It was Monday night and a fair amount of my regular haunts were closed. So the Gringo pulled our his handy Movistar phone and started calling his amigos in the ex-pat community of Panama City.
One thought was L’Olivo Restaurante in the San Francisco section of PC (close to Jimmys).
In short – great menu, great taste, great service, and great prices. About $8 to $10 for a large pasta serving in a very pleasant atmosphere.
Check it out on next trip to Panama!
Gamboa’s Rainforest Resort is an incredible hotel experience. Located within the Soberania National Park, this hotel is designed to accentuate the natural beauty of the region. The walls are covered in ferns and flowers and intricate iron fixtures in the shape of vines drape across the columns. The ceiling is decorated with birds, hung in mid-air.
The whole resort celebrates the rainforest; all three restaurants, both bars and the 198 rooms, condos and suites. The hotel isn’t about roughing it though. Guests are treated like royalty and get to enjoy all the fabulous amenities the hotel has to provide, including a gigantic pool with a swim-up bar and a number of amazing rainforest tours.
The resort is comprised of 43 Read more
If you are a regular reader of the Panama Gringo, you know that Carlos Aleman (www.panamacarlos.com) is the guy that I use for everything in Panama. When I first came to the country he handled my transportation everywhere, toured me around, and helped me get my place set up. To this day, when I am out of the country I count on him to handle whatever I need while I am away. So, with Carlos as a good wing-man and trustworthy guy for all things Panama I am taking his recommendation and writing about El Trapiche, the place to eat local Panamanian food.
If you ask Carlos where to get local fares at a good price with good service, Read more
The best GPS maps of Panama can be found at the Panama-Zone.com and are suitable for Garmin GPS Devices or on Smart Phones running Garmin Moble XT. They offer and sell the most comprehensive maps, which cover the entire country.
In Panama City the GPS map included thousands of points of interest, hotels, restaurants, the best shopping… even the police!
Map Version 3.1.8 was made available for download back in January, and that is the most current version of the GPS maps. It includes things like the new one way streets in Obarrio, and more.
If you are going to be moving to Panama, or even vacationing around there and doing your own driving, look into either getting Read more
Finding a gym in Panama City isn’t hard: there are plenty of different options to choose from. Here is a brief overview of some of the City’s most popular gyms.
Sport Tek – Sport Tek is located on Avenida Brasil, between Via España and the Transistmica and it is a fairly new (around 5 years old) gym. The two floor gym has a cardio level (upstairs) and a weight room downstairs. There is also a weight room specifically for women upstairs. The gym is open and airy, with large windows. There are also yoga classes and dance classes. Cardio machines include treadmills, elliptical machines, and exercise bikes. There are TVs stationed all around the cardio floor, basically one for every cardio Read more
Who’s New of Panama (www.wnpan.org) is a non-profit organization that is designed to welcome newcomers to Panama, and introduce them to the country, and the community of other women living abroad in Panama. This month they have organized a guided tour of the Canal Museum and the National Theater in Casco Viejo.
The tour will be held this Thursday, March 19th, starting at 9:00 am and running until 3:00 pm. Tickets cost $35.00, which included transportation, tour guides, fees for the museum and the theater, and lunch. Lunch will be held at Minolo Caracolo
Tickets can be purchased by calling Jeanette at +507 260–2168, and they are being sold until Monday, March 16th.
Although I always recommend Carlos Aleman Read more
There is a lot of information on the internet as to what the entry requirements are for U.S. citizens coming to Panama.
Many sources say that the tourist card is purchased for $5, while other sights state $10, and some say it is valid for 30 days, while others state 90. The truth of the matter is this: there is a law that was passed reducing the stay to 30 days, however since January of 2008 the immigration authority enforcement has established a policy stating that the tourist card purchased by U.S. and Canadian citizens is valid for 90 days. It costs $10.00.
If you are coming to Panama on a permanent basis for business or schooling, you will need to Read more
With the massive amounts of business being done in Panama City, I know I am not alone in wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city from time to time and enjoy some of the beauty of the beautiful little Isthmus so many of us call home.
For many living in Panama City for work, Rio Mar has become the escape of choice. Situated only an hour away from the city, at a part of land where the river meets the ocean you will find Rio Mar.
For years Rio Mar, with its dramatic cliff lines and salt and pepper beaches, has been a hot spot for local surfers, and while I’m sure they aren’t happy about Read more
More Travel deals from the New York Times!
I have spread this one to all the other sites on the Gringo Network as well, since it is such a good deal, I think the whole base of readers should know about it! (See the Gringo’s affiliates on our blogroll)
I love cruises, especially nice ones, and now, thanks to Silversea Cruises, there a few more affordable cruise options out there., if what you are looking at is the best in ultra-luxury cruises.
Silversea is offering 50% savings on all suite categories for 39 different world itineraries, including cruises in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, South America, Africa, Australia, and Translatlantic voyages.
None of the cruises start in Panama, Read more
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