Not to miss

Colón

Simply put, Panama's most notorious city is a sprawling slum of decaying colonial grandeur and desperate human existence. Nevertheless, this urban jungle racked by violent crime is in an area home to pristine beaches, lowland rainforests, colonial splendors and modern engineering marvels.

Panama City

Gateway to Latin America and a vibrant destination in its own right, Panama City is a thriving center for international banking and trade. Scattered throughout the city lie colonial neighborhoods, monolithic skyscrapers and windswept ruins of old Spanish settlements.

Visitors to Panama City are often awe-struck by the colonial district of Casco Viejo, a dilapidated neighborhood of historic buildings and cobbled streets reminiscent of old Havana. Crumbling on the edge of the sea for decades, Casco Viejo is priming itself to charm and enchant visitors once more.

Not far from the city, you'll find impressive adventure opportunities, from hiking through tropical rain forests to skirting along the jungle on a train ride to Colón. Wherever you head next from here, the capital's trendy restaurants and stylish nightclubs are a splendid start or finish to your time in Panama.

Panama Canal

The Canal is both an engineering marvel and one of the most significant waterways on the planet. Seeing a huge ship nudge its way through the narrow canal with vast tracts of virgin jungle on both sides is truly an unforgettable sight. As impressive as it is now, an ambitious expansion plan is set to completely transform the the canal.

Stretching 80km (49mi) from Panama City on the Pacific coast to Colón on the Atlantic coast, the Canal provides passage for nearly 14,000 ocean-going vessels per year. The easiest and best way to visit the canal is to go to the Miraflores Locks, on the northeastern fringe of Panama City, where a platform offers visitors a good view of the locks in operation. Although it's difficult to thumb a ride on an ocean-going vessel, there is no shortage of pricey tours and cruises that allow you to transit the canal - the entire journey takes an average of nine hours.

Isla Grande

It would take all the exotic Caribbean clichés ever coined to describe this remote and beautiful island off the Caribbean coast near Portobelo. Only 7 sq km (2.7 sq mi) in size, it's inhabited by 300 people of African descent who make their living from fishing and coconuts.

There are a handful of places to stay on the island and to hire boats, but there are no dive operators or places to rent snorkeling equipment. Visitors are often attracted by local festivities, which include San Juan Bautista on June 24, celebrated with canoe and swimming races; Virgen del Carmen (July 16) marked by a land and sea procession; and Carnaval, before Ash Wednesday, feted with Calypso dancing and songs.

San-San Pond Sak Wetlands

These fantastic wetlands, also called Humedal de San-San Pond Sak, harbor a great variety of flora and fauna. The fresh water of San-San is one of the few known Central American habitats for manatees. Sloths, river otters, white-faced monkeys, caimans, iguanas, poison-dart frogs and more than 60 bird species also inhabit the wetlands.

At the beach, green, leatherback, loggerhead and hawksbill turtles come in to lay their eggs. This protected area is administered by a conservation organization called AAMVECONA, which works with ANAM. The park entry fee helps support the conservation organization. The wetlands make a fine day trip for those looking for a bit of off-the-beaten-path adventure; there are also rustic accommodations out on the beach if you decide to stay.