It has been under-construction, including significant amount of time with no construction, for the last 10 years. I have driven by it before, but not since it has been officially opened.
It has 8 galleries, but only 5 of them are fully installed and ready for viewing.
The highly sought after architect, Frank Gehry, designed the museum. The design of the museum is very much in keeping with his organic, non-traditional, and unique style.
Panama's Biomuseo is also surrounded by a new 6-acre Biodiversity Park designed by Gehry in collaboration with landscape designer Edwina von Gal.
The museum celebrates Panama's rich biodiversity.
The Biomuseo is designed as a public open-air atrium covered by a sequence of multicolored metal canopies. It is often referred to as having "colorful origami-like canopies".
These folded canopies are designed to represent both the many tin roofed colorful houses and the diverse flora and fauna of Panama. Panama is one of the most biodiverse places in the world.
When we are in the States, we usually call Seattle home.
Gehry created a similarly "folded" roof exterior in Seattle for Paul Allen's EMP or Experience Music Project building.
Gehry's design of the EMP tries to capture the music and guitar playing of Seattle native Jimmy Hendrix. (See the photo of the EMP on the right.)
I think the Panama City's BioMueseo is much more attractive than Seattle's EMP.
I look forward to visiting it.
Panama's BioMuseo in June 2014
October 26, 2014
Casa Bruja is the local brewery that makes the IPA, Chivo Perro (which means, goat dog. Go figure). It also makes a blonde, amber, stout, and barely wine.
Its IPA stands up well to all but the hoppiest of IPAs in the States.
Casa Bruja does not have its own pub, but a number of bars and restaurants in Panama City offer their beer.
I tried Casa Bruja's beer at the Smoke Shack (see photo of my husband imbibing, above). The Smoke Shake also offers 2 other Casa Bruja's beers and a few US microbrews as well.
You can visit the Casa Bruja website to see where else you can sample their brews.
By the way, if you are hankering for alot of meat and a brew, the Smoke Shack is a good choice. They are very friendly, offer good service and good food.
It is located across the street from the DoubleTree hotel near Iglesia de la Carmen. (If you don't want to eat mammoth amounts of meat, try their salad which still includes a significant amount of meat, but not an overwhelming amount.)
All the raw materials for these craft beers must be imported - malt, yeast, hops...
The only ingredient you can get locally is the water.
The cost of producing 5 gallons (50 pints) of beer can range from $30 to $50, not including the shipping costs. With shipping the cost goes up to $100 for every 5 gallons of beer produced.
What this means is that the Chivo Perro I bought at the Smoke Shack cost $6. If I had bought a Lost Coast micro-beer from Oregon, USA instead, I would have paid less, $5.75.
The food is better than the beer at Istmo Brew Pub. I found the beers rather flat tasting as well as a bit sweet and cloying.
They are drinkable. But nothing to write home about.
There are 2 Istmo Brew Pub locations. I have been to the one in the El Congrejo neighborhood 2 or 3 times.
If you are young and single it can be a very happening place on the weekends & later in the evening.
I avoid it then. I go when it is quieter. Their patacones pizzas are worth checking out.
You can see their menu below.
Its patacones pizza uses mushed fried plantains instead of usual pizza crust. It is surprisingly good.
I have not yet made it to this brew pub.
So I am to offer you other people's experience and knowledge about the brewery.
La Rana Dorada is run by the same people that are behind Colombia's hugely successful Bogota Beer Company.
La Rana Dorada means The Golden Frog
They have hired master brewer Brad Kraus. This is good news. Kraus has 25 years of brewing experience and is international recognized as an excellent brewmaster. He has worked in breweries in New Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Colombia.
In 2010, La Rana opened their first brew pub in Panama City. They now have 3 locations.
Here is what roamingaroundtheworld.com thinks of them:
roamingaroundtheworld.com also says that La Rana
"was one of the breweries in which we felt the dirty water taste slightly came through in the beer, but they were still very drinkable and we very much liked the brewpub overall."
I am going to be searching out one of their brew pubs next time I am in Panama City.
To find out more go to La Rana's website.
I couldn't much information out about this brewery.
It seems like a much smaller scale brewery then the others.
They do have a facebook page.
Based on reading its FB page I get the sense that the people involved in La Legitima seem like a fun group of serious beer lovers. I'll try to track down their beer.
The 3rd Annual BeerFest will be in March 2015 in Panama CityLa Legitima is mentioned as joining with the 3 other micro-breweries, above, in starting Panama's own International Beerfest in 2013.
The Panama's 3rd annual International Beerfest will be March 13 -14, 2015.
However, I would check that date in January. Things can be somewhat fluid in Panama. The last 2 Panama beerfests were in February.
If you drink beer and are in Panama City then, I'd recommend going. I will.
Below is a rating chart of Panama Beers created by RateBeer.com .
According to RateBeer.com, the more reviews a beer receives the more likely its score will increase. This is because they use a weighted mean.
Do you agree with these rankings?You can read each person's review of the beers and add your own voice by going to the source of this chart.
October 25, 2014
Enjoying A Brew In PanamaI like beers with alot of flavor and hops. I am not a lager drinker.
However, the 3 most popular beers in Panama are all largers.
So, to be fair to the Panama beers, I am including other people's beer reviews.
Of course, the only way to find out if you like the Panamanian beer is to come down and drink it yourself.
You can afford to try them all - repeatedly. You can buy a local lager for less than 50 cents.
Okay as you have probably read - or experienced - there are 3 main beers in Panama.
They are all pale lagers.
2 of the beers, Panama and Balboa, both have 4.8% alcohol, compared to 3.8% for Atlas. So if you are looking for a cheaper buzz, buy Panama or Balboa. All 3 beers are about the same price - cheap.
