Finalizing our Panama itinerary

Hi there,

After a lot of hesitation about our Central America destination (trip in July), we finally decided on Panama.

For this country, we're looking for info to fine-tune our itinerary.

To avoid spending entire days in the car, does anyone have any firsthand experiences or suggestions for towns or villages to stop at: Between Panama City and Valle de Anton? Between Valle de Anton and Pedasí (Santiago, Parita, Chitré)? Between Pedasí (or another nearby village) and Santa Catalina? Is Isla Cébaco worth the detour? (How do you get there?) Is there another departure point for Coiba (other than Santa Catalina)? Between Santa Catalina and David (is Boca Chica worth the detour?) Between David and Boquete? Between Boquete and Bocas del Toro?

Also, we’ve seen that Panama is known for its waterfalls, some of which look stunning—like Cascada Macho de Monte and La Silampa.

Do you know of any waterfalls that are easy to access (we’re traveling with a child) and don’t require hours of hiking?

Thanks in advance if you can help! (Of course, we’re researching everywhere, but nothing beats real-life experiences.) :)

Hi there,

Between Panama City and El Valle de Antón, you might want to stop at a beach like Gorgona for a bite to eat, or just skip it. Between El Valle and Pedasí, you could take a lunch break in Las Tablas, and on the way back, I’d say Chitré. Isla Cebaco and Boca Chica are also gorgeous, and Boca Chica is a good stop between Santa Catalina and David. David to Boquete... nothing much... then go from Boquete to Bocas del Toro (Changuinola or Almirante). There are waterfalls in El Valle and Boquete...

Thanks so much for your detailed reply! We're slowly making progress on the itinerary...