All visitors to Panama must have a passport and a return ticket out of the country. Citizens of the United States must have a tourist card, or a visa for trips longer than 30 days. Tourist cards and visas can be purchased through Panama's embassy or consulate. Some airlines offer tourist card services as well.
All international flights to Panama arrive at Panama City's Tocumen International Airport. Colon's domestic airport is Enrique Adolfo Jimenez Airport, and charter flights are available from Panama City. Buses run from Panama City's Albrook Station to Colon every 20 minutes, for a trip that takes less than two hours. Bus service is available from Colon to the town of Portobelo every hour.
An alternative to flying is the train that runs from Panama City to Colon. This trip takes an hour, and travels through rain forests, passing Gatun Lake.
Taxis are the best way to get around the city of Colon. Hotels and travel agencies can recommend a service that provides cars with a private driver. This is a safe and often cost-effective way to tour the city. Bus service is good between major cities and tourist areas.
Panama's main tourist season runs from December to April. The Colon area experiences a rainy season during February and March and again in September and October. The Festival of the Black Christ occurs in October. The region's other main festivals occur in March and April.
The city of Colon has a lot of poverty. Violent crime and muggings occur. Tourists should use taxis as much as possible, rather than walking the city's streets.
The city of Colon has two main tourist attractions. The Colon Free Zone is a duty-free shopping complex that features 1,600 retail and wholesale stores, but many stores do not sell to the public. Visitors must sign in and show a passport. Because of the duty-free shopping, Colon is a popular docking point for cruise ships. The Colon 2000 dock has restaurants and shops designed to attract tourists from the ships. The grocery offers one of the only ATM machines in the city.
The beaches around Colon are considered some of the best in Panama. There are no tides at Colon's beaches. Playa La Angosta, the most famous beach, gets very crowded on Sundays.
Portobelo is an hour from Colon. The town has five Spanish forts, the Aduana Real Treasure House and the Black Christ Church and Museum. The town's Customs House is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Fort San Lorenzo is an hour and a half from Colon. The famous pirate Henry Morgan attacked this fort in 1666. The San Lorenzo Protected Area, located nearby, is a 12,000-hectare nature preserve, featuring 590 species of animals.
Isla Grande is a resort area with restaurants, shops and hotels located an hour from Colon. Visitors can enjoy water activities such as snorkeling, diving and jet skiing.
Colon Province contains four national parks. The Barro Colorado Nature Preserve is 5,364 hectares and contains Gatun Lake. Soberania National Park offers 22,104 hectares of rain forest. Portobelo National Park contains fortifications that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and features coral reefs, mangrove forests and wildlife. Chagres National Park contains Alajuela Lake.
The Embera Quera Village is a native village 45 minutes from Colon. Visitors drive for 25 minutes, then take a 20-minute canoe ride to the tribal village. Tourists can see life in the village and purchase the tribe's famous baskets and carvings.
Many dishes in Panama are familiar to travelers to other parts of Latin America. Panama cuisine includes tortillas, tamales and empanadas. Other traditional dishes in Panama are carimanolas, tajadas and patacones. Carimanolas are pastries made from ground yucca that are filled with meat and egg. Patacones are fried green plantains. Tajadas are plantain slices baked in cinnamon.
The handicrafts of Panama's indigenous tribes are the most famous souvenirs. The Kuna Indians make brightly colored textiles. The Wounaan and Embera Indians make baskets, and wood and tagua carvings. Replicas of pre-Christian religious carvings, called huacas, are also unique to the country.
Portobelo hosts the Festival of the Black Christ on Oct. 21. Catholic pilgrims come from all over Panama to repent, seek miracles and celebrate. Processions of pilgrims walk and crawl for miles along the street to the church. Many wear purple robes. The crowds can exceed 60,000. Mass is held at 6 p.m., and at 8 p.m. the statue of the Black Christ is paraded through the streets. The parade turns into a festive celebration, lasting until midnight.
The Festival of Diablos and Congos, held in March, is the Congo Carnaval. Congos are descended from freed slaves. The festival celebrates Afro-Panamanian culture through music, dance, plays and drum performances. The Diablos wear large masks and perform a dance representing a battle with the devil.
