Panama lies at the narrowest point of Central America and, through the 80-kilometre-long Panama Canal, links the Pacific with the Atlantic. Panama City owes its present-day prosperity to the canal, built in 1903 with the help of the USA. Liberal tax and banking laws have favoured its rise to an international financial centre.
One in five sailing yachts in the world sails under the Panamanian flag. Tourism has not spread as much in Panama as in other Central American countries. The climate is hot and humid, and there is a lot of rain. In Colón, on the Caribbean side, there are rain showers almost every day. We spend a few days in Panama City to see some of the sights, like the "Puente de las Américas", the "Miraflores" locks, Panama's "Ciudad Vieja" (old town) and much more.
Happily, unlike the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the border crossing from Costa Rica into Panama takes place on asphalt. Crossing is free of charge. However, the "Salida" (exit) and "Entrada" (entry) are 100 metres apart. We spotted the counters right away because of the long queues of people crossing the border. With the help of an official, we are allowed to jump the queue as "cycling globetrotters" and get all the formalities done straight away. Our bike clothes, and the excuse that we wanted to reach a hotel before the rain, got us processed quickly and sent off with a friendly "buen viaje". In the border area of "Paso Canoas" there is a duty-free zone. You can buy almost anything, but at first we can't find a supermarket or minimarket to top up our water supply. People are hectic, and life seems chaotic to us. After searching for a long time, we finally come across a shelf with the PET bottles we are after.
Paso Canoas – David:
After a short descent, it's 30 kilometres not steeply, but steadily, uphill. On a boring dual carriageway made of concrete, we reach the "top of the pass" after 2.5 hours. There are another 25 kilometres to David, mostly downhill with a few short climbs. In pouring rain, wearing flip-flops, a sleeveless T-shirt and short cycling shorts, and pushed by a tailwind to speeds of up to 40 km/h, we soon reach the town of David. Soaked to the skin (even inside the waterproof Ortlieb front panniers, water had collected), we find the hotel "Gran Nacional". Our 2 tyres leave a brownish trail of water through the hotel lobby. At reception we are handed warm towels straight away. We spend 2 nights "drying out" and cleaning our equipment in a not-so-cheap double room.
Several times a day, long, heavy downpours pelt down and leave whole streets under water. We use this stay to prepare for the bad weather and the onward journey to Panama City.
David - Santiago:
This stretch seems especially worth mentioning because there are so few places to buy food or spend the night. This extremely exhausting route of over 200 kilometres has to be split into at least 2 – 3 daily stages.
"Hardcore" bike-toreros manage the distance David – Tolé (105 km) and Tolé – Santiago (95 km) in 2 days.
Cyclists "with good stamina" prefer David – San Félix (85 km), San Félix – top of the Tolé pass (25 km) and top of the Tolé pass – Santiago (90 km), in 3 days.
Because of the downpours, which had been going on for days and made visibility so poor that lorry drivers could overlook us, we hire a taxi for 45 US dollars to drive us from San Félix to Santiago.
Route description:
From David to San Lorenzo there is almost nowhere to buy food, nowhere to spend the night, and some climbs that should not be underestimated. The vegetation is nothing special, it is hot and sticky, and there is no shade.
San Lorenzo – San Félix:
200 metres after the "Terpel" petrol station, at the "Centro Comercial Oriente", you reach San Félix. Turn left, 2 kilometres to just past the hospital, then 100 metres to the left: at the hotel "Cholo" (no sign!) you'll find an acceptable place to stay for 10 US dollars, and a supermarket.
10 kilometres after San Félix we noticed the newly built, more comfortable "Cabinas La Isleta".
San Félix – Tolé:
Tolé lies about 2 kilometres before the top of the pass, a little off (2 km) the Pan-American Highway. There are supposed to be private rooms here, or a place to stay at the mission. At the top of the pass there is a petrol station and a small restaurant. Then comes a winding descent with several short climbs. These hurdles are exhausting and monotonous! A constant up and down for 100 kilometres. About 5 kilometres before Santiago you can sense civilisation again, because the "sodas" (small restaurants) become more frequent.
In general, after the Panamanian border there are fewer places to buy supplies than we were used to. Many towns on the Pan-American Highway lie a little away from the main road. This stretch (David – Santiago) is generally considered a "lean stretch" for bike globetrotters.
In Santiago, a rather inhospitable town, we set off again early in the morning after a night at the hotel "Gran David".
