Travel Facts

Visas: Every visitor needs a valid passport and an onward ticket to enter Panama, but further requirements vary from country to country and occasionally change. UK, Germany and Switzerland citizens and many other nationalities need only a passport, while people from Japan, New Zealand, USA, Venezuela and more need a tourist visa or tourist card (US$5) as well. Contact an embassy or consulate for current details.

Health risks: Dengue fever, hantavirus (Los Santos province), malaria, rabies and yellow fever

Time: GMT/UTC minus 5 hours

Electricity: Variable - either 110V or 220V

Weights & measures: Metric

When To Go

Panama's tourist season is during the dry season from around mid-December to mid-April. The weather can be hot and steamy in the lowlands during the rainy season, when the humidity makes the heat more oppressive than otherwise. Rain in Panama tends to come in sudden short downpours that freshen the air and are followed by sunshine. If you'll be doing any long, strenous hiking, the dry season is the most comfortable time to do it; the Darién Gap can be crossed only at this time.

If you like to party, try to be in Panama City or on the Península de Azuero for Carnaval, held each year on the weekend before Ash Wednesday. Panama City's Carnaval celebration is one of the world's largest.

Events

Carnaval is celebrated over the four days preceding Ash Wednesday and involves music, dancing and a big parade on Shrove Tuesday. The celebrations in Panama City and Las Tablas are the most festive. The Semana Santa (Easter Week) celebrations at Villa de Los Santos, on the Península de Azuero, are equally renowned. The Festival of the Black Christ at Portobelo on October 21 includes a parade of the famous life-size statue of the Black Christ, and attracts pilgrims from all over the country.