There is a strange reputation surrounding David.
Ask some travellers about it and you might hear that David is boring, hot, dusty, overly commercial or lacking the colonial charm of places like Casco Viejo. Others will tell you that there is nothing particularly fascinating about it and that it is simply the place you pass through on the way to Boquete, Bocas del Toro or Costa Rica.
And yet there is another way of looking at David.
David is one of the best places in Panama to stop being a tourist for a little while and actually experience what ordinary Panamanian life looks like.
It isn't trying desperately to impress you. It doesn't have a famous skyline. It doesn't have a postcard perfect old town on every corner. It isn't built around backpackers. It doesn't feel like a resort. And that's precisely what makes it interesting.
David is a working city.
It is where people go to shop, work, study, visit doctors, eat lunch, meet friends, run errands, buy furniture, fix their cars, go to the bank, take their children to school and get on with everyday life. It is the commercial and practical heart of Chiriquí, and that makes it fundamentally different from Panama's heavily tourist oriented destinations.
David Is Where You Get Things Done
For travellers, one of David's greatest attractions is something that would never appear on a typical list of Panama's most beautiful places.
It is incredibly useful.
Need a new pair of shoes? David.
Need groceries? David.
Need to repair your phone? David.
Need a pharmacy? David.
Need a bank? David.
Need a dentist? David.
Need a new backpack, piece of camping equipment, SIM card, haircut, haircut that you desperately needed three weeks ago, or some obscure item that you couldn't find in a tiny mountain town? There is a good chance you can find it in David.
This is one of the reasons long term travellers eventually develop a strange affection for the city. You may not arrive thinking, "I can't wait to spend three days in David," but after travelling through remote parts of Panama, you can arrive in town and suddenly realize just how convenient it is.
You can get laundry done.
You can restock.
You can deal with bureaucracy.
You can eat whatever you have been craving.
You can withdraw money.
You can replace something you lost.
You can sit in air conditioning.
And suddenly that supposedly "boring" city becomes exactly what you needed.
David Is the Real Panama That Tourists Sometimes Miss
There is a particular kind of travel experience that happens when you leave the tourist bubble.
You go somewhere where nobody is waiting for tourists to arrive.
The restaurant menu isn't written specifically for foreigners. The people sitting beside you aren't necessarily backpackers. The shopkeeper isn't trying to sell you a souvenir. The conversation happening at the next table has absolutely nothing to do with tourism.
That's David.
It is a chance to see Panama as a country where people actually live rather than simply as a collection of attractions.
You can sit in a plaza and watch families go about their evening. You can visit a local market. You can eat a Panamanian lunch surrounded by people who aren't on vacation. You can watch people shopping for groceries, hear conversations in Spanish and observe the everyday rhythm of a city that isn't dependent on tourism.
The municipal government itself highlights David's markets, museums, historic buildings, parks and cultural activities, including traditional events in Barrio Bolívar.
That may not sound as exciting as jumping into a Caribbean waterfall.
But sometimes ordinary life is the travel experience.
The People Are Part of the Attraction
One of David's greatest qualities is its people.
Travellers who arrive expecting every Panamanian interaction to be a tourism transaction can discover something different in David. People are simply going about their lives.
You might have a conversation with somebody in a shop who has no reason to speak English. You might find a restaurant owner who is genuinely interested in where you're from. You might have someone help you figure out a bus connection. You might end up chatting with a taxi driver about the weather, baseball, football, politics, family or whatever happens to come up.
These little encounters aren't necessarily going to appear in your photographs.
But they can become some of the memories you remember longest.
There is something refreshing about spending time somewhere where you're not constantly being sold an experience.
And Yes, David Is Safe, With the Usual Urban Caveats
David generally has a relatively manageable safety environment for a city of its size, but it is important not to turn that into the claim that nothing ever happens there.
It is a real city, and normal urban precautions make sense. Petty theft and opportunistic crime can occur, and some areas deserve more caution than others, particularly at night.
