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30 Days in Panama
  • Robyn Foy Bess
  • Robyn Foy Bess

30 Days in Panama

A 29-day adventure by Robyn Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 6, 2026
    Robyn Foy Bess30 Days in PanamaTraveler
    1

    Days one and two: Getting there/getting acclimated

    March 7 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Going to Panama was an idea that occurred to me about 3 months ago. The first time I visited Panama was in January 2015; I was undergoing a crisis in my life and needed time away from it. I spent 3 lovely months there, living in a little casita in the town of Gorgona, and doing a lot of sight seeing: Gamboa Rainforest, Miraflores Canal Locks, Monkey Island, Taboga Island, San Blas Islands and home of the Guna Indigenous People), Boquette (about 300 miles away from Panama City, in the highlands, and where some of the best coffee in the world is grown), Volcan Baru (an amazing trip by jeep over huge boulders to the top of the volcano, at sunrise), Embrera Indigenous People village, El Valle de Anton, Bocas Del Toro, hiking to the deeply forested waterfalls, birdwatching, dining on the Amador Causeway where I watched dozens of boats make its way to the Canal, Casco Viejo, etc. Actually, as I spell it out, I am amazed at all the things I did during those 3 months. I had rented a car and I have NO IDEA how I got around as GPS was a very new thing at the time.

    Now, I am here again because I want to see it with new eyes - and everything seems to have changed and seems more challenging. Of course, it could be that I am 11 years older. Yesterday’s trip to get here was an all day adventure. Pick up from home at 6 AM, flight to Houston and then a connecting flight to Tocumen International in Panama City and THEN a 2.5 hour drive to get to Nueva Gorgona, Panama, which is only 52 miles from the airport. The TRAFFIC!!! Thank God I had a driver. The traffic is so bad that there are people in the middle of the two lane road selling snacks to hungry drivers! And there was a small wildfire along the road. Weird! We stopped at the “Mercado” where I bought a few groceries and then made our way to my high rise condo. Challenge One: The Panama City traffic. Challenge Two: entering the Airbnb condo. The door would not open. 10PM and I had to try multiple times to get the door to unlock. Finally it did. I put away my groceries, unpacked, and around 11:30 PM, got in bed, exhausted. Challenge Three: The mattress was hard and the sheets smelled moldy. I pushed my way through that and eventually got a little sleep.

    Day Two and I awaken to the most beautiful views and oceanfront sounds. THIS is why I am here. I have no itinerary and am just winging it. I cooked a little breakfast and walked along the grounds. We have 5 swimming pools ( 3 of them being rooftop pools) overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a gym, a BBQ area, and easy access to the beach. After breakfast, I took a short walk along the beach and noticed numerous varieties of whole fruits on the sand and being washed up by the waves. I asked these 3 young people that were sitting on the sand about it. (Oh..Challenge Number Four: the language barrier; be sure to use Google Translate should you come here and don’t experience Challenge Number Five, like I am doing: no cellular data and Challenge Six, reliance on WhatsApp. I’ve got to do something about this). They said it was an offering to the sea. I googled this and it says:
    “Offerings to the sea in Panama are deeply rooted in coastal culture, often involving spiritual or traditional ceremonies where gifts are sent into the ocean via small boats to appease spirits or deities like Iemanjá. These, along with other cultural practices, often take place along the Pacific Coast, in areas like the Pearl Islands, and near indigenous communities.“ How beautiful is that???

    Also, the beach is covered by deep black sand. I stayed in Nueva Gorgona the last time I was here and saw the same thing. This is the result of volcanic activity and eroded basalt in the Pacific Ocean and is unique to the coastline I am living on.

    Last challenge for the day, Challenge Seven, was getting a car. There were no cars available in Gorgona or nearby Coronado, Rio Gato, or Chame. I got my car in La Chorrea, about 30 miles away. Driving back to Gorgona, I experienced some very fast drivers as we made hairpin turns around a mountainous region and dodged potholes. And getting a car is an expensive ordeal with the requirement to purchase the mandated Third Party Liability insurance. Nevertheless, I have to have a car. I could not imagine being here without one. How could I be spontaneous and revisit a few of the places I saw before without a car???

    Oh, did I mention the Heat? 🥵. It’s hot.

