Panama is a country in Central America with coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, with Colombia (and South America) to the southeast and Costa Rica (and North America) to the northwest. It's strategically located on the isthmus that forms the land bridge connecting North and South America. It controls the Panama Canal that links the North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean, one of the most important shipping routes in the world.

Capital Panama City Government Constitutional Democracy Currency Panamanian Balboa (PAB), US Dollar (USD) Area 78,200 km2 Population 3,039,150 (July 2006 est.) Language Spanish (official), English Religion Roman Catholic 85% Protestant 15% Electricity 120V/60Hz Calling Code +507 Internet TLD .pa Time Zone UTC-5

(image courtesy of Jiki panama (Talk | contribs) under the CC by-sa 3.0 agreement)

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Entry Procedure:

Documentation:

Passport.

Title and Registration.

Photocopy of your passport and title/Registration.

Process:

In Panama, you will be given a stamp in your passport to show that you have entered with your car.  You cannot leave Panama without your car as the stamp will be in the passport.

The stamp costs around $1 and there may or may not be a small fumigation fee ($5), depending on which border you cross and the mood of the moment.

Buy vehicle insurance - around $15.

Note:

If you need to fly out, you can however leave your car in a government controlled storage area for around $8/day ($5 if you negociate a little) after a flat charge of $30.

There is no custom inside the building so you have to walk/taxi back and forth to the nearest customs office.

There is a time change in Panama, so don't forget to change your watch.

Border Crossing Information:

NAME		GPS		NOTE	MAP	IMAGE
Paso Canoas (Costa Rica)		10.033	-84.200	Largest border crossing between Costa Rica and Panama.  A bit chaotic. There is a one hour time difference at this border. There is a Delta gas station where you can exchange your propane bottle (no refill).	Click Here for Google Map
Rio Sereno (Panama)		8.823795	-82.860289	Rumors that they cannot process vehicle are unfounded.  Insurance for Costa Rica is not available at the border but for Panama it may be available. Good info here:  http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=547206	Click Here for Google Map
Sixaola(Costa Rica)/Guabito(Panama)		9.516698	-82.614498	Bridge is only one way.	Click Here for Google Map

For more discussions about overlanding in Panama, please visit the Central America section of the forum.

NAME	CITY	GPS		NOTES	GOOGLE MAP
XSMemories	Playa Santa Clara	N 8° 23.327'	W 80° 06.620'	Closest RV Part to Panama City.  Site is big enough for large North American RVs.	Click Here for Google Map
Balboa Yacht Club	Panama City			While this isn’t a campground, it does offer free parking and access to free showers and internet.  Located on the causeway, take the first exit for Amador after the bridge of the Americas when coming into town. After about a block you will see a sign for TGI Fridays and a hotel on the right, turn here. The yacht club is at the end of the block on the right. You can park in the field next to the restaurant to sleep. Down the bank from the restaurant towards the water is a small building with showers, a washer and dryer, and a little hang out area. We didn’t actually stay here but have met quite a few overlanders that have. We were told it is sort of a "don’t ask don’t tell" policy. They don’t mind people staying as long as they stay out of the way.
Oasis Surf Camp	Santa Catalina			Santa Catalina on the Pacific Coast is probably the most famous beach town in Panama for its surf. The Oasis is located right on the nicest stretch of beach in town. The only problem is that you have to cross a small river to get to it, so can only come and go at low tide (at low tide the water is only 4-5 inches deep so no problem for any vehicle with a little clearance). When coming into town, take the only dirt road on the left at a pink hotel/store. This road goes out to all of the beach fronted hotels. Continue on the main road for awhile (stay to the left past a few streets). You will come to a Y and see a sign for Oasis Surf Camp, go to the left.  Follow the road all the way until it ends at the river, the Oasis is just across the river. We recommend checking the tide before coming out here, and walking the river before crossing to make sure it is passable.  Cost = $5 per night per person for camping. Bathrooms and cold water showers available. There is a restaurant for food and drinks onsite as well as cabanas for rent.
PriceSmart	David			You can spend the night in the parking lot. Large RVs stop there when caravaning.

Other useful tips and addresses (banks, embassies, etc):

Propane and butane are cheaper in Panama than Costa Rica so you may want to wait to buy/refill until you get there.

Road Conditions:

The main roads are usually in good condition with the exception of the usual potholes here and there.  There is also a lot of opportunity for offroad driving including a very muddy environment.

Traffic in Panama City can be a nightmare.

Related Links:

http://www.eyeonpanama.com/

Thanks to LostWorldExpedition and 2aroundtheworld for all the information and images.

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