Panamá is becoming a hub for large-scale events. As a connection point for the Americas, we feel the need to expand our horizons. Now, Panamá invites you to plan fairs, concerts, conventions, congresses, weddings, and more.

Since business isn't everything, in Panamá, we make sure your trip is also full of fun. If you're attending a convention or corporate event, take advantage of the day tours to enjoy the sun and sea from coast to coast.
 

Explore the Pacific Islands and Beaches

1. Las Perlas

Woman walking along the beautiful sunny beach of Bartolome Island, Pearl Islands Panama City, Panamá

This group of islands, with white sand and turquoise sea, is the little treasure of the Panamanian Pacific.

  • Enjoy the journey: Depart from Panama Bay by ferry to the main islands and beaches. On the approximately two-hour journey, fall in love with the Panamá skyline and look for the giants of the Pacific. Throughout the year, it's possible to see dolphins jumping alongside the boats and playing on the horizon. If you're lucky enough to visit between July and September, it's your chance to see humpback whales. These giants visit us year after year to have a safe place to give birth and care for their calves in the first months of life.

  • Enjoy the destination: Take a private plane and arrive in half the time to Isla Contadora, the largest island in the archipelago. Here, you can spend the day on one of its beaches or take a boat tour and go snorkeling, diving, and bird watching.

2. Isla Taboga

Group doing paddle in a sunny day at Taboga Island beaches, Panama province, Panamá

This is the closest inhabited island to Panama City. Getting there is as simple as taking a 30-minute ferry from the Amador Causeway. When you arrive in Taboga, you can take short walks through the town or to the viewpoint to see the landscape from the highest part of the island. Discover why it's called the Island of Flowers and learn about the history of the artists who have visited it.

Enjoy its 3 beaches to get to know the island from end to end. Each beach is different, some natural, others with spas, bathrooms, and food services. If your visit coincides with low tide, walk along the sand bridge that forms to the islet in front and have a whole adventure.

3. The Pacific Riviera

Friends leisurely walk along the sandy beach of Buenaventura

The Pacific Riviera is a 40 km (25-mile) route that goes from West Panamá to Coclé, with a menu of beaches for all tastes. Each beach on the Riviera has its own personality; find rustic and wild beaches or large resorts with all the amenities you could ask for.

Surf, build sandcastles with colors ranging from pure black to gold, or take a fishing tour. The beaches are so close to Panama City that it can be the perfect day getaway before or after your congress or convention.

4. Tour the Canal Watershed

Beautiful sunset over a harbor. The sun is setting behind a bridge of the Americas in the distance, casting a golden light on the water. There are many boats anchored in the harbor, and people can be seen walking along the docks.

If we're going to talk about how close it is to go from one ocean to the other while in Panama City, it would be unfair not to talk about the Panama Canal. Get to know this incredible work of engineering from top to bottom with unique experiences that you can only have from our country, and just minutes from your hotel or the convention center you're visiting.

  • Tour it: Take a getaway and take a 6-hour tour of the Panama Canal. This partial crossing includes a ride on Lake Gatun and passage through two locks and the famous Culebra Cut.

  • Explore beyond: The Panama Canal isn't just its locks; dare to explore further and discover its surroundings. Sail by boat on Lake Gatun, alongside the vessels that cross the canal, and enjoy the biodiversity of the canal watershed. Also sailing through Gatun or the Chagres River, you'll have the opportunity to visit an indigenous community. The Emberá-Wounaan communities offer cultural days for you to learn about their culture, dance, gastronomy, and much more.

  • Get to know it: Find out about all the stories that revolve around the Panama Canal. Learn about its construction, administration, and expansion by visiting the museums and visitor centers. Visit the Interoceanic Canal Museum of Panama, in Casco Antiguo, and go to the Miraflores Visitor Center. If you have more time, don't miss the opportunity to observe the new locks of the expanded canal at the Agua Clara Visitor Center, in Colon.

5. Explore the Caribbean Beaches and Islands

Man Jumps into the water from small pier, Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro

Visit the province of Colón, the fastest arrival to the Caribbean from Panama City. Learn about its history and culture, try Caribbean cuisine, and visit beautiful beaches.

The province of Colón is divided into two: Costa Arriba and Costa Abajo. If you visit Colón to learn about its history in depth, you'll have to go from Costa Arriba to Costa Abajo.