If you are a Budweiser drinker, you will most likely enjoy these beers. Light beers are always better in hot places anyway. Much more refreshing than an ale or stout.
A pale lager with 4.8% alcohol.
This is my favorite Panamanian Lager. It is the only one I drink. I know of another expat in town who feels the same way. However, our opinion is not shared by most people.
Many restaurants and smaller grocery stores do not sell it.
My Balboa-loving friend brings his own Balboa to expat get-togethers because he knows the only beer there will be Atlas or Panama, and maybe Soberano. (I shudder at the thought of Soberano.)
The beer lovers at roamingaroundtheworld.com describe Balboa this way:
"wasn’t much different in taste from the Panama Lager. This watery beer probably had a bit more of the corn flavor and I couldn’t really pick up on any hops. Still it was refreshing at the beach and didn’t have any harsh off-putting tastes."
The non-snob beer review at nonsnobbeer.com says:
"The beer is a little more sweet than Panama, which means you start to notice when you're tired of drinking it."
Localbeerblog.com says
"Balboa is kind of like Atlas's big brother. It's marketed to the young and adventurous as a more "hardcore" option. Balboa has a very similar flavor profile as Atlas, but with just a hint more pale malt flavor and less watered-down. The alcohol content is stronger as well at 4.8%."
"The Balboa" was Panama's first beer. The Panama Brewing & Refrigerating Company made the first bottle in 1910.
A pale lager with 4.8% alcohol.
My opinion: It is okay. Not much flavor. Don't like the after taste. It is my 2nd favorite beer in Panama. I do love that it is called Panama.
roamingaroundtheworld.com describes Panama this way:
"mostly tasteless watery yellow fizzy beer. But there was some corn sweetness, some very slight hop flavors and perhaps even a tad of sour citrus. So I suppose that gives it a slight edge over some of the other similar-styled beers we’ve subjected ourselves to."
The non-snob beer review at nonsnobbeer.com says:
"It's similar to an MGD in the sense of being borderline too-bitter, really light, and marginally flavorful. But it's sure easy to kill ten of these."
Localbeerblog.com says
"Panama (4.8% ABV) is pretty decisively the most well-balanced of the three. There is a touch of spice in the nose, and unlike the other two, we get the slightest bit of hops flavor and bitterness. As far as I can tell from the packaging, Panama does not use any adjuncts. (There's something to be said for Reiheitsgebot.) Panama has also received three consecutive Grand Gold Medals from the Belgium-based quality control group, Monde Selection."
Panama is made by Cerveceria Baru SA in David, Panama. This brewery was created in 1959. The first beer it made was Cristal, a pilsner. 6 months later, in 1960, Cerveceria Baru started making Panama beer. You still see Cristal beer sold, but not often. I think it tastes similar to the Soberano beer. That is, not good at all. In 2002, Heineken bought Cerveceria Baru.
A pale lager with 3.8% alcohol.
It is a terrible beer. It gives me a headache. I cannot think of anything that would make me drink one.
It is the most popular beer in Panama though.
Its taste according to the beer affectionados at roamingaroundtheworld.com:
"although it wasn’t awful, we preferred Panama Lager and Balboa more. Its lower ABV gives it less bang for your buck and a bit more watery than its peers. Nonetheless its still a decent beach beer in the hot sun if you’re looking for something bland to quench your thirst."
Localbeerblog.com declares
"Atlas is the lightest of the three lagers, both in alcohol content (3.8%) and flavor. I detected a bit of corn in the taste, which many large breweries use as an adjunct to try to save some money (it's cheaper than barley). Not a whole lot going on here, but I can see how an ice cold Atlas could be very refreshing in the 100 degree heat of Carnaval"
In 1928, the new Atlantic Brewing and Refrigeration Company started making Panama’s number one
selling Atlas beer.
Too Much Beer Merger
Right before WWII, too much beer was being made in Panama. The market was saturated.
So the 3 breweries at the time (Atlantic Brewing, Panama Brewing, and the Milwaukke Brewering Company) merged to form the Cerveceria National.
In 2005, the SABMiller group, one of the world’s largest brewers, bought Cerveceria Nacional.
In 2010, Cerveceria Nacional became the first brewery to produce Miller Light outside of the United States.
Now there are only 2 macro-breweries in Panama.
Both are owned by large international brewing conglomerates.
You might think the Budweiser you are buying in Panama is imported from the USA.
But you would be wrong. It is made in Panama.
It would be interesting to bring a bottle of each from the States and do a taste comparison.
Depending upon where you are in Panama, you can find true imported beer as well.
In Panama City you can find a large variety of beers from Germany, Belgian, as well as a some from Japan.
Not surprising most beer imports are lighter lagers or pilsners.
Occasionally you can find a heavier import. For instance, you can get Fuller's beer from England. It occasionally finds its way into the Romero in our town of Puerto Armuelles. I like the Fuller ESB. However, in most small towns you can find only panama-made beers.
Beer is cheap in Panama.
Even Cheaper For A Standard Size Bottle of Local Beer - .as low as 30 cents (photo: financesOnline.com)If you buy a bottle of local beer at one of the many beer distribution stores, you can get it for under 30 cents a bottle. But you must return all the bottles. Usually people buy beer by the case at these distribution centers.
You can buy a can at a grocery store for under 50 cents.
The Panama-made import beers are more. It depends upon the store, but it is in the 50 cent to 90 cent range. True imports are much more. Anywhere from $2 to $7 a bottle.
Of course, where you live matters as well. Beer in Panama City is more expensive than in Volcan.