Panamanian authorities have also been conducting targeted security operations in parts of David, including around the old public market and several neighborhoods, with the stated goal of strengthening public safety and reclaiming public spaces.
For a traveller, the sensible approach is simple. Keep an eye on your belongings, don't wander aimlessly into unfamiliar areas late at night, be sensible with your phone and valuables, and ask locals or your accommodation if you're uncertain about an area.
There is no need to walk around David terrified.
In fact, one of the city's pleasures is simply being able to walk around and observe ordinary life.
The Heat Is Part of the Experience
There is one thing David absolutely does not hide.
It is hot.
David sits in the lowlands, and the heat can be intense compared with the cooler highlands around Boquete and the mountains of Chiriquí. That heat influences the rhythm of the city.
People get things done early.
The middle of the day can feel slower.
Then, as the afternoon begins to cool, the city becomes more active again.
This is something travellers can actually use to their advantage. Get your errands done in the morning, retreat somewhere cool during the hottest part of the day, and then head back out in the late afternoon.
David isn't necessarily a city you conquer by walking around aimlessly from noon until 5 PM under a tropical sun.
It is a city you learn to move through according to its climate.
Parque Cervantes and the Pleasure of Doing Absolutely Nothing
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Park is a perfect example of the kind of attraction David offers.
It isn't necessarily going to make someone fly halfway around the world.
But sit there for a while.
Watch people.
Listen.
Have a snack.
Look at what people are doing.
Let the city happen around you.
That's the kind of experience that can be surprisingly enjoyable when you're travelling for a long time. Not every afternoon needs to involve a waterfall, a volcano or a once in a lifetime adventure.
Sometimes sitting in a park watching everyday life is exactly what you need.
The Markets Are More Interesting Than They Sound
David's markets are another reason to wander around.
The city's official tourism information highlights several markets, including the Mercado de San Mateo and the Mercado de la Cadena de Frío.
For tourists, markets can initially seem almost disappointingly ordinary.
But that's the point.
You're seeing where people shop.
You're seeing what fruits and vegetables are available.
You're seeing local prices.
You're seeing what people actually eat.
You're hearing the conversations.
You're watching produce being moved around.
You're experiencing a piece of the country's economic life rather than simply buying something labelled "Panama" for tourists.
For someone interested in authentic travel, this can be much more rewarding than another souvenir shop.
David Has Culture, It Just Isn't Always Packaged for Tourists
One reason people sometimes say David lacks character is that they are looking for character in the wrong places.
They expect a perfectly preserved colonial street.
They expect colorful buildings.
They expect charming cafés every few meters.
David's character is more subtle.
The city has historic buildings, museums, traditional neighborhoods, markets, local festivals and regional food traditions. The municipality identifies places including the Torre de la Catedral de San José, the Museo Histórico y de Arte José de Obaldía and the Museo Guerra de Coto among its cultural sites.
The city also has traditional events such as the Festival Tambor Chiricano and the famous celebrations surrounding San José de David.
This is not a city where every historic building has been polished specifically for Instagram.
Its history is mixed into modern life.
And sometimes that makes it more interesting.
Food Is Another Reason to Stay
David is a particularly good place to eat if you want to experience Chiriquí rather than simply eat food designed for international visitors.
You can find familiar international food, of course, but you can also seek out traditional Panamanian dishes.
The municipality highlights foods such as sancocho, almojábanas and mono en bijao as part of the local culinary tradition.
This is another example of why David works so well for travellers who want something less polished.
You don't necessarily need to find the "best restaurant in David."
Sometimes the better experience is finding a busy local restaurant, ordering something you don't recognize and asking somebody what it is.
David Is a Great Base for Exploring Chiriquí
Perhaps David's biggest geographical advantage is that it sits in an extraordinarily useful position.
From the city, you can reach the highlands, Pacific beaches, coffee country and other parts of western Panama relatively easily.
