Panama City is one of those places where walking can completely change the way you experience the destination. From the moment you leave your hotel, there is something happening around you. Old colonial buildings sit beside modern towers, buses squeeze through busy streets, vendors sell fruit and snacks, music comes from restaurants, and somewhere in the distance you can often see the enormous skyline rising above the city. Add the Pacific waterfront, Casco Viejo, colourful neighbourhoods, parks, markets and endless little places to stop for a coffee, and suddenly Panama City becomes much more interesting on foot than it ever could be from the back seat of a taxi.
But there is a trick to walking around Panama City safely: don't think of the city as one giant walking zone. Some areas are fantastic for wandering. Others are better explored during daylight. Some streets are busy and lively while the next street over can be surprisingly quiet. And occasionally your phone will suggest a route that looks perfectly logical but isn't necessarily the route you would choose if you could see the whole journey in front of you.
Walking safely in Panama City isn't about being scared. It's about being switched on.
Panama City is a city for wandering, but not wandering blindly
One of the most enjoyable things about Panama City is that you can often have a much better day by abandoning your itinerary for a couple of hours.
You might set out looking for one particular attraction and end up discovering a little bakery. You might walk toward a plaza and find a street full of restaurants. You might start in the old city and end up along the waterfront watching ships moving through the Pacific.
That's the fun of walking.
The mistake is thinking that every possible walking route is equally sensible.
Panama City is large and complicated, and neighbourhoods can change quickly. A street that is busy with pedestrians, shops and restaurants can eventually turn into a quiet residential street. During the daytime, this may simply mean you've wandered somewhere that isn't particularly interesting. Later at night, the same change can make a walk considerably less comfortable.
So don't just ask, "Can I walk there?"
Ask, "Is this a sensible place and time to be walking there?"
That's a much better question.
Casco Viejo is made for walking
For many travellers, Casco Viejo is where the Panama City walking adventure begins.
This historic neighbourhood is almost designed for getting lost in the best possible way. There are plazas, churches, balconies, old stone buildings, narrow streets, restaurants, bars, small shops and spectacular views toward the modern skyline.
You can spend an entire afternoon walking around without covering a huge distance.
And that's part of what makes it enjoyable. You don't have to rush from attraction to attraction. Stop for a coffee. Sit in a plaza. Take photographs. Look at the architecture. Walk toward the water. Turn around and look at the skyscrapers behind the historic buildings.
During the busier parts of the day, there are generally plenty of people around, which makes exploring the main tourist areas feel considerably more relaxed.
But don't let the tourist atmosphere make you careless.
Keep your phone secure. Don't leave your wallet sticking out of a pocket. Keep an eye on your bag when sitting at restaurants. If you're carrying a camera, pay attention to it rather than leaving it hanging unattended.
The goal isn't to walk around nervously.
The goal is simply to enjoy Casco while behaving like someone who knows they're in a big city.
Your phone is probably your most obvious valuable
Backpackers have developed an interesting habit.
They arrive in a foreign city, open Google Maps, put the phone directly in front of their face and start walking.
For the next 25 minutes they are effectively sightseeing through a six inch screen.
Apart from missing half the city, this also isn't a great habit from a personal security perspective.
If you need directions, stop somewhere sensible and check your map. A café, restaurant, hotel lobby or busy corner is better than walking around staring at your phone.
And once you know where you're going, put the phone away.
This has another advantage: you actually see Panama City.
You notice the old buildings.
You notice the street vendors.
You notice the people.
You notice the enormous contrast between the historic centre and the modern skyline.
Your phone can wait.
Backpacks are great until they're too easy to open
A backpack is almost mandatory for many travellers, but remember that it contains exactly the things you'd rather not lose.
Don't put your phone, wallet or passport in the easiest exterior pocket.
Keep zippers closed.
Don't leave valuables sticking out.
In crowded places, particularly around busy shopping streets, transportation areas and markets, pay attention to anyone getting unusually close to you.
A small daypack with a few basic things inside is usually all you need.
You don't need to walk around Panama City carrying your entire travel life.
And if you have a large amount of cash, multiple bank cards, your passport and expensive electronics with you, consider whether you actually need all of them.
The safest valuable is often the one you left locked up at your accommodation.
Traffic may be more important than crime
People often worry about being robbed while walking around a foreign city and completely forget that they have to cross roads.
Don't.
Traffic deserves serious attention in Panama City.
Drivers don't always behave exactly as visitors expect. Turning vehicles, motorcycles, taxis, buses and multiple lanes of traffic can create some surprisingly complicated crossings.
Never assume that a driver has seen you.
If you're crossing, look.
Then look again.
Watch for vehicles turning across your path even when you have the right of way.
And don't blindly follow another pedestrian across a road.