Beer in bars are more expensive as well. But they are often less than $1. Again, depending upon where you go. A beer in the Trump Tower will cost you about $4.
In Part 2, I have included a rating chart of all the beers of Panama. It was created by ratebeer.com.
What is your favorite Panama beer?
Please let me and everyone know in the comments below.
If you are looking to move to Panama, you should check out our property listings.
Sources:
October 10, 2014
The President made his announcement at the banana plantations outside of Puerto Armuelles.
He spoke to a crowd of banana workers, the press, and to local government employees. The workers were all given the day off in order to drive out to the banana plantations and lend their support.
The Presient shared the news that Chiquta Brands has signed a lease for 1,700 hectares of banana plantations in Puerto Armuelles.
Chiquita is actually leasing the very same banana plantations that it originally created from scratch back in the late 1920s.
It would be interesting to discover what the old-timers at Chiquita think about that.
Reactivation of the banana plantations is to begin immediately, with an initial investment of $37 million.
The goal of this first investment is to bring those 1,700 hectares of the original Chiquita Plantations back into production.
President Varela asserted that as many as 1,200 new jobs would be created by this startup investment.
Of course, the President didn't mention the $19 million debt owed by the banana cooperative, Coosemupar, for the lease of these lands. That is something that will need to be resolved before banana production can go into full swing.
However, talks with Social Security Fund (CSS) and other relevant agencies have been underway for years now. Hopefully it can be truly resolved soon.
In addition, the President didn't mention who else will be leasing its plantation lands. There is a total of 3,176 hectares in the area that the government will be renting out.
Who will be leasing the other 1,476 hectares? What will those lands be used for?
As many readers may already know, Chiquita Brands, formerly known as the United Fruit Company (and more often referred to as Chiquita Banana) has had a long and prosperous relationship with Puerto Armuelles.
Chiquita literally built the historic beach town of Puerto Armuelles.
Unfortunately for Chiquita, and for Puerto Armuelles, opportunistic labor union lawyers colluded in a long series of strikes which culminated in Chiquita being
forced to pull out of Puerto in 2000.
The good news didn't end there.
Varela went on to say that the long awaited multi‐use port facility for Puerto Armuelles is also in the works.
The port would serve container ships, and add long-term viability to Puerto Armuelles as the Port City "at the other end of Panama".
(Puerto Armuelles is located on the Pacific Ocean, near the Costa Rica Border. In fact, you can walk to Costa Rica from Puerto Armuelles in an hour or two.)
The near completion of the new four‐lane highway from the border town of Paso Canoas 34 kilometers south to Puerto Armuelles certainly adds credibility to President Varela's grand
proclamations.
Highway crews have been forming concrete and pouring asphalt for the past year and a half.
This past week saw the installation of eight huge post‐tensioned concrete beams that form the support structure for the newly widened bridge over the San Bartolo River just north of Puerto Armuelles.
As part of his vision for Puerto Armuelles, President Varela talked about funding to complete the highway beyond Puerto Armuelles to Punta Burica.
He wants to help develop the infant tourist economy of such costal towns as Limones, Balsas, and Bella Vista.
The Mayor Of Puerto Armuelles, Franklin Valdez, also spoke.
He assured the crowd that one of his administration's top priorities was to reconstruct the town's basic sanitation infrastructure.
Much of this system dates back 70 years and the early days of Chiquita's reign in Puerto Armuelles.
In parts of town, you can see the aging of the system first hand, and sometimes by smell.
Do you like Mamon Chinos? In Asia they are called Rambutons.
Do you like the yellow or the red ones better?
Watch & listen to what my family thinks.
[leadplayer_vid id="542785E60C406"]
Do you like Mamon Chinos? (that is, Chinese Mamon).
Please comment below.
Got A Traffic In Chiriqui? Pay it at this office (Now at a new location in David! Plaza Mas La Riviera)However, you can have someone pay it for you. We have done that for people with no issues.
This is a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. Fine: $75. On the back are phone numbers for each Province's transit officeFor most traffic tickets, you have 30 days to pay it before you start accruing late fines. Thankfully, the initial fines are pretty reasonable (10%). But they do continue to go up over time.
However, some traffic violations, such as using a cellular phone while driving, must be paid within 48 hours. It should say on the ticket how long you have to pay.
You pay all traffic tickets at one of Panama's ATTT or Sertracen offices. Sometimes ATTT and Sertracen share the same location. (Sertracen is Panama's DMV and ATTT stands for Autoridad del Transito y Transporte Terrestre).
You should pay the ticket in the province in which it was issued.
Keep in mind, the websites are not always updated. For instance, the ATTT website still lists the Chiriqui Mall as David's ATTT location. But they are likely more up-to-date than the information on the back of the ticket.
The new location to pay your traffic ticket is in Plaza Mas La Riviera. Use WAZE (or other GPS app) for directions. The map above will give you a sense of what part of town it is located.To pay any traffic ticket you get in the Chiriqui Province, go to the Plaza Mas La Riviera in David (see map).
Plaza Mas La Riviera is a new shopping complex. It is home to a large Cochez building supply store (with it's bright yellow sign), a large Romeros supermarket, a Dominos pizza, an expansive parking lot, and more.
(NOTE: David's ATTT office is no longer at Chiriqui Mall, you must go to the new location at Plaza Mas La Rivera)
Your best bet is to use WAZE (or other GPS app) to find your way to Plaza Mas La Riviera in David.
It is not located on one of the more commonly driven roads. Although, I think with this and other developments on the way, it is sure to be more frequently traveled.
To give you a sense of where it is located in David, I have posted an annotated Google Map above.
I handed my ticket to the woman in pink.Regardless of the location at which you pay your ticket, the procedures are basically the same.
