How to spend your leisure time in Panama

Local and international cuisine in Panama City

If we start in Panama City, and evening pursuits, first of all, there are plenty of restaurants serving food of all styles and nationalities, including some very good Italian places where you can be forgiven for forgetting you're in Central America. In a shady street in the capital with the aromas of European cuisine wafting from the kitchen and a glass of prosecco, a bottle of Chianti or a nice pure chilled mineral water on the go, you could be almost anywhere.

You're more likely to enjoy the local specialities during the day than in the evening. However, if you do develop a taste for plantain, tortillas, bollos (heavy cornmeal dumplings) and stews, there will always be somewhere nearby to satisfy that craving.

As you barrel along the highway that leads to and from north America, you will see the flashing signs of local, Peruvian, Chinese and Italian restaurants, as well as of fast-food chains, such as Pio Pio, the Central American take on fried chicken. There are branches of McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy's, but the local versions cover the same bases with the added attraction of trying something new.

Good to know:

Don't leave it until too late to have lunch, because restaurants tend to buy fresh every morning, and once it's gone, it's gone.

Alcoholic beverages in Panama city

You'll find Irish pubs serving the kind of wholesome Irish/British fare they do all over the world -- especially in the cities.

Panamanian beer is cheap and more than acceptable, while the national drink is a kind of sugar cane spirit akin to rum, called Seco Herrerano. The local rums include the very popular golden brown Abuelo, and Canalero, which may be cheap but has an intriguing taste of Scotch whisky about it.

You won't be bombarded by Panamanian wine because they don't produce it, but the Chilean names are everywhere. Look for the national chain of high-class wine shops, Felipe Motta, where you can find pretty much anything you want, from Californian Merlot to heavy Italian reds, rich Spanish flavours and delicate French Beaujolais.

Sightseeing and natural beauty in Panama

But there is more to life than eating and drinking, and for the visitor or the recently arrived, sightseeing is not just a way to pass the time but to learn about the country.

Everyone who visits Panama will want to see the canal, that triumph of imagination and engineering that revolutionised sea travel in the region by making it possible to sneak through a man-made, water-filled alley from the Atlantic to the Pacific rather than making a long voyage around a continent.

The story of the canal's construction is one of hardship, hard labour and risk before the glorious day of completion.

The French started it in 1881 but gave up when it became apparent it was an arduous, lengthy task in which people were losing their lives. Soon after, the USA picked up the idea and brought it to fruition in 1914, with a huge amount of local assistance and expertise. There are organised tours during which you will be given the full lowdown.

Tours and trips are also available to national parks and other places of interest, and ecotourism is a niche market here. If you're based in Panama City, a trip to the island of Taboga makes a nice little getaway. A short boat ride will take you to a peaceful place with sandy beaches, and a variety of small restaurants serving fresh fish.

As for the rest of the country's beaches, there are plenty of them per square mile because of Panama's shape and location, and the privilege is that you get the choice of both the Pacific and the Caribbean. You'll find endless opportunities for surfing, kayaking and other watersports.

The culture lover will find theatres in the capital and small ones elsewhere, and music is everywhere, as the Spanish vocals and intense rhythms are throbbing from passing cars and buses.

Useful link:

Visit Panama