Panama is generally a relatively easy country for travellers, and most visitors spend their time without experiencing any serious crime. But like many countries in Latin America, petty theft is a much more realistic concern than violent crime for the average tourist. Pickpocketing, phone theft and bag snatching tend to be opportunistic: someone sees an unattended phone, an open backpack or a wallet sticking out of a pocket and takes advantage of the situation. The U.S. State Department specifically describes pickpocketing and purse snatching as crimes of opportunity that can occur in tourist areas.
The biggest mistake is thinking that because Panama City looks modern and wealthy, there is no need to pay attention. The city has enormous contrasts. Within a relatively short distance you can go from luxury skyscrapers and expensive restaurants to crowded markets and poorer neighbourhoods. For visitors, crowds and transportation hubs are generally more relevant to pickpocketing than simply being in a particular neighbourhood.
Panama City's main pickpocketing zones
Avenida Central and Calidonia
If there is one part of central Panama City where a traveller should pay particular attention to their belongings, it is the Avenida Central–Calidonia area.
Avenida Central is a busy pedestrian shopping corridor filled with shops, street vendors and people moving in every direction. That makes it interesting for travellers but also creates exactly the kind of environment where a pickpocket can operate without attracting attention. Official travel advice specifically identifies Avenida Central and Calidonia as places where travellers should take precautions.
During the daytime, there is plenty of legitimate activity and tourists can pass through without automatically being in danger. The bigger problem is becoming distracted in a crowd. A phone held loosely in one hand, a wallet in a back pocket or an unzipped backpack can disappear surprisingly quickly.
After dark, the situation changes considerably. Calidonia becomes quieter and less comfortable, and travellers have less reason to be wandering its side streets. Lonely Planet also recommends avoiding walking alone around Calidonia after dark.
Santa Ana
Santa Ana sits immediately north of Casco Viejo and is an area where travellers need to understand that the tourist experience can change from one block to the next.
The busy pedestrian areas can be lively during the day, but the surrounding streets become progressively less comfortable, particularly after dark. Official travel advice lists Santa Ana among Panama City's higher-crime areas.
For backpackers, the important lesson isn't necessarily "never go to Santa Ana." It is know where you are going. Walking through a busy commercial area during the day is very different from wandering down unfamiliar side streets late at night.
Casco Viejo
Casco Viejo is probably the most misunderstood place on this list.
The historic centre is one of Panama City's major tourist areas, with restaurants, hostels, bars, plazas and enormous numbers of visitors. It is not somewhere that tourists should automatically avoid. In fact, the restored tourist core has substantial police presence and plenty of people around.
But that doesn't make it immune to theft.
The combination of tourists, phones, cameras, nightlife and crowded streets creates opportunities for petty criminals. Official travel advice includes Casco Viejo among the places where travellers should take precautions against muggings and street crime.
The biggest issue is wandering outside the familiar tourist zone without knowing where you are going. El Chorrillo borders Casco Viejo, and the character of the neighbourhood changes very quickly. Lonely Planet specifically warns travellers against casually walking into El Chorrillo.
So Casco Viejo is better described as a place to stay alert rather than a place to avoid.
Albrook
Albrook is another important location because it combines huge numbers of travellers, buses, luggage and distractions.
The Albrook transportation complex is one of the city's principal bus terminals, and travellers are frequently concentrating on finding their platform, buying tickets, carrying backpacks or watching the clock rather than watching their belongings.
Official travel advice warns that pickpocketing can occur on buses and at bus stations, while Australian travel advice specifically identifies airports, bus terminals and public transport as places where travellers should take extra care.
This doesn't mean Albrook is somewhere you should fear. Thousands of Panamanians use it every day. It simply means don't treat a busy bus terminal like a secure environment for your valuables.
Keep your phone and wallet on you, keep your backpack closed and don't leave luggage unattended.
Via España
Via España is another busy commercial corridor where travellers should maintain normal big-city awareness. Official British travel advice specifically includes Via España among the Panama City locations where visitors should take precautions.
The risk here is particularly associated with busy commercial areas rather than the entire avenue being dangerous.
Panama Viejo
The ruins of Panamá Viejo are a major attraction, but travellers should distinguish between the archaeological tourist site and the surrounding neighbourhood.
Travel advisories specifically mention Panama Viejo among locations where visitors should take precautions.
For tourists, the sensible approach is simple: visit the ruins as a planned attraction, use transportation to get there and back, and don't assume that exploring the surrounding neighbourhood on foot is part of the sightseeing experience.
El Chorrillo, San Miguelito and Río Abajo
These areas deserve a different category.
El Chorrillo, San Miguelito and Río Abajo are repeatedly identified by government travel advisories as higher-crime areas of Panama City.
For a backpacker, there is usually little reason to randomly explore these neighbourhoods without local knowledge. This is less about being paranoid and more about understanding that tourist safety isn't evenly distributed across a huge metropolitan area.
You don't need to know every dangerous street in Panama City. You simply need to avoid wandering into unfamiliar residential neighbourhoods because you saw an interesting street on Google Maps.
How pickpockets actually get your stuff
The stereotypical pickpocket quietly reaching into someone's pocket does happen, but many thefts are much less dramatic.
A crowded bus can provide an opportunity. Someone bumps into you while another person reaches into a pocket. A person asks you a question while an accomplice moves close to your bag. Someone creates a distraction while your attention moves elsewhere.
And sometimes there isn't even a distraction.
A backpack sitting open on the back of a chair, a phone on a restaurant table or a wallet in a loose back pocket can simply be taken.
The Canadian government's travel guidance gives essentially the same advice: crowded tourist areas, transportation hubs, public transportation and places where tourists gather deserve extra attention, while phones, passports and wallets should be kept in secure pockets close to the body.
The backpacker's best defence
You don't need a money belt stuffed with every possession you own. A few simple habits make a massive difference.
Keep your phone out of your back pocket. A front pocket or zipped pocket is considerably better.
Close your backpack. Especially on buses, Metro trains and crowded pedestrian streets.
Don't leave your phone on a restaurant table. This is one of those habits that feels completely harmless until it isn't.
Don't carry all your cash. Take what you reasonably expect to spend that day.
Keep your passport somewhere secure. There's rarely a reason to carry it around Panama City all day.
Use ATMs inside banks or shopping centres when possible. Government travel advice warns that people have been targeted after withdrawing cash.
And perhaps most importantly, don't advertise yourself as an easy target. Walking around Panama City with an expensive camera hanging from your neck, a brand-new phone in your hand, jewellery and a wallet sticking out of your pocket is unnecessary.
The good news
For most travellers, Panama City isn't a place where you need to walk around terrified.
The realistic approach is to understand the difference between petty theft, street robbery and genuinely high-risk neighbourhoods. A backpacker walking around Casco Viejo during the afternoon, visiting Avenida Central, taking the Metro or catching a bus from Albrook can do all of those things safely while simply keeping an eye on their belongings.
The biggest risk is often complacency.
Panama City is a modern, vibrant capital with a huge amount to see. Enjoy the markets, ride the Metro, walk the Cinta Costera, explore Casco Viejo and take the buses. Just remember that a crowded city is exactly where a thief wants you to forget about the phone in your pocket.
In short: don't be scared of Panama City, just don't make yourself the easiest person in the crowd to steal from.