What to Bring With You
They won't always ask for your ID, but they might. Plus they will require your passport or cedula if the citation number is illegible.
If you are paying someone's ticket for them, a photocopy or photo on your phone of the person's ID will suffice.
Once you are at the ATTT or Sertracen office, hand your ticket to one of the women behind the counter. (Yes, 99% of the time it is a woman).
(Note: all photos in this post are of the former David location in Chiriqui Mall.)
She will stamp it and handed you a payment coupon.
Pay in cash. Reyn's ticket was $75 for driving without a seatbelt.With this coupon in hand, go to the payment window (Caja). Pay the ticket in cash.
Now your ticket is paid! Congrats.
Make sure you get a receipt showing your payment.
I recommend keeping your receipt for a while in case there is any problem with your payment being recorded.
If you have a Panamanian Driver's License, you can check online to see if you have an outstanding ticket.
You can also make sure any payment was correctly recorded.
To find out about your past and current tickets, go to ATTT's site at www.licencia.com.pa/historial/.
Once on that page, select your ID type (cedula or passporte), put in that ID's number, and finally your "Número de control " which is printed vertically on the right-hand edge of your driver's license.
Your ticket info, past and current, will come up immediately. It also displays how many points, if any, your license currently has.
You can protest your ticket.
A while ago, my husband got a speeding ticket, however, he was positive he had not been speeding.
He decided to protest it.
The long line to pay the ticket may have influenced his decision to protest it.
It must have been right after payday. Because it seemed like everyone and their brother was in the office paying tickets that day. (The photos on this page are NOT from that busy day)
My husband didn't have to leave the office to register his protest. He had to talk to a different person in the office and fill out some paperwork describing the incident.
It was supposed to take 1 month to get a resolution. However, he was told that it was his responsibility to check back. There was no guarantee the office would contact him.
He had to pay the ticket within, I think, 5 days once the decision was made.
My husband went back 2 months later to check on its status. No decision had been made.
My husband decided to pay the ticket while he was in the office. The ticket was $50.
He determined that it wasn't worth coming back to check on the status of his protest, especially since he would be fined if he didn't pay within 5 days a decision. (Assuming, of course, that he would lose his protest.)
Something to consider before you decide to protest a ticket. Of course, that was before you could check online about the status of your ticket. Being able to check online definitely makes it easier.
The More Touristy The Town The More It Costs. Your Choices Matter Too (e.g., A 25 cent sno-cone vs a 75 cent soda)
The higher costs of Panama City seem to radiate out. The costs of Coronado and El Valle, which are both fairly close to Panama City, are significantly higher than Boquete's, which is much further away from Panama City.
You should know that Coronado and El Valle have been the playground of wealthy Panamanians for generations.
Typically, a wealthy family will live in Panama City. But also own a beach place in Coronado and a place up in the cool mountain air of El Valle. So El Valle and Coronado have always had more of a resort or vacation town feel.
While Boquete, until about 15 -20 years ago, was a simple agricultural town.
You Can Buy Your Favorite Brands In Coronado
Coronado is on the Pacific Ocean about a 1 hour drive from Panama City.
Coronado is a very easy entry point for expats. It is all ready to go with many of the amenities you are used to easily available. You will love Coronado if that is what you want. You will hate it if you want to move to Panama to live "with the peoples" and have a different-from-home lifestyle.
The town is gated. You must be okayed to go through. I'm not sure what qualifies as being okay. Last time I went, which was awhile ago, I don't recall the gate being manned.
We have never stayed in Coronado. When we drove through, it seemed like a ghost town. Lots of empty houses. We found it hard to find a way onto the beach. Of course, we were there in the off-season.
Another Panama site, PanamaForReal.com, did a post describing Coronado. Chris, the author, stayed in Coronado for a few days. His impression is of a much more vibrant town. You can see it here.
Costs in Coronado are similar to costs in Panama City. Coronado presents many of the same temptations to spend money that Panama City does. Plus, it is only one hour from Panama City.
Some people report that the overall atmosphere is full relaxation & indulging the senses.
Coronado many ways to spend money
Of course, you can spend less. But if that is your goal I would suggest living some where else. Somewhere that you won't be surrounded by so many opportunities to spend more.
El Valle Is A Good Place To Cool Off
El Valle, as the name states, is in a valley. It is at 3,000 feet and about 2 hours from Panama City.
It is a quiet town that comes alive on Sundays. On Sundays El Valle has a very popular market. Unlike most markets in Panama, this one features Panamanian handicrafts.
Cost of living in El Valle is less than in Panama City. For instance you can hire a maid for less and housing can be, but is not necessarily less. You will also not need to use your AC much, if at all.
I have read reports that the cost of living in El Valle is $3000 a month, but looking at costs it seems like you could comfortably live there for less than that.
I am more familiar with Boquete than with El Valle or Coronado. I go up there
Boquete is cooler, rainier, and getting more expensive
occasionally. I was just there 2 weeks ago to go zip-lining for my daughter's 13th birthday. It was a blast. They had added 2 new lines since we were there last.
Every time I go to Boquete it has more things to do both for tourists and ex-pat residents.
The influx of foreigners has made Boquete more expensive than other towns in Chiriqui.
However, if you don't have to pay rent or a mortgage you can still live there comfortably for about $1600 a month.
One of the biggest costs you will have is housing.
I am only going to examine rents here, not homeownership.
Typically, if you buy, you will pay in one lump sum, or maybe over 2 - 3 years. Which means, once you have paid for your home, your monthly cost of living will be much less. You, of course, will still need to pay utilities.