They may know the traffic pattern.
You don't.
A few seconds of patience can make a huge difference.
Panama's rain creates another walking challenge
You haven't really experienced Panama City until you've been caught in a tropical downpour.
The weather can change dramatically.
A bright, sunny afternoon can suddenly become an impressive wall of rain.
And when that happens, sidewalks can become slippery, puddles can appear very quickly and drainage areas can be difficult to see.
This is one reason comfortable shoes are much more useful than fashionable shoes when you're spending a day walking around Panama City.
A lightweight rain jacket or small umbrella can also become one of the most valuable things in your daypack.
And be careful around large puddles.
A puddle can hide an uneven section of pavement, a drain or a surprisingly deep hole.
Don't assume that because it looks like two centimetres of water, it actually is.
The Cinta Costera is walking at its easiest
The Cinta Costera provides a completely different experience from walking through the older parts of the city.
There is open space, fresh air, the Pacific Ocean and one of the most impressive skylines in Central America.
It's an excellent place to stretch your legs after spending time in the more crowded parts of the city.
It's also fantastic around sunset.
Watching Panama City's skyscrapers change colour while the sun disappears over the Pacific is one of those moments where you suddenly understand why the city is such an unusual destination.
Again, though, don't let a beautiful location turn off your awareness.
As the evening gets later, pay attention to how busy the area remains and how you're getting back to your accommodation.
Don't use Google Maps as your personal tour guide
Google Maps is incredibly useful.
But it doesn't know everything.
It doesn't know whether you're comfortable walking through an unfamiliar neighbourhood.
It doesn't know whether you're carrying an expensive camera.
It doesn't know whether the street ahead is busy or almost empty.
And it certainly doesn't know whether you have already had three beers.
If Maps gives you two possible routes and one is through a busy commercial area while the other is a quiet shortcut, take the route with people around.
If you're walking and the environment suddenly feels very different from what you expected, you don't have to continue just because the blue line says so.
Turn around.
Find a busier street.
Take a taxi or rideshare.
There is no prize for completing the route exactly as Google designed it.
Learn to recognize the difference between busy and isolated
This is one of the most useful skills you can develop while travelling.
Busy doesn't automatically mean safe.
Empty doesn't automatically mean dangerous.
But as a general rule, when you're unfamiliar with a city, having other people around gives you more options and more visibility.
Open restaurants.
Shops.
Families.
Workers.
Other travellers.
Taxis.
People walking dogs.
All of these things create what you might call a living street.
A completely deserted street late at night is a very different environment.
If you accidentally find yourself on one, you don't need to panic.
Simply change direction.
Daytime Panama City and nighttime Panama City are different experiences
A street can feel completely different after sunset.
During the day there may be workers, shoppers, tourists and businesses everywhere. At night, those same streets can become much quieter.
That's why one of the best habits for travellers is to plan the journey home before the night gets late.
If you're going to dinner in Casco Viejo, know roughly how you're getting back.
If you're going out for drinks, don't assume you'll want to walk home afterward.
If you're travelling with friends, stay together.
And if you're alone, be particularly sensible about walking long distances late at night.
There's nothing adventurous about getting lost at 1 AM.
It's just inconvenient.
Walk the interesting parts and ride the boring parts
This might be the best Panama City transportation strategy of all.
You don't need to choose between walking everywhere and taking a car everywhere.
Instead, walk where walking is part of the experience.
Explore Casco Viejo on foot.
Walk the waterfront.
Walk around parks and plazas.
Walk through busy central areas during the day.
Then use the Metro, taxi or rideshare to cover long distances or less interesting stretches.
This means you still get the feeling of discovering the city yourself without spending half your day walking alongside major roads.
It's also a great strategy when you're tired.
Your legs don't care that Google Maps says your hotel is only another 45 minutes away.
The Metro can turn a huge city into a small one
Panama City is much easier to explore when you combine public transportation with walking.
Instead of walking several kilometres to reach an attraction, take the Metro and then explore the area around the station.
That lets you spend your energy where it matters.
You can have breakfast somewhere, take the Metro across town, spend several hours walking around another neighbourhood and then use transportation again when you've had enough.
For backpackers, this can be considerably more practical than paying for taxis all day.
Don't be embarrassed to order a ride
There is sometimes a strange backpacker mentality that says taking a taxi means you aren't really travelling.
That's nonsense.
If it's hot, raining, you're exhausted, you're carrying luggage, you're late, you've had a few drinks or your route doesn't feel right, get a ride.
The purpose of walking is to experience the city.
It isn't to prove something.
A five dollar ride that prevents an hour of uncomfortable walking can be money well spent.
Keep your belongings boring
This is one of my favourite rules for travelling through cities.
