The Balboa Inn is a small Bed & Breakfast at the foot of Panama’s main landmark, Ancon Hill (Cerro Ancón) in Balboa and around the corner of the Panama Canal Administration building.

Conveniently located between the downtown area, Amador Causeway and just minutes away from the domestic airport and the Panama Canal you are away from the city noise yet have access to all its services.

The Balboa Inn is the ideal base from which to explore Panama the place to stay during stopovers in Panama City from Bocas del Toro or San Blas (Kuna Yala).

We welcome families who will find our inn, its gardens and the surrounding neighborhood especially child-friendly and safe.  Birdwatchers will be thrilled with the amount of birds they’ll spot in our neighborhood.

Our Bed & Breakfast has nine rooms with private bathrooms. All rooms have WiFi Internet access, satellite TV, DVD player, air conditioning, ceiling fans and room safes.

A gorgeous garden, a real breakfast that keeps you going for the day, good value and dedicated customer service set this owner-managed inn apart.

Saskia Swartz, a former KLM flight attendant and her husband Thorwald Westmaas started the Balboa Inn to address the need for affordable yet quality accommodation in the Panama Canal area managed by friendly and helpful staff. Having worked for this fine Dutch airline for over 11 years, Mrs. Swartz knows what good service ‘looks like’ and is uniquely qualified to manage a hospitality business.

For maximum convenience you can check availability and rates online and book instantly. No more waiting for e-mails to be replied. Need a good place to stay last minute or a base for future explorations of Panama? The Balboa Inn is your best bet. But don’t wait too long with your booking. We’ve become quite popular.

We just redesigned our site and plan to update it regularly with articles of  interest to people wanting to explore Panama.  As you’ll find out, Panama is a lot more than the Canal and we will help you make the most out of your travel experience in Panama.

Enjoy! We look forward to having you stay at the Balboa Inn.

In this section we provide you with information to help you make the most out of your time in Panama so you can discover this beautiful country in the most enjoyable way.

Panama City is an ideal starting point for several one-day trips (see our travel guide section) but also has its own attractions.  You can easily spend 3 full days to discover the city’s own attractions so plan your vacation accordingly.

For those of you who like history (we do), we have a few interesting leads that will make your trip to Panama even more rewarding when you visit the sites we discuss.

If something you’d like to know more about is not covered here or if you have a suggestion on what we should add, please let us know.  Meanwhile, enjoy this section.

When you look from your (back) room window in the Balboa Inn, you can’t fail to see the imposing ‘Cerro Ancón’. Ancon Hill is a steep 654-foot hill which overlooks Panama City, Panama. It is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the area.

It was under U.S. jurisdiction as part of the Panama Canal Zone for much of the 20th Century, and therefore was never developed like most of the surrounding urbanized parts of the city. The lower slopes contained residences and the Gorgas Hospital. Higher up the hill were the residence of the Governor of the Canal Zone, and Quarry Heights, where the U.S. Southern Command was located. Quarry Heights was named for being adjacent to a large rock quarry on one side of the hill, which left a visible cliff face on one side. The hill contains an abandoned undeground bunker once manned by the U.S. Southern Command.

As much of it was undeveloped, it became a sort of “island” in an urban area, where wildlife still survived cut off from other jungle areas. It is not uncommon to see sloths, coatimundi, armadillos or deer on Ancon Hill which status is now protected. Its name is used as an acronym by Panama’s environmental group, Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (ANCON) which has its offices there.

It’s a really nice hike up the hill – best in the morning – and at just a few minutes from the Balboa Inn its a nice way to get your day started in Panama. If you don’t want to make the sweaty hike have a cab take you up and you can enjoy the views on your walk down.

The Panama Canal locks at Miraflores mark the Pacific entry of the Panama Canal. At just 10 minutes by car from the Balboa Inn, you don’t want to miss this one.

The Miraflores Visitor Center is the perfect location to watch the operations of the Panama Canal and to learn more about how the Canal works and its history. The facility includes three observation terraces, a full-outfitted theater, 2 snack bars, a restaurant with the best views in Panama City and of course…the gift shop.

