What we remember most from school about Panama is the Panama Canal. And it is really an engineering marvel worth observing. We got the chance to visit this unique destination because of an event, World of Coffee 2026 in Panama City.
Unlike Mexico City which sits at 2,240 meters above sea level and is punishing for those with altitude sickness, Panama is comfortably at sea level.
The historic district where we stayed is called Casco Viejo, a walking city with lots of churches and plazas, similar to other places which were once colonies of Spain. You can close your eyes and imagine Vigan, Ilocos Sur with the tiled streets and uneven sidewalks or imagine yourself thrown back to the 1800s.
Panama is known in the coffee world as the birthplace of Gesha or Geisha (not to be confused with the Japanese meaning) Arabica which is now touted to be the most expensive coffee variety available. Though Gesha can also be found in nearby Costa Rica, Panama has claimed it and is benefiting from its popularity. At $3,000 per kilo, a cup of this coffee variety could cost you anywhere from $10-20 at specialty shops.
I chose a special store called The Geisha Experience, a beautiful high- ceiling shop located in the center of Casco Viejo, a few hundred meters from my hotel. Here I was welcomed by a young barista named Diego who described the Geisha I could taste in a “flight” – three kinds of the special coffee variety processed differently.
Diego led me through a taste experience and paired the different samples with chocolates for the washed coffee, dates for honey process and the fermented one with sugared walnuts. They served the coffee in proper wine glasses, served the brew at 80-85 degrees Celsius and labeled each one as Diego described the process, the proper pairing, whether sweet or savory, for a very unique and pleasurable gastronomic experience.
All around the room are samples from some 90 different producers from all over Panama. Prices range from $25 to $258 for a La Finca Esmeralda (LFE) selection and $300 for a Hartmann collection. The entire enterprise is run by an association composed of the same coffee producers and all their coffee products are roasted at origin (place of the farm).
It is a coffee lover’s paradise to see all these Geisha coffees in one room. And this is a great tourist experience, even if you are not a coffee drinker. Similar to tea tastings, a Geisha experience like this is only possible in a city like Panama due to its being the very origin of the coffee variety.
Other than this experience, it is also a pleasant surprise to try local food – sancocho, ceviche (like our kinilaw) and an array of fresh seafood from their Mercado de Mariscos (seafood market) where we asked for grilled lobster and fried sea bass, eaten with coconut rice or patacones, fried mashed plantains that can be eaten as a side dish or alone, just like a snack.
And finally the Panama Canal tour. You can drive over or take an Uber and the canal visits are best done early morning, like 8 a.m. The ticket booths open for the sightings from 8-10 a.m. and again after lunch from 2-4 p.m. About 35-40 ships cross or pass the canal each day and it would take about half an hour to see it enter from the Pacific Ocean side, come up to eight meters, then another eight before it reaches the elevation of the Gatun Lake, a man-made lake which is about 20 meters higher than the Pacific. Designed like a stairwell, the canal allows a shorter access from one ocean to another and is Panama’s main tourist attraction. It is also Panama’s highest revenue earner, as each ship passing can pay up to $100,000 or more. Smaller ships can pay less as rates are dependent on size and cargo of the vessel.
Panama City is split between the new side peppered with skyscrapers and the old historic side with interesting old structures, churches and old preserved buildings like The American hotel, the 16-room La Compania boutique hotel (now managed by Hyatt) and the 35-room Hotel San Felipe. Some churches ask for a $2 donation to help maintain the air-conditioned halls, but we did find a church with anticipated Sunday mass which charged nothing. Just follow the church bells ringing and chances are there is a mass about to be celebrated. The currency exchange is easy, as US dollar to a Panama balboa is one-to-one. You can even pay purchases in US dollars.
The city is a nice stopover from Asia or the US to the other Central and South American destinations. As it is at sea level you will not need to acclimatize for the high altitudes of most other cities like Mexico and Colombia, but will get you used to the time zone. The coffee plantations, however, are located on higher ground and are three to four hours’ drive from the city center.
The Panama Canal and the Geisha coffee plantations may be two good reasons for come here like I did. And a good gateway to the Americas – Costa Rica on one side, Colombia on the other. We have the Panamanian embassy in BGC Taguig where Ambassador Eduardo Young welcomed us early this year and he brought up the visit to World of Coffee Panama which became our main reason for going. He also gifted us with a bag of Geisha coffee from the famous Janson farms.
Travel to Panama is easy as flights from Japan and the US are many. While Filipinos need visas to Panama, holders of certain visas like the US and Schengen countries are exempted.