Safety in Panama

Districts to avoid: stay out of El Chorrillo and Curundú in the capital, even in daylight. They sit close to the tourist centre, but street crime there is consistently high and foreigners stand out.
Outdoors: register with the rangers at the park entrance before any jungle hike or volcano climb. Mountain weather changes in minutes and thick tropical fog disorients even experienced walkers.
The Colombian border: the Darién is impassable jungle worked by smugglers and people traffickers. Independent travel there is illegal and lethal, so stay on established routes without exception.
Currents: Pacific beaches have rip currents that are not visible from the sand. If there is no lifeguard or you are unsure, do not swim out, particularly around Santa Catalina.
Theft: in crowded places and on the beaches of Bocas del Toro, keep an eye on small valuables. Do not leave a backpack unattended on the sand while you swim, since opportunistic theft is the most common complaint here.
Health: tap water is drinkable in the big cities, but stick to bottled on the islands. Keep strong sunscreen and insect repellent permanently in the daypack, and check your own government's travel advisory before heading anywhere remote.

Panama is one of Central America's more developed and calmer countries, but urban caution in the capital is needed.

Panama City. Casco Viejo is safe by day and patrolled, but the quarters around it — El Chorrillo, Santa Ana, Curundú — are not. The boundary between the tourist area and a dangerous one is measured in a single crossing here. Do not walk off the marked tourist streets.

Taxis. No meters; prices are agreed and a foreigner is quoted more. Uber operates and settles the question.

ATMs. Skimming occurs. Withdraw inside banks and malls.

San Blas excursions. The Guna Yala archipelago is sold by a dozen outfits. Getting there means hours on a mountain track by 4x4 plus a boat across open sea. Check for life jackets: boats are overloaded and incidents occur.

Currency. Officially the balboa, in practice the US dollar. There is nothing to change.

The Darién. The province bordering Colombia is not a destination. A migration route runs through its jungle, criminal groups operate, and there is no infrastructure. People do not go there.

Guna Yala (San Blas). An autonomous territory of the Guna people with its own rules: entry is charged, photographing people without permission is prohibited, and payment is customary for some photographs. Respect for local rules is expected.

Drugs. Panama is a transit country, the law is strict, and Tocumen airport is screened thoroughly. Never carry anyone else's belongings.

Drones. Registration is required and they are prohibited over the canal and military sites.

The canal. Photography from the viewing platforms is permitted; infrastructure and vessels are restricted.

Wildlife. National parks require permits and leaving the trails is prohibited.

Cash. Cards work in the capital; inland and on the islands you need dollars in small denominations.

Yellow fever. Vaccination is advised for the Darién and eastern provinces, and a certificate is required from arrivals out of endemic countries in South America and Africa.

Malaria. Risk in the Darién and parts of the Caribbean coast. Panama City and the main tourist areas are free of it.

Dengue. Present year-round with outbreaks in the rainy season.

Water. Panama City's tap water is drinkable — a rarity for the region. On Bocas del Toro and in San Blas, bottled only.

The sea. Pacific coast currents are strong. Bocas del Toro and San Blas have no lifeguards.

Sun. Tropical UV; people burn quickly.

Healthcare. Among the best in Central America. Private hospitals in Panama City (Punta Pacífica, Nacional) work to international standards. The islands have almost none, with evacuation to the capital.

Emergency number is 911.

Panama sits mid-table in Latin America on corruption, and police are generally correct with tourists.

Tourist police. Operating in Casco Viejo and the main tourist areas, in marked uniforms, with some English.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates for insurers issued.

Geography decides. Casco Viejo, Punta Paitilla, the Costera, Boquete and Bocas del Toro are calm places. Colón has high crime and is not visited independently, with the free zone seen on organised terms. The Darién is closed.

Do not resist a robbery.

At night. In the capital, travel by car or Uber, not on foot.

What actually matters. Panama is safer than most of its neighbours, but the difference between districts inside the capital is enormous and not always obvious on a map.

Emergency number is 911.