The visitor center provides interactive elements that explain to you more about the functions of the canal along with video presentations and actual historic pieces. These elements are divided into four exhibition halls; the History Hall, the Hall of Water, the Canal in Action, and the Canal in the World. Each exhbition hall as evident from its title provides insight into separate aspects of the Canal.

Getting to the Miraflores Visitor Center is easy, its close to Panama City and very popular so grabbing a taxi there will be no problem. And if you can come to the center in the afternoon and have a drink in their restaurant and enjoy the amazing views from the terrace. If you’re staying for dinner be sure to make reservations prior.

The hours for the Visitor’s Center are:
Monday-Sunday, holidays included
Ticket Office: 9am-4pm
Exhibition Halls/Snack Bar/Gift Shop: 9am-5pm
Restaurant: 12pm-11pm

Ticket Prices for Visitors Exhibtion Center (Non Residents):

Complete Package
(exhibitions, observation decks, snack bars, restaurant and gift shop)

Adults- $8

Students/Minors (5 to 17yrs)- $5

Children under 5- Free

Partial Package
(ground terrace, snack bars, restaurant and gift shop)

Adults- $5

Students/ Minors (5 to 17rs) -$3

Children under 5- Free

* Rates for Nationals/Residents are about half these prices, so if you are a Jubilado be sure to bring your carnet.

The Pollera is the most beautiful and admired national costume of the Americas. There are many tales related about its origin, but the popular opinion is that it was adapted from a gypsy dress worn in Spain at the time of the conquest of Peru and brought to Panama by the servants of the colonial families. It normally consists of a blouse or shirt and a two-tiered full skirt.
The lavish satins and brocades that made up the dress of society at that time were not suited to the tropical climate and the servants’ garb was appropriated by the mistress and enhanced with lace and embroidery. It was not worn outside of the home but gradually the ladies added more lace and ribbons, ornaments for the hair (tembleques) and jewelry for the neck and eventually it made its way into the public eye.

The experts agree that the ground cloth must be white and the 12 yards of material required can be fine linen, cambric or voile. The motifs may be formed by birds, flowers, fruit, vines, garlands or native designs. The height of elegance is achieved when these designs are executed in “talco en sombra” which is hand-sewn appliqué; however, they can be also created in cross stitch or embroidery. The cost of the gala costumes runs into hundreds and sometimes, thousands of dollars, depending on the hand work involved.

The basic pieces of the pollera are the gown or upper part, the skirt or lower part and the petticoat or underskirt. The gown or blouse consists of two ruffles, appliquéd or embroidered in favored color and design edged with valencienne lace and gracefully draped from handmade thread lace insertion at the neckline (this blouse is worn off the shoulder.) Wool is woven in and out of the insertions and two big pom-poms are centered at the chest and back. The wool must be the same color as the shoes, which are heel-less and made from velvet or satin.

The skirt is two wide pieces ornamented with the chosen motif and joined together with insertion and bordered with insertion and lace. It is very fully gathered on a waist band. Four wide ribbons hang from the waist, two in the center front and two in the back–they are called “gallardetes”, meaning “graceful streamers”. The petticoat is often as elaborate as the skirt but is always pure white and the trimming is hand-made thread lace

The ornaments, “tembleques”, for the hair are exquisite. A large tortoise shell comb embellished with pearls and gold is worn on top of the head and resembles a crown. This is the key piece and the gold hairpins and tembleques, which are quivering pins and worn in pairs, are placed on the head to give the appearance of a radiant halo. Two small discs tied to the hair at the temples with black silk thread and large gold filigree earrings with pearls or corals complete the head dress.

The jewelry adorning the neck usually consists of a pearl or coral rosary, a flat gold chain or “cadena chata”, a chain of gold coins and a gold cross on a black velvet ribbon worn as a choker. The jewelry worn with the pollera in the olden days was indicative of one’s wealth and sometimes as many as a dozen chains were worn, all of pure gold and precious gems. A large gold and pearl button or rosetta is worn over the wool pom-pom and a purse suspended from the waistline and fastened with two gold brooches is the finishing touch.

