8 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Panama - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Panama

Panama City, Panama

Mercado De Abastos

A huge, bustling local market in Panama City.

Anton Valley, Panama

Valley of Square Trees

Right angles in the forests of Panama.

Limones, Panama

Tigre Salvaje

A no-frills, DIY nature preserve manned by a U.S. expat who has dedicated his life to turtle conservation.

Balboa District, Panama

Wreck of the Sub Marine Explorer

The rusting hulk of the first independent submarine was lost after causing a plague of decompression sickness.

Panama City, Panama

Ancon Hill, República de Panamá

A pocket of jungle amidst urban expansion in Panama.

Portobelo, Panama

Black Christ of Portobelo

A mysterious dark-skinned Christ statue has been this town's religious center for centuries.

Panama City, Panama

Baha'i Temple

From a distance, Latin America's first Baha'i Temple looks like an enormous egg perched atop a hill.

Panama City, Panama

Parque Urraca

This softball diamond has a culture all its own.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Panama

Panama City, Panama

Mercado De Abastos

A huge, bustling local market in Panama City.

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Stories About Panama

A new study finds that black-handed spider monkeys like their fruits, well, boozy.

Monkeys Love Their Alcohol

But proving the “drunken monkey” hypothesis has been an exhausting—and messy—endeavor.

<em>Azteca</em> ants live within cecropia trees.

These Ants in Panama Are Masters of Damage Control

An incident with a slingshot led scientists to a greater understanding of the relationship between the insects and their host trees.

by Jonathan Moens

January 25, 2022

There are 49 Guna communities on the island archipelago of Guna Yala.

The Secret History of Panamá’s Most Colorful Clothes

In Guna Yala, indigenous women sew stories of legend, revolution, and even Minnie Mouse into the elaborate textiles known as molas.

November 17, 2021

An aerial view of a few of the artificial islands that make up the development project known as The World, a short boat ride from the coast of Dubai.

How to Build an Island

All you need is a dream, investors with deep pockets, and concrete. A lot of concrete.

by Alastair Bonnett

August 17, 2021

A green sea turtle, tangled in a ghost net in 2014.

Ghost Nets Haunt the World's Oceans, Hunting Beyond the Grave

Who you gonna call?

by Sabrina Imbler

October 28, 2019

The San San River.

Biologists in Panama Eavesdrop on Manatees for Their Own Good

In the murky waters of Bocas del Toro, you can't see the manatees, but you can hear them.

by Sabrina Imbler

October 9, 2019

A lot goes into a túngara frog's ability to attract a mate.

Urban Frogs Make More Attractive Mating Calls

Yo! The old tale of city-frog, country-frog now has a decisive winner.

by Matthew Taub

December 10, 2018

Meet the newly identified Waorani dog-faced bat.

Found: Two New Species of Dog-Faced Bats

No, they won't make good pets.

by Vittoria Traverso

January 18, 2018

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