    In spite of this, I am excited to be here. All of my challenges are logistical challenges and I should be adjusted by tomorrow or the next day. Until next time…    Read more

  • Robyn Foy Bess30 Days in PanamaTraveler

    El Valle de Anton

    March 8 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    Woke up very early this morning, excited about driving to El Valle de Anton. El Valle is a little over an hour from Gorgona, and is an uphill drive on winding roads and through a very hilly area. Many indigenous Panamanians and their homes could be seen along the way. El Valle is located in the crater of an extinct volcano and is surrounded by mountains and cloud forest. I tried to capture some of it while driving -like many YouTubers video their drives - but I’m certain the photos and videos did not come out showing the beauty of my surroundings as I was really focused on the narrow winding roads and the hairpin turns. At any rate, when I arrived to the town, I walked around it for a little bit, stopped at a cafe for a cappuccino and chocolate cake, went to the outdoor market that had fresh produce, plants, arts and crafts, Panamanian hats, and purses with mola decorations. I bought a hat, a purse, and the sweetest watermelon I ever tasted. Afterwards, I visited their zoo and saw tapirs, jaguars, very active monkeys, ocelots, and numerous birds. As a tidbit of information...
    Panama is home to over 1,000 to 1,050 recorded bird species, a remarkable number for its size, representing roughly 10% of the world's total species. This high biodiversity is due to its location, which acts as a bridge for migratory birds between North and South America. I am planning to make a special excursion to go birdwatching, something I know NOTHING about, but nature just fascinates me. Many of you may have heard me talk about spending hours watching an eagle cam located in Big Bear Valley in California. They are amazing creatures and watching their natural instincts keep me glued to the TV.

    As I was leaving El Valle, I saw a Catholic Church with its doors open as people were walking in. The priest and the altar boys were standing at the entrance and I asked the priest about the language of the service. He said it was Spanish but I told him I would like to sit in it for a bit. After a few minutes, the service started and as the priest and the altar boys AND girls (times, they are a’changing) were walking in, the priest walked over to me, touched my head, and said “May God keep you and bless you.” So twice today, I have been prayed over. The priest and a childhood friend who texted me today to say she had been thinking about me and asked God to watch over me. She did not even know I was in Panama.! I am so grateful for those prayers.

    After I arrived back at my Airbnb, I sat outside by the pool and felt this wonderful breeze that lulled me to sleep. I woke up and walked about a mile down the beach before I decided to turn around and come back.

    It’s been a very good day.    Read more

  • Robyn Foy Bess30 Days in PanamaTraveler

    One full week in Panama

    March 9 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    My, oh, my…how relaxing as this week been. I really have not done much this week, but sit on my 8th floor balcony that overlooks the vast Pacific Ocean and watch the waves and birds (and sometimes, surfers), and listen to the crashing waves. I have walked the beach, upon which I came across some huge boulders that limited how far I can walk ( I heard the waves were so powerful a couple of months ago that they hit a couple of sea walls and took down the inground swimming pools at those houses) and I took one long ride (1.5 hours along the partially bumpy, partially paved Pan American Hwy) to the Miraflores Locks, a set of locks of the Panama Canal. I also took a drive to a location about 25 minutes away, high up in the mountains, where I could have seen howler monkeys, sloths, and toucans. I did not see any, unfortunately, but I did hear the howler monkeys and I saw some amazing views. I have thought about making this sojourn to Panama an annual venture.Read more

  • Robyn Foy Bess30 Days in PanamaTraveler

    March 17, 2026

    March 12 in Panama ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    It’s been a few days since I wrote anything about my trip. It’s been a serene, content, beautiful few days. The ocean sounds relax me -and I hear the waves all day and all night long. I thank God for this opportunity. I have met several people -solo and couples- who come to Panama to spend one to four months, a year, a lifetime here. Hearing their stories validates that we all want the same thing - peace and joy. More reason to follow-up with my thought about doing this once a year for at least a month.

    There are still some things I find disconcerting: no stop signs or traffic lights (or very few in Panama City); the weaving, fast moving motorcyclists; the deep potholes that I have to look out for whenever I get off the Pan American Hwy; the numerous street dogs seen walking on the beach or standing in the middle of the street or coming up to you while sitting in a restaurant; the numerous chickens crossing the road waiting to become road kill. But then, there are the many, many beautiful things: the sunrise, the sunset, the warm weather, the wildlife ( I saw a family of howler monkeys playing in the trees in a rainforest park that is on the outskirts of Panama City); the miles and miles of shoreline; the beautiful Panamanian people who are soooo friendly as well as the many Americans and Canadians I have met.

    This past week, I visited the Metropolitan Park (where I saw the monkeys and was hoping I would see sloth but I didn’t) and I visited Casco Viejo - old Panama City where Colonial-era landmarks include the twin-towered Metropolitan Cathedral and the waterfront Palacio de las Garzas presidential home. Here, local shops sell traditional handicrafts and there are numerous cafes, restaurants, and squares . I also walked on the beach, 4 miles round trip, several times. My walks took me to the mountainside and to the mouth of the Chame River which empties into the Pacific Ocean. Pelicans sit in treetops and rest here. This morning I saw some kind of slithery animal with a long tail ( not an iguana but not a snake, either) slide from a sandbar into the water. At that point, I decided to get up from the stoop I was resting on and walk back to my condo. I’ve also attended karaoke and St Paddy’s Day party that was held at my condo. I met a very nice group of ladies at Karaoke Night. One teaches line dancing and I went to her class today.