Four days before Ash Wednesday are “carnival” days and La Pollera comes into its own. The streets are filled with merry makers and each Pollera one sees seems to be more beautiful that the last. La Pollera has to be seen to appreciate the work and imagination that produces this loveliest of dresses. The grace and enchantment of the Panamanian women is never more in evidence that when she is wearing La Pollera.

In this section we will  be adding links to sites we find useful to travelers wanting to explore and/or learn about Panama.

Tours
Embera Village Tours- Highly recommended. Run by Anne Gordon who is actually married to an Embera. A better guide and more authentic experience to an Embera village does not exist.

Whale Watching- Anne also arranges whale watching tours when it’s the season.

Adventure Panama- They offer adventure day trips such as hiking, whitewater rafting, and mountain biking.

San Blas Sailing- Well organized sailing trips through the San Blas islands.

Birding Panama- For bird watchers

News on Panama
The Panama News (online newspaper)

Eye on Panama- A great site for news, local events, and insightful articles about daily life in Panama.

Yahoo groups Panama

Background info
Wikipedia on Panama
Lonely Planet Panama Guide
Panamaretire.net – informative website by American resident

Selva Santa Fe – unique private nature retreat development (real estate)

Directories
Panamastart.com - if you can’t find it here, it does not exist
Visitpanama.com - the official website of the Panamanian Tourist board

Domestic airlines in Panama
(airport 5 minutes away from Balboa Inn)
AirPanama
Aeroperlas

Nederlands
Startpagina Panama
Panama Prikpagina
Panama op Wikipedia
Land in Panama (grond te koop)

Deutsch
Wikipedia über Panama

Español
La Prensa

Other B&B’s in Panama – put together your own vacation

Isla Taboga

Cerrito Tropical on Taboga Island. A 1-2 night stay here is an excellent option to combine with a stay in the Balboa Inn. Also great option for day tours, ask them about their day pass.

Gamboa

Ivan’s Bed & Breakfast in Gamboa - great for birdwatchers.

Santa Clara

Las Sirenas- cozy cottages with ocean views

Togo B&B- beautifully decorated B&B near the beach

El Valle de Anton

Casa di Pietra- charming and hospitable B&B in El Valle.

Park Eden country retreat – homey B&B

Azuero Province

Posada del Mar near Las Tablas, right on Playa Uverito
Casita Margarita in Pedasi - a great new option to explore the beautiful beaches around Pedasi.

Santa Catalina/Coiba

Hibiscus Garden- Charming hostel in Santa Catalina, will help you with any day trips to Coiba.

Boquete

Boquete Garden Inn - in beautiful Boquete.

Tinamou Cottage- Dutch run accommodations in beautiful green surroundings.

Coffee Estate Inn- A mountainside inn the provides private tours of nearby coffee estates along with other personalized services.

Bocas del Toro

Villa Paraiso- A beautiful and private location right on the beach.

Lula’s B&B- Friendly B&B on Isla Colon

Playa Bluff Lodge- well run Dutch owned accommodations on the beach

David

Hotels in the city of David are limited and basic. If you are looking to stay in David for a night here are some hotels recommended by other travelers.

Hotel Iberia- (507) 777-2002

Hotel Puerta del Sol- (507) 774-8422

At only 5 minutes walking from the Balboa Inn and atop a large hill rests the Panama Canal Administration building…

The building overlooks the Pacific entrance of the canal along with parts of the city and the nearby Balboa neighborhood. It houses the administrative offices of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) however its not all business and paperwork here, the building is also known for its amazing murals that adorn the rotunda of the building. These murals are a narration of the history of the Canal and the intense manual labor that went into its construction. It is a way of commemorating the history of the Canal and all those who worked on its construction and operations.

The administration building is a 5-10 minute walk from the inn and less than a 5 min taxi ride from Albrook Airport. It’s also the starting point for the hike up Cerro Ancon, It lies right of the side of Ave Roosevelt and atop a large hill i.e. you can’t miss it. For more information about the Canal visit their website.

There are 4 possible scenarios to get you from Panama’s International Airport Tocumen to the Balboa Inn:

• We pick you up
• You take a taxi
• You drive with a rental car
• Friends pick you up

(1) We pick you up
We highly recommend you let us arrange your airport pickup transfer. At $35 for up to 3 people it’s only $ 2 more than the airport taxi and you can be sure to have a reliable driver that knows our exact location and doesn’t confuse us with another inn. Remember, we haven’t been around that long. We can arrange pickup at any time of the day or night. To use this service, simply arrange it during the booking process or send us your flight data.