  • Discover a history of legends and pirates at San Lorenzo Castle (Costa Abajo), the ruins of Portobelo (Costa Arriba), and the batteries that connect them. This open-air museum has a paradisiacal setting. The entire complex of ruins, including those of Panama Viejo, were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

  • Also in Portobelo, experience the Congo culture of Panamá's Afro-colonial community, immersed in artistic and cultural wealth. Visit Casa Congo and the Afro-Panamanian Memory Museum, in the old Customs building, to learn all about the Congos and dance to the drums that resonate in the square on celebration days.

6. Venas Azules

Top aerial view of two kayaks rowing in Venas Azules channels

The Venas Azules of Colon enchant with their fantasy color. Take a boat tour through trails created by the mangrove over a completely transparent sea. Each section of "the veins" borders a small heart-shaped island. It's an unparalleled natural paradise.

7. Amador

A happy couple rides bicycles on the Amador Causeway, with the palm-lined road visible, the sea on the side, on a sunny day.

Walking along the Amador Causeway is the perfect plan after a long day of congress. This maritime corridor, more than 4km long, is a key point of recreation and sports for tourists and locals. Enjoy a nice walk, rent bicycles or electric motorcycles, and enjoy the local cuisine in the restaurants with sea views.

8. Fishing Trip

Group boating at Gatun Lake on a sunny day

If you're looking for a fun activity for your congress attendees, or you want to get out of the routine, book a fishing plan. Panama City is on the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by lakes and rivers full of good fishing. Here, the fish is eaten fresh, and you can go find it yourself, whether you prefer saltwater or freshwater fish, this plan is perfect for getting out of the exhibition halls and doing something different.

  • Freshwater fishing: Sail through Lake Gatun and the Bayano River to catch the best of the fresh water and the canal watershed. Some of the freshwater species you can fish are: sargento (Peacock bass), óscar (Astronotus ocellatus), robalo (Centropomus armatu), guapote tigre (Parachromis managuesis), pargo rojo (Lutjanus colorado) or a dog fish (Hoplias malabaricus).

  • Fishing in Lake Gatun is so special that you can even find royal shad or tarpon (Megalops atlanticus), a fish that was believed to be exclusive to the Atlantic.

If you prefer Pacific fishing, you can take a tour to one of the nearby islands. Some of the species you will find are: sailfish, roosterfish, jacks, yellowfin tuna, blue and black marlin, yellowfin tuna, and dorado, among others.

9. Bayano Caves

A group of tourists with a guide, wearing safety gear, are walking inside the Bayano Cave. They walk along the riverbed, navigating the rocks, while appreciating the abundant vegetation within the cave.

Set aside a day in the middle of your business trip for a day full of adventure. Sail by boat or kayak down a river, walk through the middle of the jungle, and explore the depths of the mountains. Dare to enter a bat cave, walking and swimming along an interior river. Explore with a light on your head, and be surprised by the holes in the mountain that let in some rays of light as you look for natural pools to swim in.

An experience that will leave its mark on all the attendees of your event.

10. Hiking

Tour operator at Birdwatching tower in Gamboa Rainforest Reserve, Panama City

There are plenty of plans near the convention centers, from luxurious restaurants and shopping malls to wellness and health plans. For athletes who need to keep their bodies moving or for those who enjoy the landscapes and want to have a natural experience before, during, or after the congress, the walks in Panamá's parks are ideal.

  • Metropolitan Natural Park: This natural lung of the city has 6 trails of low and medium difficulty. Feel in the middle of the forest just minutes from your hotel.

  • Soberania National Park: If you want a higher challenge, visit this huge park on the city's edge. Its trails range from easy to moderate/difficult levels. On your walks, you can find lakes, waterfalls, and natural pools. Also, for birdwatching lovers, the park has an ideal observatory to find the largest number of species in a single day.

  • Chagres National Park: Among the jungle that accompanies the Chagres River, is the Embera indigenous community. Visit them to learn about our ancestors and let yourself be carried away by their traditional trails. If you want a mountain challenge, the park also has a trail at 1,007 meters above sea level from where you will have unique views of the canal.

  • Ancón Hill: Climbing Ancón Hill is a must-do in the city. This 2km hike is ideal for a 360º view of the city. Discover this symbol of sovereignty, so important to Panamanian history, and take a photo with the flag that marked the country's history.