Panama is so much more than a canal. It’s where skyscrapers meet sloths, where colonial streets echo with salsa, and where backpackers can hop from tropical islands to misty highlands in just a few hours.

Start in Panama City; a mix of Miami-like gloss and Casco Viejo’s colonial charm. Then hit the San Blas Islands for off-grid bliss, hike through the cloud forests of Boquete, or surf Bocas del Toro’s Caribbean breaks. Panama offers a slick transport network, making it perfect for slow travellers or whirlwind trips alike.

Architecturally, it’s diverse: Spanish colonial relics, art deco façades, modernist towers, and indigenous Guna Yala island dwellings all coexist here. And the energy? A fast-beating heart with a laid-back soul.