We’ve now been to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge three times, and on each visit we’ve briefly stopped over in Panama City. We’ve had dinner there and seen the canal, as well as a section of Casco Viejo, but our primary goal has been to get to the tuna grounds. With vacation time from work limited, we’re inclined to zip in and zip out and not fully enjoy what the country has to offer.

During those brief interludes we’ve been pleased with the safety and scenery of the big city, as well as the natural wonders of the Gulf of Gulf of Chiriquí, but we know there’s much more to do and experience. In retirement (which we hope is not all that far away) we’ll have more time to explore the “other” things on offer. In the meantime, whether you’re headed there yourself, dreaming of a trip, or hoping to join us on a future excursion, here are twelve links that should pique your interest:

How Panama City Came to Have Some of the Best Dim Sum in Latin America -- We’ve now had Peruvian food, Panamanian food, and of course lots of tuna in Panama, but I had no idea that the country was home to a large Chinese population – let alone a corresponding food scene. We’ll have to load up on “salsa China” and get to work on one of our favorite cuisines at some point.

I Visited Panama to Try the World's Most Expensive Coffee — and Now You Can, Too -- On our November 2021 trip, our friends Samantha Sukupcak and Mike Yee made a trip to the mall to buy some Panamanian “Geisha” coffee. I’m not a coffee expert, so I didn’t know what to make of that, but it appears they knew what they were doing.

Where the rainforest meets the city: an inside guide to Panama City -- While much of Panama City is uber-modern, and remarkably cosmopolitan, it also provides a jumping off point to a wide variety of wildlife-spotting locales. I still want to see whale sharks and sloths, and I clearly need to slow down with a drink on a white sand beach.

Copa Airlines Celebrates 10 Years of Connecting Las Vegas With Latin America and the Caribbean -- Panama City to Las Vegas, direct? That would seemingly provide a huge opportunity for debauchery headed in either direction. We found our flights on Copa to be very pleasant (except the one time our David-to-PTY link was inexplicably delayed).

The best surf spots in Panama -- If you like water sports other than fishing, and want to immerse yourself in the country’s beauty and marine life, they have great options for surfing – and you can do it in both the Pacific and the Caribbean. I think I’m a little bit too balance-challenged to be a wannabe Spicoli, but you never know.

6 Reasons You Should Retire In Panama, Plus 4 Reasons Why You Might Mark Panama Off Your List -- Most of the articles about retiring abroad take a cheerleaderish approach to the topic, but this one is more evenhanded. While some of our friends have considered becoming expats, I don’t think it’s in our future – but as with surfing, you never know.

A Design Lover's Guide to Panama City -- Panama City, now past its 500th birthday, is a diverse place, with everything from a Chinatown to an “Old Town” to futuristic skyscrapers to a Frank Gehry-designed museum – along with world-class restaurants. If you love art and architecture as much as you love fishing, it’s worth a couple of days to get to know it.

How a Former Penal Colony in Panama Became a Biodiversity Hotspot -- We’ve fished around Coiba Island, but we’ve never set foot upon what is now a national park. I’d like to check it out, although It would hard to be able to take my mind off what lurks around the shorelines. I would like to see some agoutis and howler monkeys, for sure.

A Yellow Submarine Explores the Depths of the Panamanian Pacific -- While the environs on Coiba Island intrigue me, what sits under and around its shoreline fascinates me. I’ve seen some of it on sonar, but how cool would it be to view that same seascape I’d been fishing from a submarine?

Where in the World to Swim with Whale Sharks -- As long as we’re already spending that much time in and around Coiba, why not swim with the gargantuan whale sharks, which I’m told are gentle filter feeders, not maneaters? There are also orcas and humpback whales around to add to the fun.

Here's Why You Shouldn't Overlook Panama's Tropical Landscape -- It’s simply an amazing country, with so many beautiful beaches and landscape on both sides, and yet we’ve only seen a fraction of it. Since it’s fairly safe, I’d have no problem renting a car and exploring more.

A bucket-list sailing trip in Panama’s San Blas Islands -- We haven’t done much sailing but we’re willing to learn. Some of the San Blas Islands are inhabited by the indigenous Guna Yala tribe, and I know that Hanna would love their embroidered handicrafts. Both of us would love the Caribbean coast’s enormous lobsters.

If you get to experience any of these opportunities before us, let us know which one(s) to prioritize. Even if this doesn’t intrigue you, if you’re reading this website you’re probably an angler, so you owe it to yourself to take a fishing trip to Panama. Email us so we can get the ball rolling on making that happen.