Best Time to Visit Panama

If you are planning your trip to Panama, or are thinking about when to travel to this Central American country, it is important that you take note of which season is the best to enjoy the country.

When to travel to Panama

In Panama there are two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season.

But in term of affluence, it also has three seasons, the high, medium and low season.

And because of the holidays, you can find yourself in the rainy season and the high season, as we did.

In any case, as Panama is a tropical country, the temperatures are always pleasant and even hot.

They can vary from 30 degrees during the day, to 24 degrees at night.

Weather in Panama

Panama is located in Central America, bordering Colombia to the south in the Dairién area and Costa Rica to the north.

Panama’s climate is tropical, and can be divided into two climatic regions: the coast along the Caribbean Sea and the coast along the Pacific Ocean.

Both climatic regions have temperatures ranging from 25°C to 32°C.

The Caribbean Sea coast is much wetter than the Pacific, which receives an average annual rainfall of between 1,500 and 3,600 mm, while along the Pacific Ocean coast it receives about 1,100-2,300 mm a year.

Also along the Caribbean coast it rains with the same intensity throughout the year, while along the Pacific coast it is a dry season between January and April.

The southern regions of the country near the border with Colombia have a rainy season that lasts all year round also along the Pacific coast. Due to the tropical climate that characterizes the whole country the relative humidity is very high throughout Panama.

The sea temperature along the coast of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea is around 28 ° C throughout the year.

Rainy season

The rainy season runs from the end of April until December, when the dry season begins.

During these months you will find days with some rain, days with heavy rain and clear days.

That is, even though you are in the rainy season, it is not going to rain every day.

Even at the end of this season, the Pacific coast is drier.

The wettest month of this season is May.

We travel in the month of November, at the end of this season.

And it did rain on us, especially in Panama City and San Blas.

However, in both Santa Catalina and Boquete, the weather was excellent.

Dry season

The dry season starts in December and ends in April.

In this season you will be able to enjoy a very good climate.

Although that does not stop it from raining in certain areas, such as Panama City, and the Canal.

For the canal to remain navigable, and therefore the country’s largest source of income, it has to rain, and it does rain.

We were told that in that area, it rains more than 300 days a year, although the rains are not abundant throughout the year.

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High season

The high season corresponds mainly to the festivities.

That is Christmas, New Year and Easter.

But keep one date in mind, November 2nd, is the biggest holiday in the country, that day and the next three.

We started our trip right on that date, and boy did it condition us.

On the one hand, accommodation is scarce and becomes much more expensive.

This is because this holiday, which celebrates Independence, is the only time of year that Panamanians can enjoy several days of vacation in a row.

They work from Monday to Saturday throughout the year.

So they take advantage of those days to visit family and enjoy the most touristic places in the country.

And these places are Bocas del Toro, San Blas and Santa Catalina.

Our intention was to go from Panama City to San Blas or Bocas del Toro, but we were warned there that we would have trouble finding accommodation, besides being very expensive.

So we went to Santa Catalina thinking it would be more empty.

Wrong.

It was quite difficult for us, once we arrived, to find accommodation, but finally we did, and it was in a spectacular place that we recommend.

We stayed at Surfers Paradise.

Low season

The low season comprises the rainy months, i.e.

from April to the beginning of December.

The prices go down considerably, and there are not many people.

We were able to enjoy incredible places like Bastimentos in Bocas del Toro at a good price and practically alone.

Also, the weather was very good, except for the last day.

In San Blas it rained on our first day, it was raining as if the world was going to end.

The rest of the days the weather was very good, and we could enjoy “our island” in almost solitude.

And in Boquete we had spectacular weather.

Medium season

The average season corresponds to the months of the dry season when there are no holidays.

This is perhaps the best time of year to travel to Panama.

Since the climate is good, prices are not high and you can enjoy an incredible country.

We loved Panama.

Apart from all these factors, due to the country’s orography and its two peaks bathed by different seas, the climate changes depending on where you go

When to Visit Bocas del Toro

The best months to go to Bocas del Toro are September, October, February and March.

But don’t forget that if the Holy Week falls in March, you will have a hard time, as it is a very popular area for cars

Weather in Panama City

In Panama City it rains most of the year.

When to visit Boquete

If you want to visit Boquete, and enjoy the Route of the Quetzals the most favorable months are from December to April.

But again, consider the Christmas, New Year and Easter holidays.

When to Visit San Blas

The best months to visit the San Blas archipelago are the dry season months.

But like anywhere in the country, try to avoid the holidays.

When to visit Santa Catalina

The middle season is the best time to visit Santa Catalina, as it is the dry season on that Pacific coast.

It’s an incredible and very quiet place.

The real rural Panama, with incredible beaches and the impressive Coiba National Park.

Don’t forget about travel insurance when you go to Panama.

Situations can always occur where you have an accident, need a medical transfer or even medication.

And a medical bill in Panama, especially if you have to go through a hospital can be really high.

We tell you what you have to take into account when looking for the insurance that best suits your trip in this link, Panama Travel Insurance.

PANAMA CLIMATE CHART

So When to go to Panama ?

The best months for a trip to Panama are the driest (at least along the Pacific coast) between January and April.