There are shopping malls, and then there is Multiplaza Panamá.
If you are travelling through Panama City and suddenly realize you need new clothes, a haircut, medicine, electronics, a phone accessory, decent coffee, dinner, a movie and possibly something ridiculously expensive that you absolutely did not plan on buying, Multiplaza is the sort of place where you can deal with all of those problems without leaving the building.
Multiplaza is one of Panama City's biggest and most sophisticated shopping destinations, with more than 500 stores and businesses covering everything from supermarkets and pharmacies to banks, restaurants, entertainment and some of the world's biggest luxury brands.
In other words, it is almost a small city that has decided to become air conditioned.
☀️ The Perfect Escape From Panama City's Heat
One of the great pleasures of Multiplaza is simply walking through the doors.
Outside, Panama City can be gloriously hot and humid.
Inside?
Air conditioning.
Beautiful floors.
Bright shops.
Coffee.
Food.
And the distinct feeling that your body has just been rescued from the tropical atmosphere.
For travellers, this makes Multiplaza surprisingly useful even if you are not particularly interested in shopping.
You can spend a couple of hours escaping the heat, getting things done, eating something good and continuing your sightseeing later when the sun becomes slightly less aggressive.
👕 Clothes? You Have Come to the Right Place
If your backpack has reached the stage where everything smells vaguely like a combination of bus, jungle and questionable hostel laundry, Multiplaza can help.
The mall has a huge selection of clothing and footwear, from affordable international brands to high end fashion.
You will find names such as H&M, Zara, Levi's, Adidas, Nike, New Balance, Converse, Vans, Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste, Massimo Dutti, Old Navy and Under Armour, alongside a very long list of other fashion brands.
So if you arrived in Panama with three T shirts and one pair of shorts and suddenly decide you need to look like a functioning adult again, this is a good place to begin.
There is also a particularly large sports and outdoor selection, including Decathlon, Columbia, Speedo, New Balance, Nike, Adidas and others.
Which is convenient because Panama has a nasty habit of convincing travellers to buy things for adventures they did not originally plan to have.
💻 Electronics, Phones and Random Things You Suddenly Need
Travel creates strange shopping requirements.
You might need a new charging cable.
A power bank.
Headphones.
A phone case.
A camera accessory.
A new pair of sunglasses.
Something to replace the thing you forgot in Costa Rica.
Or something to replace the thing you lost somewhere between Bocas del Toro and Panama City.
Multiplaza has electronics and technology stores including Mac Store, Xiaomi, Sony, DJI, Anker, Multimax and Panafoto, along with phone and communications services.
This makes it particularly useful for long term travellers who suddenly realize their technological survival system is held together by one charging cable and optimism.
💊 Banks, Pharmacy and All Those Boring Things You Actually Need
This is where Multiplaza becomes more than just a shopping trip.
There are banks, a pharmacy, optical stores, beauty services, salons, luggage shops, cleaning services and other practical businesses inside the mall.
You can potentially deal with several annoying life problems in one visit.
Need cash?
There are banks.
Need glasses?
There are optical shops.
Need medication?
There is a pharmacy.
Need a haircut?
There are salons.
Need luggage because your backpack has finally surrendered?
There are luggage stores.
Need to send money?
There are financial services.
This is why Multiplaza is particularly useful for travellers who have been moving around Panama for a while. Eventually you need to stop being an adventurous backpacker for approximately two hours and deal with real life.
☕ And Then There Is the Food
You could probably spend half a day just eating your way around Multiplaza.
The current restaurant selection includes everything from coffee shops and bakeries to sushi, Italian food, burgers, pizza, Chinese food, Mediterranean food, Mexican food and international chains.
There is Café Unido, Starbucks, Juan Valdez, Athanasiou, Maison Kayser, Lucca Trattoria, Benihana, Brava Pizza, La Cocina Mediterránea, Sushi Express, Crepes & Waffles, Tony Roma's, Applebee's, Wings Bar & Grill and plenty more.
There is also the classic food court experience when you simply want something quick and inexpensive.
And then there are those dangerous little places selling desserts.
You know the ones.
You walk past thinking, "I don't need anything."
Five minutes later you are holding something covered in chocolate.
This is how malls win.
🎬 You Can Even Go to the Movies
Multiplaza has a Cinépolis cinema on the third level, so your shopping expedition can easily turn into an entire afternoon or evening out.
This is especially useful on one of those classic Panama City afternoons when the weather decides to unleash tropical rain upon the entire city.
Instead of sitting in your hotel room listening to rain hammer the windows, you can go shopping, eat dinner and watch a movie.
Suddenly the terrible weather has become part of your entertainment budget.
💎 And Then There Is Luxury Avenue
Now things get slightly more ridiculous.
Multiplaza does not just cater to people looking for sneakers and coffee.
It has a substantial luxury section known as Luxury Avenue, with brands including Gucci, Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Tiffany & Co., Omega and Zegna, among others.
You can therefore go from looking for a reasonably priced pair of sandals to staring through a window at a handbag that costs more than your entire backpacking trip.
That is part of the fun.
You do not necessarily have to buy anything.
Sometimes luxury shopping is simply entertainment.
🧳 Especially Useful for Backpackers
Multiplaza might initially sound like somewhere designed for wealthy shoppers, but backpackers can actually get a lot out of it.
You can replace clothing.
Buy travel gear.
Get toiletries.
Fix your phone situation.
Withdraw money.
Grab a decent meal.
Drink good coffee.
Go to the cinema.
Buy gifts.
Replace luggage.
Get a haircut.
Sort out practical errands.
And escape the heat.
All in one place.
That is particularly useful before or after heading into the rest of Panama, where shopping options become considerably more limited once you leave the capital.
🌴 Panama City Has Everything. Multiplaza Just Puts It Under One Roof.
That is really the appeal.
Panama City is a huge, modern capital with skyscrapers, international businesses, restaurants, nightlife and enormous shopping centres. Multiplaza is one of the places where that modern side of Panama becomes particularly obvious.
It is polished.
It is comfortable.
It is international.
And it is slightly dangerous for your wallet.
You can walk in needing nothing and walk out several hours later carrying a new shirt, sunglasses, coffee, dinner, electronics and something you bought because you were "just looking."
But if you are travelling through Panama and need to get your life organized, buy something you forgot, escape the heat, eat well or simply spend a few hours somewhere comfortable, Multiplaza is one of the easiest places in Panama City to do it.
Basically, if you are wondering whether you can probably find what you need there, the answer is:
Probably.
And if they don't have it, you may have discovered something you didn't know you needed instead.