Also, if your house is titled, you will also need to pay property taxes. Property taxes are low, a maximum of 2.1% of the value of the property. Usually that means 2% of what you paid for the property. Of course, if you qualify for the tax exemption, you won't need to pay that either.
Boquete Seems Like A Bargain, But David is Cheaper
In Coronado, rents can be quite high - $1000 to $5000 a month.
I am assuming that most of you reading this are not going to be springing for the $5000 month rental. The fully furnished condo, right on the beach, with pool, sauna, for $2000 month seems like a pretty luxurious option.
To get a reasonable cost of living estimate, I am assuming both a maximum and minimum costs
To check out the rental prices in Coronado, click this compreoalquile.com link.
Compared to Coronado, Boquete is a bargain with rents from $600 to $1800 a month. You can look at Boquete rental prices here.
When I looked there were only 2 rentals listed in El Valle. One with a 6 month lease, was $1000 a month. There was also a house for $2500 a month. You may find more rental options in El Valle, when you click this rental listing link.
People chose to live in these "more expensive" places for a number of reasons.
Of course, towns with lots of expats are not for everyone.
If not, you can choose a town in which expats live, but not in overwhelming numbers.
For instance, Volcan or Puerto Armuelles. Or you can choose a place that is completely off grid.
There are plenty of places well off-the-beaten-path in Panama.
Below I have a line item cost of living charts for each of these 3 towns. Use these as a jumping off point for your own calculations.
As you will see some items like internet, cable, water and garbage are basically the same where ever you are. It is mostly food, entertainment and housing that vary.
Keep in mind that if you will buy your house without a mortgage you will have a much lower monthly budget in Panama.
Updated: July 4, 2017
In this post, I describe many aspects of driving in Panama
The roads are generally well maintained and there aren't usually alot of other cars on the road.
The exception is Panama City. (Also, driving to Almirante, more on that later)
Driving in a big and unfamiliar city is always daunting. And Panama City with all its traffic, pedestrians, erratic taxis, and vendors can be a scary place to drive.
We never used to drive in Panama City. Now we feel more comfortable driving there. The WAZE app has help us feel much more confident driving here. We can now find our way from place to place in the city easily.
We used to ask a taxi if we could follow them to our destination. Keep that option in mind if you find yourself lost when driving in Panama City. Taxis are happy to do it, for the price of a fare, of course.
Typically, even now that we are experienced, we park our car at our hotel and leave it there til we leave. In the city we take taxis, uber, and the subway. You might want to do the same, especially at first, in Panama City.
Timing is critical if you plan to drive into or out of Panama City. You will be stuck in unholy traffic if you attempt to travel across the Punte de las Americas (the bridge linking Panama City to the Inter-Americana) during rush hour. Many workers live outside the city and commute into their jobs every day.
On major holidays, Panama City empties as everyone goes back to their hometowns to celebrate. When the traffic gets very bad, the police transform parts of the Inter-Americana & other impacted roads from 2 way roads into one-way roads.
At the start of the holiday, the Inter-Americana near Panama City will at times only go one way. That is, one way going west, out of Panama City. At the end of the holiday, it is reversed. The Inter-Americana near Panama City will turn into a one-way road going east, into Panama City.
For more about holidays in Panama read this post
While it can be stressful to drive in Panama City, that stress is caused by the traffic, lack of street signs, and general difficulties navigating the city. While the mountainous stretches of road from David to Almirante can be dangerous. This because cars tend to make use of the on-coming traffic's lane when going around curves. Usually this is not an issue since there is not much traffic on the road. However, it can be heart stopping.
Just yesterday, we were driving back from Bocas. We went around a curve to see 2 semis coming toward us. They were neck and neck. One in each lane of this 2 lane road. Thankfully, the semi in our lane made it into his lane before we collided, but it did take our breath away. In that case, it was the semi passing another semi, not a car making generous use of both lanes when taking a turn.
We have driven this road many times, and that was our most scary drive. And we will go again. But you should be aware of the danger. Use caution going around blind turns. Be aware that cars will also swerve to avoid pot holes. Also there can be fog in the highest elevations of this road. On the plus side, the views and scenery on the drive are quite beautiful
Keep in mind that there are few services along the way, so make sure you have a full tank of gas for the drive. If you are going to be catching a passenger ferry in Almirante to Bocas, be aware that the last one leaves at 6pm, so make it there before then.
The WAZE App
I highly recommend that you download the WAZE app onto your smart phone before you come to Panama.
It is useful both in Panama City, and throughout Panama. I believe it is the most useful navigation app to use in Panama. It will even give you a heads up when there are police with radar guns (hidden or visible) on the road. It tells you the current speed limit, and what speed you are traveling at.
I use the WAZE app in the US as well. An excellent app that is very easy to set up and use.
Keep these driving rules in mind in Panama.
You Must Carry
If you drive across Panama, will encounter police check points and you should be ready to show your ID and/or license. I talk more about these checkpoints below.
By law you are also supposed to carry these in your car
I have never heard of anyone being asked for either an accident form or driver's manual. We have never had them in our car.
It is against the law to drink and drive in Panama. I believe the allowable blood alcohol content for driving in Panama is zero. There is not alot of public pressure against drinking and driving.
If you are caught drinking and driving, you will be fined and may have your vehicle retained. I have seen drunk driving check points a few times during some hard-drinking holidays. But such check points are not common.
However, years ago while I was driving through Paso Canoas, an obviously drunken driver suddenly appeared in front of me. Surprisingly a police car immediately pulled it over. A very pleasant surprise.
The speed limits on the Inter-Americana change often. There are not many speed limit signs so you may miss the change.
