Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Alternatively, use one of the more expensive private mailing or courier services widely avail-
able such as Fedex (
fedex.com/pa/
) or Mail Boxes Etc. (
mbe.com
).
Post offices also offer an
entrega general
(
poste restante
) service, keeping letters for up
to a month. Passport ID needs to be shown when claiming post and you can't collect on be-
half of another person. The sender should address items as follows: receiver's name,
Entrega
General
, name of town, name of province, Republica de Panamá. If you are receiving post in
Panama City then the postal zone also needs to be specified - enquire at the branch in ques-
tion.
Maps
Both country and city
maps
of Panama are increasing in number and quality though there's
still some way to go. There are also some rudimentary trail maps for the parks in the former
Canal Zone, usually available from the park offices. International Travel Maps (1:300,000;
available online at
itmb.com
and
amazon.com
;
$13) - updated in 2012 - and National
Geographic (
nationalgeographic.com
)
both produce good maps of Panama. In
Panama
itself, large-scale maps are available at the Instituto Geográfico Nacional Tommy Guardia
(Mon-Fri 8.30am-4pm) on Avenida Simón Bolívar, opposite the entrance to the university
in Panama City, though some are several years out of date and would really only be of use if
you were planning some wilderness hiking.
Money
Panama adopted
US dollars
(referred to as
dólares
or
balboas
) as its currency in 1904,
shortly after separation from Colombia. Apart from a seven-day print flurry in 1941, produ-
cing what is known as the “seven-day-dollar” (now a collector's item), the country has al-
ways used US paper currency, though it mints its own coinage: 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavo
pieces, and a dollar coin, which are used alongside US coins. Both $100 and $50 notes are
often difficult to spend, so try to have $10 or $20 as the largest denominations you carry.
Cards
With over a thousand
ATMs
across the country, the most convenient way to access your
money is by drawing some out on a credit card (you'll need your PIN number). Most home
banks charge a fee for credit-card withdrawal - check before departure - and all ATMs in
Panama levy $3 per transaction. Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted
credit
cards
across the country, both at ATMs (recognizable by the red
Sistema Clave
sign outside)
and to pay for services such as plane tickets, tourist hotels, restaurants, goods in shops and car
rental.
Debit cards
such as Maestro and Cirrus are valid in many ATMs though they some-
times do not actually work in practice. Banistmo, which took over HSBC in Panama, is the
best bank to seek out if you wish to withdraw cash against your credit card.
