Panama
 Panama | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Language: | Spanish |
| Capital: | Panama City |
| Population: | 3,309,679 |
| Currency: | Balboa (PAB) and/or U.S. dollar (USD) |
| Hitchability: |  (very good)
|
| Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots | |
Panama is a country in Central America where hitchhiking happens most readily. Roads north of Panama city are brilliant. Roads to the south are atrocious, and worsen as you approach Yavisa.
There are borders with Costa Rica in the North and Colombia in the South. However, there are no roads to Colombia. There is a way to go through the jungle but it's extremely dangerous due to the Colombian 'guerillas'.
Crossing the Darién Gap to Colombia
It is possible to hitchhike a boat from Panama to Colombia or Ecuador so you don't have to cross the Darién Gap. On the Caribbean coast you may find boats in Bocas del Toro, right on the canal or in Portobello. In Portobello you should be able to jump on a charter boat to Cartagena, Colombia (~325 US). However, the best place to find boats to Colombia is in the San Blas Islands on the northern Carribean coast of Panama. To get to San Blas, you need to head about 150 kilometres south from Panama City on the Pan American highway. Tell the locals you are headed to the Kuna-Yala National Park. The road to the park is now tarmacked although very windy and sickening.
The traffic, as mentioned before, is very light, though the vehicles that do go down this road are usually loaded with supplies for the San Blas Islands. There's a good chance a driver will pick you up, and, since there is no regular boats to the islands, there's a good chance you can get free, convienent passage by helping unload/load up the waiting speedboats with supplies.
Once you get to the islands, try to find your way to the main island where there is a police station, small hotel, and airstrip. This is where all boats to Colombia have to check in before leaving. In addition to sailboats, there are speedboats that flit back and forth between the two countries with a myriad of different supplies, and you may be able to get on one of them. themodernnomad was able to get on a small speedboat with a group of Colombians to the small Colombian town of Capurganá in the Darién Gap. Remember, to be able to continue hitchhiking in South America, you need to at least get to Turbo, because Puerto Obaldía and Capurgana are closed into the jungle and only accessible by sea.
Also bare in mind that locals who want to get from one place to an other in the San Blas are accustomed to travel in those small speed boats and that they all pay the price that the driver asks (typically in 2011 about USD 10 per hour of boat per person). If you really want to get around the gap for free, it may take time and rather a lot of friends, otherwise you can always pay, and even by doing that, it may still take some time, these boats are not the kind that offer half-hourly service...
On the pacific coast the situation of the marinas is difficult. In order to find boats heading to Colombia or Ecuador you should try the Balboa Yacht Club.
Cities
<map lat='8.4' lng='-80' zoom='7' view='0' country='Panama' float='right' width='600'/>
- Panama City
- David
- add more?