That makes David particularly useful for travellers who don't want to stay in one tourist destination for their entire trip.
You can use David as your logistical base.
Spend a couple of days getting organized.
Head into the mountains.
Come back.
Go to the coast.
Return to David.
Continue toward Bocas.
Or head toward Costa Rica.
It becomes the practical center of a much larger adventure.
And sometimes the place that makes a trip easier deserves more credit than the place that looks better in photographs.
The Things To Do in David Aren't Always "Wow"
This might be the most important thing to understand.
You may not spend every day in David thinking, "This is the most incredible thing I've ever seen."
And that's okay.
You can go shopping.
Get coffee.
Eat lunch.
Visit a museum.
Walk around a park.
Go to the market.
Watch a football game.
Have a beer.
Go to the cinema.
Get a haircut.
Meet someone for dinner.
Visit a local neighborhood.
Go to the gym.
Do your laundry.
Buy supplies.
Sit in an air conditioned shopping center when the afternoon becomes ridiculously hot.
These aren't necessarily activities people travel thousands of miles to do.
But when you're travelling for months, normal life becomes part of the adventure.
David Is Where Backpackers Can Reset
After spending time hiking through jungle, sleeping in hostels, taking buses, swimming in rivers and constantly moving from one destination to another, you eventually need a reset.
David is exceptionally good for that.
It is a place where you can stop.
Charge everything.
Wash everything.
Eat properly.
Buy what you need.
Organize your finances.
Make phone calls.
Plan the next stage of your trip.
And then continue.
That's why experienced backpackers sometimes appreciate cities that first time visitors dismiss.
They're not looking for another attraction.
They're looking for function.
David functions incredibly well.
It Doesn't Have to Compete With Boquete
One of the biggest mistakes is comparing David and Boquete as though one has to win.
They offer completely different experiences.
Boquete has mountains, cooler weather, coffee farms, hiking, flowers and a much stronger tourism and expat presence.
David is hotter, flatter, busier and more practical.
One feels like a mountain destination.
The other feels like a Panamanian city.
You don't necessarily have to choose.
You can experience both.
And doing so can actually make you understand Chiriquí much better.
The "Lack of Character" Argument
So does David lack character?
If by character you mean picturesque streets, charming colonial architecture and an obvious tourist identity, then yes, David can feel relatively ordinary.
But if character means people, routines, culture, food, noise, markets, history, family life, local traditions and the feeling of an actual city functioning every day, then David has plenty of it.
Its character simply isn't packaged up and handed to you.
You have to look for it.
That's actually what makes David interesting.
The city doesn't constantly tell you what you're supposed to find fascinating.
You decide.
The Traveller Who Gives David a Chance May Be Surprised
There is a certain irony to David.
People sometimes arrive expecting nothing and then end up staying longer than planned.
They find a favorite restaurant.
They make a local friend.
They discover a market.
They realize how easy it is to get things done.
They enjoy having a normal afternoon.
They discover that the city is less intimidating than they expected.
They use it as a base and gradually begin to understand it.
And eventually they realize something important about travel.
A place doesn't have to be spectacular to be memorable.
Some destinations impress you immediately.
Others grow on you.
David belongs to the second category.
It is not Panama's prettiest city. It is not the country's most romantic city. It isn't the place you necessarily brag about visiting.
But it is real.
It is practical.
It is friendly.
It is useful.
It is culturally interesting.
It is a gateway to some of the most spectacular landscapes in western Panama.
And perhaps most importantly, it gives travellers something that heavily touristed destinations sometimes struggle to provide:
the chance to simply exist in Panama for a while.
You can walk through the city, buy your groceries, eat lunch, talk to a stranger, sit in a park, watch the afternoon unfold and realize that you aren't experiencing Panama as an attraction.
You're experiencing it as a place where people live.
And for travellers who are willing to slow down enough to notice, that ordinary experience can become one of the most authentic parts of the entire journey.