Baseball, a local passion
Baseball (béisbol) is the "national sport"! Played since the 1870s, it is far more popular than soccer, especially in the provinces. The Panamanian league comprises a dozen teams, including Panama, Chiriquí, Herrera, Colón and Panama Metro. Many Panamanian players have been recruited by US teams, and some have become true stars, starting with Mariano Rivera, considered "the best pitcher of all time" and who finally retired in 2013 after 19 seasons with the mythical New York Yankees. A national legend!
Local boxing legends
On June 18, 1929, "Panamá" Al Brown became the first Latin American world champion in boxing history. But it was above all Roberto Durán, alias Mano de Piedra (Hand of Stone), world boxing champion in four categories, who truly brought Panamanian boxing into the limelight from 1972 onwards: an impressive record of 103 victories, including 69 by KO ("nocauts", as the Panamanians say). This living legend has given rise to numerous vocations among the country's youth. While no one has yet managed to match him, Panamanian boxers continue to defend themselves well in the ring, and the noble art remains a very popular sport in Panama.
Great performances in athletics
Panama boasts internationally renowned athletes who have sometimes shone, such as Irving Saladino (2007 world champion and 2008 Olympic champion in the long jump), Bayano Kamani (400 m hurdles) or, more recently, Alonso Edward, 2009 world vice-champion and 2014, 2015 and 2016 Diamond League winner in the 200 m.
Hiking and trekking
Throughout the country, hikes and treks can be organized from the rainforest to the warm sands of the beaches. The country's most famous hike is the ascent of Parque Nacional Volcàn Barú, one of the few places on the planet where you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from the same spot, and the country's highest point (3,475 m). In the same National Park, the Sendero de los Quetzales (Quetzal Trail) is also a very popular hike (5.7 km). But even in the capital, at the Parque Metropolitano, you can put on your hiking boots. So you'll find a multitude of possible walks and hikes in Panama, many of which are listed in this guide.
Get your binoculars!
Nearly a thousand bird species have been recorded in the country, more than in the whole of North America! Several of the country's birding hotspots are internationally renowned: the Achiote Road on the Atlantic side, the Ciénaga de las Macanas (Azuero), the area around the Barú volcano (Chiriqui), the Bay of Panama, the Parque Metropolitano, or the Soberanía Park and its famous Camino del Oleoducto (Pipeline Road), which attracts birders from all over the world. And the list goes on, particularly in more difficult-to-access areas: Cerro Hoya (Veraguas), Cerro Pirre (Darién), Cerro Colorado (Comarga Ngäbe Buglé)...
Rafting, canoeing, kayaking - thrills guaranteed!
With no fewer than 350 rivers flowing into the Pacific and a good 150 into the Atlantic Ocean, Panama's potential for kayaking and rafting enthusiasts is immense: ríos Chagres, Chiriquí Grande, Mamoní or Chiriquí Viejo... The wide variety of waterways (classified from I to IV) will delight initiates and beginners alike.
Waves on both coasts
In Panama, surfers are in for a treat! Perfect waves, powerful spots, walls up to 6 m high, warm water, the possibility of surfing two oceans on the same day... anything is possible here when there's swell. There are numerous surfing destinations on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Among the most famous on the Pacific side are the Azuero peninsula(Playa Venao, Playa Guanico, Cambutal, Mariato, Playa Morrillo), the beaches of Panamá province (Malibú, Playa Teta, San Carlos, Rio Mar) and the unmissable Santa Catalina, one of the best spots in Central America. On the Caribbean side, head for Bocas del Toro, Bastimentos or Isla Grande for great waves. Panama also offers a number of windsurfing and, above all, kitesurfing spots, such as Punta Chame, around 1h30 from the capital.
A fishing destination
"Panama" means "abundance of fish" in the indigenous language. The position of the Panamanian Isthmus and its many rivers flowing into both oceans make Panama a benchmark for traditional, fly and sport fishing. For sport fishing, it's mainly the Pacific that attracts specialists, from the Gulf of Chiriqui to the Darién. The practice of catch and release (or no-kill) consists of systematically releasing your catch into the natural environment where it lives. The 15 kg cubera carp (or red carp) is for photo purposes only, and is then released back into the sea. Fans will be keen to catch groupers, yellow or dogtooth tuna, black or blue marlin, roosterfish, dolphinfish, jacks and even a few tarpon on the Pacific side! This species, normally found in Caribbean waters, has taken advantage of the canal to cross over to the other side. Fishing, more developed on the Pacific side, is possible all year round, but is most enjoyable in the dry season (December to April). You also need to make your choice according to the fish that motivates you; prefer October and November for red carp..
Some diving spots
As the country is still little-known, its scuba diving sites are not yet overrun, so it's up to you to take advantage of them, whether for a scuba dive or a snorkeling session (fins, mask, snorkel). On the Pacific side, the island of Coiba, whose main asset is its great biodiversity, is a site that is still preserved but is attracting a growing number of divers, with some amazing specimens, including humpback whales, rays, dolphins, turtles... Trips are also organized to Isla Iguana, in the Gulf of Chiriqui, or to the Las Perlas archipelago. On the Atlantic coast, the best sites are between Portobelo and San Blas, or in Bocas del Toro.