    Tomorrow, I will travel into the city again to visit Monkey Island and the Sloth Sanctuary. Until then…    Read more

  • Robyn Foy Bess30 Days in PanamaTraveler

    One week of a lot of nothing

    March 18 in Panama ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    It’s been a slow week - and that’s all good for someone like me, someone who feels like I HAVE to be doing something. The only “something” I did was go to Monkey Island, which is really several small islands with different species of monkeys. We saw capuchin monkeys and tamarinds and howler monkeys. They move so fast that it was hard to capture photos which meant I just had to “be in the moment.” There were days when all I did was walk the beach, but this is something I really enjoy. One night I went to Game Night where I spent a few hours playing bid whist with a bunch of Americans.

    Yesterday, I got up early and drove 6 hours to Boquete, Panama which is in the highlands of Panama, very, very close to Volcan Baru. The Volcán Barú is an active stratovolcano and the tallest mountain in Panama, at 11,401 ft high. It lies about 22 miles off the border of Costa Rica. It is also the twelfth highest peak in Central America. When I was last in Panama 11 years ago, I took a jeep excursion to the top of Volcan Baru, where we rode over huge boulders, saw people climbing the mountain, and experienced the sunrise at the top. It was an AMAZING excursion, but not to be repeated. From the Airbnb I rented, I can clearly see the mountain, though the peak is covered with clouds. I have a cute small studio apartment and I will be here for two nights. At this moment, I am having breakfast in town and I have a coffee plantation tour in 50 minutes. Boquete is known for the very flavorful Panamanian coffee that is grown in the highlands at the numerous family-led coffee plantations. More on that later.    Read more

  • Robyn Foy Bess30 Days in PanamaTraveler

    Boquete and Birthdays

    March 22 in Panama ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    This past week, I ventured to Boquete, Panama. It was a looong 6 hour drive on the Pan American Highway, passing through numerous small towns and through a mountainous region to reach this town where many expats live. I even saw a HORSE slowly walking ON the highway, obviously listening to. (I hope he was found by his owner, poor thing.) My Airbnb for the two nights was high up in the mountains. Behind my lodging was Volcan Baru. The setting was beautiful. I rested that first night and then visited a well-known coffee plantation, called Finca Lerida. A guide explained the coffee making process, from growing the beans to harvesting to drying the beans and then packaging for distribution to wholesalers. Afterwards, we had a “cupping” experience where we tasted four different coffee types. The cupping is similar to a wine tasting whereby you first draw the coffee onto your spoon and slurp it to get one flavor of it and then you sip it to get another flavor.

    After the tour, I hung around Boquete for another night and then drove back to Gorgona. I was so exhausted that I have done nothing else but rest, until tonight when I attended a birthday party. Panamanians and those who have assimilated here LOVE fireworks. I heard that fireworks are a big thing here and I finally got to experience it tonight. After we sung Happy Birthday to the birthday girl, we all walked out to the ocean where a fireworks display was shot off just for her. Everyone cheered before going back to the poolside restaurant and did more line dancing and karaoke. It was a fun night. Everyone I’ve met has been so welcoming. I can’t believe that in just a few days, I will be leaving this little paradise.    Read more

  • Robyn Foy Bess30 Days in PanamaTraveler

    Taboga Island, Panama

    March 28 in Panama ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Today, I come home. After 3 weeks, I was ready to come home but now…I am sad. Visiting Panama was wonderful. The climate, the terrain, the people (Panamanians, Americans, Canadians), the ocean sounds, the beach walks, the numerous birds, the monkeys…I loved it all.

    This last week was a quiet week. I ventured to Taboga Island, and island about 20 miles from the Panamanian coastline and accessible only by ferry. It has only 800 inhabitants and its history includes being the domicile of thousands of Spanish pirates. It is also where the oldest church in Latin America is located.

    This week is Holy Week and I was told a half million Panamanians will be on the 4 lane PanAmerican Highway, going to visit family to celebrate Holy Week together or going to the beaches. The highway was a nightmare. It took 4 hours to get to the airport, 60 miles away.

    I spent the night at a hotel near the airport. It is time to go now. Until next time, goodbye Panama.    Read more

    Trip end
    April 3, 2026
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