Everyday practical information for Panama

The basics

• Plugs are the American flat two-pin, type A and B, at 110 V. European appliances need a converter, not just an adapter, for anything with a heating element.
• Spanish is the language, and English is widely spoken in Panama City, in the canal economy and in tourism - more than anywhere else in Central America.
• The time zone is UTC-5 all year, the same as New York in winter and an hour behind it in summer. Panama does not use daylight saving.
• The dialling code is +507, and there are no area codes.

Climate and clothing

• It is hot and humid at sea level all year. The dry season runs roughly December to April; the rest is the green season, which means an afternoon downpour rather than all-day rain.
• The highlands are genuinely cold at night. Boquete needs a fleece.
• Air conditioning indoors is fierce, on buses especially. Carry a layer.

Small conventions

• The country is small and the distances are short, but the traffic in Panama City is not - budget time, not kilometres.
• Sunday is quiet and many businesses close.
• The Canal is worth the visit, and the Miraflores and Agua Clara visitor centres both have ship schedules published in advance - going at a time when nothing is transiting is the classic mistake.
• Guna Yala has its own government, its own rules and its own charges, including a fee to enter the territory and separate charges for photography in some communities. Bring cash and accept it.