In general, if you are going through an area with a noticeable increase in the number of houses and/or store fronts, assume the speed limit has dropped. The maximum speed on the InterAmericana is 100 kilometers an hour (i.e., 62 mph). The speed limit through more densely inhabited sections of the road can go down to 60 kilometers an hour. In other areas, the speed limit drops to 80 kilometer an hour. The changes don't always make sense.
It is yet another reason to download the WAZE app. It displays the current speed limit and indicates the whether you are traveling above that limit.
Getting Out of a Speeding Ticket
If you are stopped for speeding, please don't try to bribe the officer not to give you a ticket. Even if it works, you are simply encouraging that officer to stop more foreigners, whether they are speeding or not. Plus, in my opinion, it just makes the whole Panama experience seem a bit yucky. Just pay the ticket. (See below for link on how to do that.)
You can of course, protest the accuracy of the radar gun. Just the other day we were stopped for speeding. However, my husband had just been looking at the speedometer so he knew he was well under the speed limit. He denied that he was speeding, and the cop said okay and told him to drive off. It looked to us like the officer was still figuring out how to use the radar gun.
I have heard some people suggest telling the cop that you will protest the ticket in court. Since he or she will then have to appear in court, perhaps the officer will decide not to give you the ticket. We tried it once, and the police officer just looked at my husband and gave him the ticket.
Flashing Lights
It is the custom in Panama for other drivers to warn you of upcoming police speed traps by flashing their headlights. If someone flashes their headlights at you, especially during the day, slow down! There is a cop with a radar gun ahead. It is a very friendly and helpful costume.
If you do get ticket, learn how to pay a traffic ticket in Panama's Chiriqui Province.
If you are on a tourist visa, you can only drive for 3 months - even if you have a 6 month tourist visa. You cannot legally drive for longer than the first 3 months of your tourist visa.
A tourist used to be able to renew his or her visa quickly by checking out and back into the country, but no longer. Read about new rules for Panama Tourist visas.
Because Puerto Armuelles is so close to the Costa Rica border, we have alot of experience with the custom police (Adunas) check points.
There is one checkpoint between Puerto and the Frontera (the border town of Pasa Canoas). And one between the Frontera and David.
The reason for the checkpoints is not to catch expats with expired visas. They want to catch criminals, drug smugglers, and other such.
Most of the time the Police say, "Buenas" and wave you through. They may do a brief visual check of your car.
When they do ask for documents, usually they only check the passport/cedula of the driver. Sometimes they ask to see the driver's license. Occasionally they will ask to see everyone's passport.
They will look for your entry stamp to make sure your visa is still good.
My husband swears that if you wear sunglasses while at the check point, they never ask to see your passport.
Assume everyone on the road is 17 years old. That is, a new driver.
You just never know what another driver will do in a tight spot. I have now realized how much most of us picked up about driving while in the back seat as kids. It seeped in.
Many people here are the first generation in the family to drive.
Driver's education is not required in Panama. Most people learn by driving. On the same road you are driving on. Everyone must pass both a written and driving test to get a drivers license.
In general the rules of the road are same as in the US. However, although the rules may be the same, what people actually do can be different. For instance, there is no consensus on how to use turn signals or emergency blinkers. Often people will put on their left turn blinkers when they are moving to the right side of the road. This is can be an helpful thing to remember.
Also keep in mind that taxis will stop to pick people up, whenever and where ever. They will come to a careening stop, sometimes in the middle of the road. Be prepared. Expect erratic behavior.
There are all sorts of regulations about what you should do in the case of an accident. For instance, neither car is suppose to be moved until the transit police arrive. It can take hours for them to arrive. For more information on what the law requires see this post in Chiriqui Chatter.
Obviously, you want to avoid being in an accident. We have been in 3 small fender benders over the years. Neither party felt compelled to call the police over a dent we didn't care about. We were all fine with just moving on with our days. All without repercussions.
The Police Helped My Friend
An expat friend of mine was sideswiped by a bus here in Puerto Armuelles. It damaged the passenger side of her truck. The bus just kept going. She was not even sure that the bus noticed the accident.
It happened near the police station here in Puerto Armuelles. She went into the police station in a fury. The police tracked down the bus (the bus station is down the street). The police then took my expat friend and the driver to a body repair shop and the driver paid for it.
A car accident in Panama is not necessarily a tragedy. But it can be. It all depends upon who is involved and the damage done.
In Panama, there is no such thing as a no fault accident. Someone is assumed to be at fault. Most likely, as the foreigner, it is you. If a person is hurt in the accident, you and/or your auto insurance will be paying. The owner of the car and the driver, if not the same person, are considered equally liable.
If it looks like the other party thinks you are at fault and wants you to pay, you may just want to do that. Assuming it is a reasonable amount of money and no one was injured in the accident. Once the transit police arrive, no matter whose fault it is, it will take a long time to resolve.
If the worst happens and someone dies, that is simply a tragedy. No matter why it happened or who was at fault.
But putting that aside, lets look at the legal aspects and liability. In general, it is assumed that, if you are not the one who died, then it is your fault. A long court case can ensue. In the likely event that you are found guilty, you are responsible for all that person's lost earnings, medical bills, etc. Even if everyone knows it was not your fault.
Some people install a movie camera on their dashboard to record an accident as it happens. Then fault can be correctly assigned.
To increase the odds of such a tragedy never happening to me, I never drive at night here if I can help it. Too many people walk and bike in dark clothes. Although, more and more people are wearing reflective vests when biking at night.
The rules of the road are similar to those in North America. But not everyone knows those rules.
In most places there are no traffic jams, or much traffic at all. It is easy to be safe while driving - if you assume that a driver could act erratically at any time.
The exception, as I said, is Panama City and increasingly in David. The traffic in those places makes driving a little more dicey. We drive in David, but we mostly take taxis in Panama City.
