Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING AROUND
Panama City's vast urban sprawl continues to expand outwards and upwards at an alarming
rate, and navigating your way around can at first seem a daunting prospect. But as with most
large cities, places of interest to tourists are concentrated in a few areas easily accessible by
bus
or
taxi
, or, in the case of Casco Viejo,
on foot
. Avoid travelling at
rush hour
(7.30-9am
and 4.30-6.30pm), when traffic grinds to a halt in horn-honking mayhem. The new
Metro
so far only has one line, but it provides a quick way of travelling between El Cangrejo and
Albrook bus terminal.
BY BUS
Tickets and hours
Travelling by bus is the cheapest way to get about, costing a mere 25¢,
no matter where you travel within the metropolitan boundary. There are two types of public
buses. Best known, but being phased out, are the chicken buses, known in Panama as
diablos
ations are painted on the windscreen. Newer, a/c Metrobuses (
mibus.com.pa
) operate the
same hours and also cost $0.25, though this will rise to $0.75 once they have completely re-
placed the
diablos rojos
. You need a pre-paid card (
tarjeta
), which you swipe on entry and
exit, to ride the Metrobus. Cards are available at supermarkets (such as El Rey on Vía España
and El Machetazo on Av Central) as well as at the Albrook bus terminal and from a kiosk
on Plaza Cinco de Mayo. The initial card costs $2 and then you need to buy credit. Buses
circulate every few minutes on the busiest routes - from 5.30/6am until 11pm/midnight, but
less frequently on Sundays.
Bus stops and destinations
Metrobuses only stop at designated stops, which are less numer-
ous than the stops for
diablos rojos
. Some drivers of
diablos rojos
will also pick up and drop
off at other places as the whim takes them. See
mibus.com.pa
for Metrobus routes. The
city's main arteries and bus routes run vaguely southwest to northeast along Av Balboa and
the Cinta Costera, Av Central (which becomes Av España) and Av Justo Arosemena (Av 3
Sur).
Getting to Casco Viejo
No buses go into Panama City's historical centre, Casco Viejo; you'll
need to ask for a bus that passes Plaza Cinco de Mayo, then walk up the pedestrianized sec-
tion of Av Central.