(2) You take a taxi
If you prefer to take an airport taxi. No problem. But please, make sure to print out this document and, very important, take it with you . Even the most geographically challenged taxi driver in Panama (and they are all very challenged!) should be able to make it. Remember, Panamanian taxi drivers can’t read maps so make sure they read the Spanish instructions that refers to well-known landmarks. The map is for your own reference. And do be sure to note our phone number just in case.

We don’t mind late check-ins but we definitely don’t get excited by being called at 11 p.m. by a confused taxi driver who has never been to Balboa, took the wrong turn, can’t count beyond 5 or took you to Balboa Avenue instead of the Balboa neighborhood. And we know you won’t be happy neither. So, please print the instructions and carry them with you.

(3) You drive a rental car
No problem. Although driving in Panama City – depending on the time of day – is not always for the faint of heart, it certainly not as bad as Bangkok or Calcutta. As an option, you may actually consider picking up your rental car at Albrook airport after you arrive at the Balboa Inn. Driving in the Canal area is a whole different story and getting in and out of town, from Balboa, is very easy. We’re right near the Bridge of the America’s and the highway to Colon.

Please review and PRINT the  instructions on this page (in PDF).  to make driving over from Tocumen as easy as we can possibly make it.

(4) Friends pick you up
It’s good to have friends! Just make sure they know where the Balboa Inn is and when in doubt, tell them to check out this page and the maps above.

Return to Tocumen with a rental car?

Very easy.  Please review and print this page or ask our staff to print it.

Panama City is probably the only big city in the world that has the jungle coming right up to its city limits! It’s really unique when you see it.

Panama has several national parks. In fact, it has more national parks and protected areas, both in absolute terms as well as percentage wise, than its better known northern neighbor Costa Rica.

If you are staying in the city one of these parks you must visit is the Metropolitan National Park. This is just 10 minutes from Panama City making it one of the only parks in Latin America that lies within an urban area.

It has great views at its “Look Out” points with vistas of the Canal and the city. Not to mention it has five hiking trails to get your heart pumping.The trails range from about an hour to an 1.5 hours, the longest trail with the best views being the Sendero Cienaguita. Although the park is used for research of wildlife this is not the best spot to view mammals however its perfect for birdwatching. Panama itself is popular with birdwatchers and they consider the Metropolitan Park a preferred spot.

The park also has a library, museum, and of course the gift shop. The hours of the park are from 6am-5pm daily and its $2 per person. They also have a nice website, although as of now its only viewable in spanish. We recommend going early in the morning when its cooler and you can see more wildlife. All you need is a taxi there, a map of the area, and good hiking shoes and pants.

One reason many guests decide to stay at the Balboa Inn is our conveniently close location near Panama’s domestic airport Albrook Airport (official name: Aeropuerto Marcos A. Gelabert). Flights from here will take you to all parts of Panama including David and Bocas del Toro. The two airlines are AirPanama and Aeroperlas. If you have a flight with either of these two airlines do check about 24 hours ahead of time to confirm the time.

Please remember these are small planes so the airlines have luggage weight restrictions in place, currently 25 pounds per person. If you have more than that, you can safely leave luggage in storage at the Balboa Inn until you return. Well, assuming you carry a little less than this lady.

If you are thinking about renting a car in Panama for a trip to the interior you might consider picking it up at the Albrook Airport this way you can avoid the hassle of going all the way back to the Tocumen International Airport.

Getting to the airport is easy as it is just a 5 minute taxi ride from the Balboa Inn and right next to the Main Bus Terminal and Albrook Mall. For more information about Albrook Airport call (507) 315-0403.

Below a picture to give you an idea of Albrook airport and its surroundings.

Car Rental Agencies at Albrook Airport:

National Car Rental: (507) 315-0416 / 0417

Budget Car Rental: (507) 263–8777

Thrifty Car Rental: (507) 315-0144

Helicopter Rental/Tours at Albrook Airport:

Helipan Corp.