PM finish.

The Amador Causeway is made of four islands joined by rock excavated during the canal’s construction, and the tourism authority says it is a favorite place for Panamanians to walk, skate and bike. It also has fishing charters and ferries to the Pearl Islands. The Biomuseo, a Frank Gehry design on the Causeway, celebrates Panama’s biological and cultural diversity and lists Tuesday to Sunday as its days on its own site.

Rainforest inside the city

Metropolitan Natural Park is an urban forest reserve with several trails, and the tourism authority mentions monkeys, sloths and birds. Cerro Ancón is a 2 km climb up a wide concrete road to a summit with city views, which makes it a manageable choice if you want a walk with a view.

Soberanía National Park has the 23 km Pipeline Road, known for birdwatching, and the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center, where a 175-step tower looks out over the canopy. The Camino de Cruces, a 10.8 km historic trade route, suits a full day without study, and the authority recommends a guide.

Museums beyond Casco Antiguo

The tourism authority’s museum list includes the Panamá Viejo museum at the ruins of the original city, the Museum of Contemporary Art with more than 700 works by Latin American artists, and the Afro-Antillean Museum. Mi Pueblito is an open-air museum on the traditions of three ethnic groups, and Casa Coronel traces the history of cacao.

Several of these list Mondays as a closed day, while Mi Pueblito and Casa Coronel list no closed day, so confirm current status before you go.

Food, waterfront and an island ferry

Panama City has held the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy title since 2017, according to the tourism authority. Casco Antiguo, San Francisco and Costa del Este are named for upscale dining, and Cinta Costera for casual outdoor meals.

For a different afternoon, Taboga Island has beaches, short walks and seafood and is reached by ferry. Leave time for the crossing and the return.

Day trips beyond the city

The tourism authority describes boat trips that make partial crossings through the canal locks or tour Gatun Lake, and an Agua Clara Visitor Center near Colón for watching ships. Portobelo, on the Caribbean coast, has colonial forts, the Royal Customs Museum and the Church of the Black Christ.

El Valle de Antón sits in the crater of an extinct volcano, with waterfalls, hot springs and artisan markets, and the Riviera Pacifica beaches are about an hour from the capital, according to the authority. Each is a day of its own rather than an afternoon after study.

When to visit Panama City

Panama’s tourism authority describes warm weather all year round, and December to April is this guide’s suggested window for this destination. Beyond the city, it describes the highlands around El Valle de Antón and Boquete as cooler. Use the local forecast when you plan outdoor time.

Getting to Panama City and your study setting

Tocumen International Airport (PTY) is the arrival point shown in this guide. Choose your accommodation and ground transport with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.