Where is Panama and why Should you Care?

"Panama? where on earth is that? Isn't that down in South America somewhere amongst the other 3rd world countries" ...Well, actually no. Panama is the budding center of Central America, most famously recognized for its Panama Canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

This is a vibrant and growing country that borders Columbia and Costa Rica. Whilst there is dense jungle obstructing access to Columbia creating a sort of cutoff point, Costa Rica is easy enough to visit from Panama and holds many similarities in its appearance and culture.

But why should you care about Panama? What makes it such a hot top for travel, real estate, ex-pats, and businesses? Let's find out!

Why people want to travel to Panama

Generally, people who visit Panama can be broken down into X categories. Let us examine these now.

1. Vacations in Panama

The top reason to visit Panama is tourism. With vacations that cost just a fraction of what they would cost in some other countries and a tropical paradise atmosphere with pristine beaches and beautiful oceans, Panama makes for an incredible vacation destination.

Panama has gorgeous islands and beaches

Whether you want to stay in an all-inclusive resort in Panama, a boutique hotel, or s private villa by the beach Panama vacations have everything that you could want for a Caribbean getaway.

2. Business in Panama

As a tax-free haven and one of the few Latin American countries to have a bustling metropolis that could rival Miami, Panama is an obvious choice for business centers and headquarters. Many larger companies who used to outsource to Mexico or Columbia have moved their business to Panama because it has more professional surroundings, better benefits for the company, and a more centralized location.

In Panama City, you will also notice how heavily businesses rely on the use of English making it easy to find English-speaking employees. Setting up companies here is also relatively easy and can be done by both small-scale and large-scale companies alike.

Panama City

3. Moving to Panama

Whilst Mexico has remained at the top of the charts for US ex-pats, Panama is the jewel of the Caribbean that people are only starting to notice. As the safest country in Central America, it lends itself to ex-pats and families alike who want to live life in the lap of the tropics.

It also has living costs that are much lower than what you would find in the states or Canada meaning that if you are retired or work from home, you can get a much more luxurious style of living in Panama with your money than you would back home.

4. Property in Panama

Many people come to Panama just to invest in the real estate Market. With properties that are being sold for as low as 40k in residential areas and land that is almost being given away free in some areas, the real estate market continues to prosper and flourish in Panama.

Many wish to purchase close to Panama City due to higher short-term ROI however, if you are looking at long-term investments in Panama, you can find much more remote locations for much less that will likely be worth a lot more much later down the line.

When to travel to Panama

Most countries have a high and low season for business, travel, real estate, etc however Panama is actually quite steady all year round. Therefore, the only variance you really need to take into account is the weather.

There is a great deal of debate regarding which season is best in Panama but there are only two options to choose from. The rainy season and the dry season.

The rainy season

The rainy period of Panama also known as the wet season has colossal downpours and thunderstorms that accurately depict why they call it a “RAINforest” and keep the country green and lush and exceptionally beautiful.

The rainy season makes everything green

This time of the year runs from April to December and will have impressive cloudy days that look like the end of the world followed by a torrential downpour and then lovely sunshine. Some say that this time of the year is cooler but others complain that it is more humid because of the rain.

The dry season

Despite this country being warm all year round this dry season is also referred to as the hot season. It called also be likened to a drought. It doesnt rain throughout this time of year and the sun seems to only get hotter, drying out the gorgeous green scenery until the grass dries up and turns a golden yellow. This heat is intense and can become unbearable from about 1 pm-4 pm during the day so you should seek some shade.

The dry season of panama makes everything hot and barren looking

Overall both seasons have their pros and cons but my recommendation would be to come at the end of the rainy season because then you can avoid the rain and get a bit more sun but still enjoy the gorgeous greens that result from the rainy season and whatever your reason for coming, may you have a great trip to Panama!