Site icon Adventure Bound

Panama City: what to do on a layover


Travelling on a budget sometimes means we land ourselves with long layovers. Although this might not seem ideal, we found this to be a fun and unique way to travel. We often save several hundred dollars and get the opportunity to visit a new place!

On our trip home from Colombia, we had a 8 hour layover in Panama City, Panama. A quick google told us that this city has a lot to offer. People often visit the Panama Canal, but as we like outdoor adventures, we decided to visit the Metropolitan Natural Park.  The Park is about a 25 minute taxi drive from the airport, which seemed like a good choice for a few hours of hiking.

The entry into the park was very affordable at a few dollars each. There are five trails to choose from with different loops throughout the park. The Mono Tití Road has a lookout point with an amazing city view. We decided to double back and continue further in the park after seeing the view in the hopes of seeing more wildlife. Even though we were there is the hot afternoon, we saw several coatis, capybaras, lots of birds and lizards. We also saw two tame racoons that live with the people that run the park. They were very friendly and cute!

On our way out we decided to visit the butterfly sanctuary for USD $5 each. A staff member who speaks English and Spanish took us on a tour of the facility, let us hold some butterflies and answered questions before leaving us to explore.

Overall, this was an easy and fun excursion if you find yourself with several hours in Panama. We likely had time for another stop, but we decided to have dinner at the airport before boarding.

 


Tips:

 




Exit mobile version