Driving to Puerto Armuelles? Get directions to Puerto Armuelles.
With vital tidbits along the way, like
Over the last 8 years, our family has always gotten by with our truck. A 1999 Mitsubishi L-200 four door pickup truck.
The truck has proven to be a reliable work truck. I call it my burro. It has also been "just bearable" for our trips to David, Panama City, and Bocas del Toro.
However, as the truck has aged, it has become less and less "bearable" for longer trips. Also my wife needed another car so she didn't feel trapped at home. I often take the truck to work on projects and to surf.
Because of this and that, I am often gone much longer than I predicted. To keep our
marriage a happy one, it was clear we needed to buy another car.
We wanted to buy a used car. We had purchased our truck used and it worked out well.
We bought if from a guy in David, Panama who sold cars from out of his front yard. That was 8 years ago. He is still there, so is his house, but his front yard has grown into an official used car lot. I'm glad he is doing well, but...
This time we wanted to cut out the middleman and buy directly from the car owner.
We did this so we could get 2 things
Like other places, in Panama, the sales price of a car is lower if you buy directly from an owner, rather than a car dealer.
We also wanted to find out how, and if, the car had been well maintained. It is much harder to get a full history of a car from a dealer – especially a story you can trust.
Review of Prior Maintenance Is Critical
How well a car has been maintained is a critical consideration in Panama.
Cars are often not well maintained here. It is very common to find shoddy repair work, oil not changed regularly, and the like.
Many cars on the road in Panama are owned by first time car owners. Often no one in the family has ever owned a car before. They may not even know you need change the oil – ever.
Ease & Cost of Repairs
Look around. See what cars you see on the road in Panama.
Notice the ones you see alot of. Those are the cars that local mechanics know how to fix. Those are the cars with easy to find parts.
The 3 best selling car brands in Panama (2013)
The 3 most popular model
(Thanks to Matt at bestsellingcarsblog.com for that information)
Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Suzuki cars & trucks are also commonly seen on the road in Panama.
If you decide to bring your car to Panama, make sure it isn't going to be a maintenance nightmare with no one who knows how to fix your car or where to get the parts.
Our Car Decision
We decided on the car we wanted before we started searching the classifieds. This made the whole car buying experience much easier and less time consuming.
We wanted a 2011 or 2012 Toyota RAV4 with under 50K kilometers.
Toyota is very popular and highly valued brand in Panama. Which means the car also has a good resale value. The Toyota RAV4 has great reviews and it is the right size for our family. My wife was disappointed that in Panama the RAV4 does not include the 3rd seat row option, but it still is a good choice for our small family.
Also, we figured if we bought a newer car, not older than 2011, the issue of deferred maintenance wouldn’t be a major consideration.
Plus we simply wanted a newer, nice looking car. We were weary of taking long trips in our rattle-trap of a truck.
Ideally we wanted to find someone who had serviced the car exclusively at Ricardo Perez.
Ricardo Perez is Panama’s one and only Toyota dealer. He has car lots and repair shops throughout the country. I imagine that Mr. Perez must be very connected to have won an exclusive contract with Toyota.
Ricardo Perez has a centralized computer system which records each car’s service visits to any of its service stations. You can request a print out of all the work done a specific car. Also, their mechanics seem to be better trained and to do higher quality repairs.
We did look at a number of used car lots while we were in Panama City. But we did not find the car we were looking for.
I have heard good things about Patel Autos. P.S in Panama City. You may want to check them out: their website.
We found the best place to look for cars is on encuentra24.com. New ads seem to be added daily.
There was no shortage of ads for our model. But the prices were all over the place.
I think there are 2 reasons the asking price varies so much.
In our searches of the internet, we noticed that a number of cars in nearly new condition with low mileage had been listed on Encuentra24 for a month or more. This made us nervous until we considered all the whys.
If one thinks about it for a minute, it only stands to reason.
The number of buyers who can afford and want to buy a "nearly new" car for $10-$20,000 is very limited.
Although Panama is leading the way among Latin American countries in creating a viable middle class, the country still has a long way to go.
The RAV 4 that we purchased was the first that we looked at.
A 2011 with 29,000 kms, asking price: $15,000, Being sold by the original owner.
It was purchased at the Ricardo Perez Toyota Dealership. All of its service was done by the dealership.
I read somewhere that when you buy a used car, you are not "interviewing" the car so much as you are "interviewing" the sellers. 'If you don't trust, or like the seller, don't buy the car.'
If you have some common ground with the seller, you will be able to relate with, and understand their needs and desires, and thus their true reason for selling, and their manner of treating their car, even in the absence of a service record.
In our case, the sellers were from Venezuela. Like many Venezuelans of means, they had opted to leave their native country, because of the danger there. They had been attacked and robbed in their home. They were very fortunate that no one in the family was permanently injured during the violent break in.
The husband, Antonio, went to graduate school in the U.S.. He spoke English very well, His wife didn't speak English as well, but she could converse. We chatted in both English and in Spanish.
We swapped stories about Autumn leaves in Vermont, life in New York City, etc... Coincidentally, they had also traveled to Japan for a job interview. Since I had worked in Japan, we could also connect on that topic. We both have young children....anyway, we felt very comfortable with this couple. We liked them.
As far as the car sale was concerned, they said that they needed a car with a third row of seats, so that they could go to their son's traditional dance performances and have room for their two children, as well as the grand parents. The story made perfect sense. We own a mini van in the states, and we know how convenient a third row of seats is for car pooling a bunch of kids to their various activities.
