One of the things we love about Panamà City is how walkable it is! We’ve had the good fortune of being based in two separate neighbourhoods so far, and both have been great for being close to restaurants, grocery shopping, malls and more.

During our first two months here, we didn’t have a car, so we relied on Uber (another entry for another time) and walking.

Walking – it sounds so straightforward! It turns out that walking in Panamà City is a little different. There are sidewalks….mostly. However, the sidewalks are a little different than in the U.S., where I’m used to consistent paving everywhere. In Panamà, it seems like every building is responsible for the sidewalk, so you get a patchwork within in a single block. And no, they’re not even.

Then there are the random patches, like this.

You will learn early to avoid any metal plates on the sidewalk, as the original assumption you have that they are fixed in place is quite faulty.

Or, there are random holes in the sidewalk that don’t have a cover at all.

However, the biggest adjustment to walking in Panamà is learning that Google Map is not infallible. When deciding when to walk or take an Uber, we generally go by distance – will it take less than 30 minutes walking? We check Google, and will say the route is “mostly flat”.

Google is wrong. Panamà City is filled with small hills and valleys. Your starting point and destination may be at approximately the same altitude, but you will climb and descend many times to get there. You will get a workout whether you like it or not, especially with the humidity.

Walking in Panamà City is great! As long as you know what you’re getting into.