Fuerte Amador

There's something wonderfully perverse about traveling thousands of miles just to watch giant metal boxes squeeze through an oversized ditch-but don't knock the Panama Canal until you've tried it. This improbable engineering marvel, dreamed up by Europeans, initiated disastrously by the French, and ultimately conquered by sheer American stubbornness (and copious mosquito spray), remains a singular testament to human ambition. Do yourself a favor and book a morning tour-where else can you sip your coffee while standing in awe of hulking freighters inching patiently forward, mere inches to spare? Plan at least a few days ahead and budget around $100 for a comprehensive guided experience that'll fill your arsenal of dinner-party anecdotes. Bring sunscreen, water, a good camera, and perhaps a hat that says "I Went to the Panama Canal and All I Got Was This Strange Sense of Awe." Sure, it's touristy and crowded-but nothing beats witnessing firsthand the improbable triumph of perseverance over nature. Trust me: even your jaded friends back home will hang on every deliciously quirky detail of your passage through one of humanity's greatest shortcuts.

Panama Viejo is the kind of hauntingly beautiful ruin that begs exploration-especially for those who like their history seasoned liberally with pirate raids and fiery conquest. Founded in 1519, this place was the original European foothold on the Pacific, only to be spectacularly ransacked by none other than Captain Henry Morgan himself, who, in a spectacular bout of pillaging and rum-fueled mischief, torched the city and inadvertently created one of Panama City's best tourist attractions. Arrive early in the morning to avoid crowds and oppressive midday heat-because nothing dampens historic awe faster than sunstroke or sharing your selfie backdrop with a busload of selfie-stick wielders. Entry typically runs around $10-$15, so carry a bit extra for artisanal goodies hawked by the charming (but determined) vendors at the exit gate. Bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a bottle of water because the ruins stretch further than your ambition after a plate of ceviche and two cold cervezas. Sure, it's just a collection of evocative ruins, but standing amid the crumbled stones and weathered towers-imagining Spaniards frantically fleeing Morgan's swaggering buccaneers-is well worth the modest entrance fee. If nothing else, you leave with a story that will enliven your dinner conversations far better than another beachside margarita anecdote.

Plunging into the waters around Panama's Coiba National Park feels suspiciously like gatecrashing an underwater Mardi Gras-vibrant, chaotic, and just a bit surreal. Once a remote penal colony (because apparently, tropical islands make for delightfully scenic jails), Coiba's murky history became its saving grace: decades of minimal human interference means its coral reefs now teem with marine misfits, from lumbering whale sharks to gangs of curious hammerheads. Plan ahead by at least a few weeks, because local dive shops are charmingly casual until they're suddenly booked solid. Early mornings-when the seas are calmer and visibility is sharpest-are your best bet. Set aside around $150-$200 for a day trip (since they don't accept seashell necklaces as payment) and pack reef-safe sunscreen, plenty of water, and snacks that'll survive salt spray. Sure, you'll be half suspicious you're starring in a wildlife documentary with a snarky narrator, but descending into this exuberant marine madhouse at least once is entirely worth it-for bragging rights alone.