Advice needed on how to go around Panama to discover all the Areas?

Hola,
We visited twice before moving to Pedasí, Panama permanently a year ago. The first time, we traveled by bus, taxi, and rented a car in Chitre, depending on where we were staying. The 2nd time we rented a car at the airport and traveled all over Panama so we could decide where we preferred to move to. But there are lots of buses that can take you to the interior, even small vans that travel to some of the smallest towns. If you stay in Panama City, a shuttle to your hotel, taxis, buses, and the metro will get you just about anywhere you want to go. If you plan to go by bus, get a shuttle to the main terminal at Albrook Mall and there are even nice express buses to certain cities such as David, Las Tablas, etc. You can find some schedules at: thebusschedule.com or horariodebuses.com. You can also fly to David, Bocas del Toro, and even Pedasi from the airport near Albrook. Definitely try to explore on your own instead of package tours.
As far as renting vs. buying, we decided to rent so we could be free to move around if we so choose. Rents vary depending on where you decided to live and what you are looking for in accommodations. They are usually higher near the beaches and Panama City. You can find postings on Craigslist and Encuenta.com, but once you decide what area you want to live in, it is best to just ask or drive around to see. The two rentals we have been were through people we met on our visits or after we moved.
Hope this info helps a little. ¡Buena suerte!
Connie

What kind of living conditions do you think you want? City? Country? beach? mountains? near expats or not? Not knowing that, I think.... you will land in Panama City so even if you don't plan to live there, it would be fun to spend a couple days seeing the sights. From there, there is Coronado on the beach, El Valle in the mountains, and both aren't too far from the city. Another area is the Azeuro Peninsula - Pedasi, Las Tablas, maybe Chitre. This area is best known for the beautiful beaches. A third area is Chiriqui. It is best known for Boquete, a mountain town full of expats and tourists. Volcan is another mountain town, David is a working people's city with shopping, hospitals, everything you need on a daily basis. There are also beach spots - La Barqueta and Las Lajas, and Boca Chica is also beautiful but more islands and fishing than beach life. On the Caribbean side you will find Bocas del Toro, another touristy area which isn't close to much else but a beautiful area worth a visit. That's three general areas to concentrate on, and a fourth to consider.