Try to look boring.
Not suspicious.
Not wealthy.
Not like you're carrying everything you own.
You don't need to wear your most expensive watch, enormous headphones and designer sunglasses while carrying your latest smartphone in one hand and a camera worth thousands of dollars around your neck.
You can still look good.
Just don't advertise your valuables.
Keep jewellery to a minimum.
Don't count money in public.
Don't flash a wallet containing every card you own.
And don't leave expensive electronics sitting on tables unattended.
ATMs deserve a little thought
If you need cash, choose an ATM in a sensible location.
Inside a bank, shopping centre or other busy establishment is generally preferable to using an isolated machine on a quiet street.
Have your card ready before approaching the machine rather than standing there searching through your wallet.
Get your cash.
Put it away.
Then leave.
There's no need to stand outside counting every bill.
If you're drinking, change your walking strategy
Panama City has plenty of nightlife, particularly around Casco Viejo.
That's part of the fun.
But alcohol and urban navigation aren't a brilliant combination.
After a few drinks, your awareness drops and your confidence often increases at exactly the wrong time.
The street that looked completely harmless earlier might not be the street you want to walk down at 2 AM.
So if you're drinking, decide ahead of time how you're getting back.
Stay with your friends.
Keep track of your phone and wallet.
Don't accept random rides from strangers.
And if you're unsure about walking home, don't walk home.
Solo travellers need to be especially organized
Travelling alone gives you enormous freedom.
You can eat whenever you want, change your plans instantly and spend three hours photographing one old building if that's what makes you happy.
But you also don't have somebody beside you to notice things you missed.
That means solo travellers should be particularly good at the basics.
Know where you're staying.
Keep your phone charged.
Have enough money for transportation.
Know roughly which direction you're heading.
Tell somebody your plans if you're going somewhere unfamiliar.
And don't let the desire for adventure override common sense.
You can still be spontaneous.
Just don't be careless.
What about carrying your passport?
Unless you specifically need it, there is usually little reason to carry your original passport around all day while sightseeing.
Keep important documents secure at your accommodation and carry only what you actually need for the day, while following whatever identification requirements apply to your particular situation.
Losing a passport while travelling is an enormous headache.
There is nothing exciting about spending your vacation dealing with an embassy.
Don't let one strange encounter ruin your impression of the city
Every major city has moments that make travellers uncomfortable.
Someone might ask you for money.
Someone might approach you too aggressively.
You might accidentally walk into an area where you feel out of place.
A stranger might try to sell you something.
None of these experiences automatically means you need to abandon the city.
Simply keep moving.
You don't have to engage with everyone.
A polite "no, gracias" and continuing on your way is often enough.
If someone makes you genuinely uncomfortable, enter a busy business and wait until you feel comfortable continuing.
Trust your instincts, but don't let them become paranoia
There's a useful middle ground between being completely oblivious and being terrified of everything.
If a street feels wrong, listen to that feeling.
But don't assume every person looking at you is planning something.
Most people you encounter in Panama City are simply going about their day.
The objective is awareness, not suspicion.
Look around.
Notice what's happening.
Keep your valuables secure.
Know where you're going.
That's usually enough.
The best walking experience comes from slowing down
One of the great ironies of travel is that people sometimes rush through places they're travelling thousands of kilometres to see.
They get off the Metro.
Walk quickly to the attraction.
Take a photograph.
Walk quickly back.
Done.
Panama City deserves more than that.
Sit somewhere.
Have a coffee.
Watch the traffic.
Look at the buildings.
Listen to the sounds of the city.
Walk down a street simply because it looks interesting.
Then, when you've had enough, take transportation back.
The point of walking isn't simply to get from A to B.
The walking is the experience.
The simple Panama City walking rules
You don't need a complicated security strategy.
Keep your phone and wallet secure.
Don't display large amounts of cash.
Avoid unnecessary valuables.
Pay attention to traffic.
Be careful after heavy rain.
Stay on busy streets when you're unfamiliar with an area.
Don't blindly follow the shortest Google Maps route.
Be more conservative after dark.
If you're drinking, arrange transportation.
If something feels wrong, change your route.
And remember that taking a taxi, rideshare or Metro isn't failing at backpacking.
It's simply using the city intelligently.
Panama City is fascinating precisely because it doesn't feel like a sanitized tourist bubble. It's a huge working Latin American city with a remarkable mixture of old Panama, modern Panama, Caribbean influences, international business, neighbourhood life and tropical chaos.
Walk it.
Just don't walk it with your brain switched off.
The best traveller isn't the one who is afraid of every street.
And it isn't the one who believes nothing can happen.
It's the traveller who looks around, understands the environment, makes sensible decisions and then gets on with enjoying the adventure.