In Penonomé, at the hotel "La Pradera", which we are happy to recommend, we meet Malinka, a development worker in agriculture. She spontaneously lent us her laptop, and her invitation to a tour of the town was very welcome. Malinka knows Central America extremely well and gives us lots of good tips for the way to Gorgona.
Happily with sunshine again, we come across several exhausting "up and down" stretches. At Playa Gorgona we want to spend a few restful days and relax. Nobody was expecting us! The hotels were closed, run down, or in a state you might call "renovation". The thought of camping was also soon forgotten, because there are no suitable places for it. Many plots are locked up with a "se vende" (for sale) sign. We assume this has to do with the Americans leaving 9 years ago. A little tired, and riding aimlessly through the streets, we meet Inés, an elderly Panamanian lady, who immediately realised we were looking for somewhere to stay. Shortly afterwards, for 40 USD a night, we get a well-kept house with a garden, a children's paddling pool and everything we need. Delighted with this stroke of luck, for 4 days we feel like Panamanian homeowners.
On the hard shoulder on the way to Panama City we are often surprised by big holes more than a metre across. These are cast concrete covers, frames and all, that have been ripped out and stolen. Extremely dangerous for bicycles, and a profitable sideline for thieves. Falling into one of these holes, several metres deep, with a bike would be a disaster! One more reason not to be out at night, because holes like these are also found in the pavements.
Riding into the city by bike is said to be anything from adventurous to dangerous. Already a few kilometres before the "Puente de las Américas", the lanes of the Pan-American Highway get narrower and narrower, and there is no hard shoulder at all. It gets tight! That is why we want to take a hotel room in Arraiján, the last larger town before Panama City, and take a taxi into the heart of this metropolis of 3 million people. Arraiján only has an "hourly hotel", which doesn't appeal to us. While we are standing on a street corner looking for the way, Glen invites us into his house. His explanation that it is far too dangerous out here in the "red zone" because of youth gangs makes us think. Glen's suggestion to drive us in his pickup straight to a hotel in the city was the welcome solution for us. We get all the advice we need for our safety and are immediately equipped with pepper spray. No joke! Some districts of Panama City are off-limits for tourists! And you shouldn't be out on the streets at night either. The list of violent crimes, both in number and in variety, is worrying. In December especially, attacks are very frequent. Even so, we enjoy a safe tour of the city with Glen, who picks us up from the hotel and brings us back several times.
Many thanks to Glen for the sight seeing tour through Panama-City and your frendly help.
A "highlight" was the Panama Canal (completed in 1913), where we could watch everything happening around the Miraflores locks. Other sights: Panama City's Ciudad Vieja, the Puente de las Américas, the church "Natá de los Caballeros" built in 1522, the Puente Centenario made by Germany, and a visit to Glen's brother, a well-known builder of dugout canoes. These 4-seater boats of fine hardwood are made for a 3-day international "Ocean to Ocean Race" through the Panama Canal. All handmade! Glen's whole family are keen canoeists and have already won several prizes and titles. After 5 days in Panama City and almost 4,000 kilometres through Central America, we decide to spend Christmas in Florida.
Our recommendation for cycling globetrotters:
The Ortlieb front pannier, folded 3 times with the closure at the top, is not watertight in extreme downpours. Pull the closure down tight with the carrying strap, or cover the bags with rubbish sacks.
A rain poncho is useless! The Central American climate is too hot and too humid. Because you sweat, the plastic gets just as wet inside as outside in no time. Careful: heat build-up can make you feel sick.
"Flip-flops" make the ideal substitute for shoes. Changing into them early saves using up lots of toilet paper to dry your shoes (one roll per shoe).
After 520 kilometres we leave Panama with these memories:
Glen: a friend who showed us Panama City and its sights
Playa Gorgona: a restful week in our rented "Panamanian home"
A transit country: from Costa Rica to Colombia, not very attractive for cyclists
Rain showers: constant and heavy! Reached the hotel soaked to the skin, in "flip-flops"
The Miraflores locks: the link from the Pacific to the Atlantic
Panama's Ciudad Vieja: a "don't miss", but to be enjoyed with caution
The Pan-American Highway: boring, monotonous, countless exhausting "ups and downs"
David - Santiago: a 200-kilometre lean stretch with nowhere to buy supplies
Lanes and pavements: dangerous holes left by stolen cast covers
The canoe builder and his hardwood boats, each made from a single tree trunk