The husband, Antonio, a very nice man, clearly prided himself on taking excellent care of the family cars. His car is a Toyota HiLux. It was clear how much he loved his truck. His wife just shook her head over it. (FYI Toyota HiLux is what the Toyota Tacoma is called in central America.). It was clear that he was a fastidious and careful man. He valued buying the best, and then taking immaculate care of it.
This is just the sort of seller we had hoped to meet. Later, I got to ride in Antonio's perfect HiLux. If I were ever in the market for a Hilux, I would certainly want to know if Antonio were ready to sell his.
The four of us took it in to Ricardo Perez for an inspection. We went to the Ricardo Perez Express site near the Albrook Mall.
The mechanic gave us a new printout of all service checks (basically just oil changes). The print out matched the service record that the sellers had shown us.
We also had them inspect and evaluate the car, including a full computer analysis.
Cost $130
The inspection revealed a great car.
We made an offer and we quickly agreed upon a price. We were happy to find out later that the sales price was under the Blue Book value for the car.
However, this is unusual, cars in Panama are usually the same or higher price than in the USA.
That was on a Saturday.
Sunday we hired a taxi for a driving tour of the city. There was very little traffic, since it was Sunday. We ended up at our favorite cafe in the Casco Viejo, the Tantalo
Early Monday morning I went to my bank to get a cashier's check for the agreed upon price. (Also on Monday, thinking the paperwork might take a few days, my wife flew home to our children.)
Antonio (the owner) picked me up to go on the rounds to transfer ownership of the car to me.
Any person you buy the car from will do the same for you. Both owners, old and new, must be present to sign all the documents. It only took about 2 hours to get it all done.
They keep the insurance on the car for one week to give us time to get it. More about insurance below.
The couple ("Antonio and Carolina") who sold us the car have encouraged us to come for a visit, and to contact them if we ever "need any help" of any kind. In turn, we have invited them and their children to stay with our family if they are ever near Puerto Armuelles.
Both they and we agreed that the car purchase and sale was a pleasure for all of us. We feel as if we have made new friends.
Most of the cars, like most of the people in Panama, are in Panama City. We could have a good car in David. However, prices in Panama City were ~$2000 less for a comparable car. Plus all the cars we were interested in were in Panama City.
My wife and I decided to make a romantic weekend out of it too. We left the kids at home with a friend. We even flew to Panama City. It was fun & very fast to fly.
Call and make an appointment to see the car.
While you are at it, do alittle pre-interview on the phone.
We called about 2 cars we wanted to see on Saturday. One guys seemed alittle squirrelly in his answers to our questions. He seemed like he might be a car dealer pretending that his wife was the owner. We saw that he had other cars listed for sale on encuentra24 as well. The other owner seemed to be a better choice. We put off the questionable "owner" for later, if ever, in the day. It turns out we never did see that car.
Note: As in the states, we assumed that the weekend would be the best time to car shop, since more sellers would be available to show cars.
Our Tour of Car lots
Just for a quick comparison & to see if we were missing anything, we decided to stop in at some car lots. We went to:
- The auto transistmica, a 5 block area with a lot of used car lots.
- Ricardo Perezes' used car lot
- We went one other place, but it is a blur in my mind now.
Only one lot we visited had a newer Toyota RAV4, but looked trashed. The RAV4s at Ricardo Perez used lot were a lot more expensive than similar prices on encuentra24.
Given our experiences at the car lots, we were very happy to be dealing with car owners, not salespeople.
Chat with the owners. Ask about themselves, why they are selling the car. Ask about issues with the car. How they maintained it, if it has been in an accident, etc..
Get to know them alittle. Do they seem like fine people with a plausible reason for selling the car?
We accompanied the sellers to have it inspected. We went to the Ricardo Perez Express, which is close to Albrook Mall.
Even if the car does not have any connection to Ricardo Perez for you to ask them to do a car inspection.
Our inspection cost $130.
Once you agree upon the price, the typical way to pay for it is a cashier's check. It is called a Cheque de Gerencia. Remember, don't give the owner the check until you have transfer ownership.
You cannot get the deals on a car here that you can sometimes get in the States.
- New car prices are 25% higher in Panama. Think import taxes, etc..
- There are very few bargains on older cars. My wife bought her first car for $50 and it ran for 3 years (Okay it was a Ford Pinto, but still.) Old cars here are almost never in good shape. They are just not well-maintained.
Any person you buy the car from will take you on the rounds of all the required offices. Both owners, old and new, must be present to sign all the documents to transfer ownership.
The tour of the offices took us only 2 hours.
A friend of ours did the same office tour last year and it took days. It depends on both how effefient your seller is and the time of the month that buy your car. As I discuss below, do not go at the end of the month.
The car is now yours, but it is registered in Panama City.
This isn't a problem, unless you don't want to renew the registration in Panama City every year.
If you want to transfer it to another city you must go back to Panama City just before your registration expires. You do not need to bring the car. But you (or someone who is acting on your behalf) must visit city hall and get the documents necessary to transfer it to your city. You then must take the to the city hall in your city and both transfer the office and go through the registration renewal process.
Our car purchase took place near the beginning of the month. If it had been closer to the end of the month, especially the last day of the month (any month) the lines in the municipio and the ATT would have been much, much longer. Generally people come into pay car registration, taxes at the end or middle of the month. That is when people have the funds. Both paychecks and social security checks are issued then.
Panamanians, even more so than North Americans, are notorious for living paycheck to paycheck. Thus, you will see far longer lines at the grocery, hardware store, cell phone store, etc....right after payday, which is generally the middle and the end of each month.
Car insurance is the law in Panama.
I highly recommend that you at least get the minimum liability insurance required by law.
The cost is usually ~ $100 a year.
Related topics
Find out whether to ship your car to Panama
