Costa Rica or Panama?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 80 65
UNESCO listings among them 6 10
Cost level Mid-range Mid-range
Busiest month in our write-ups February February
Currency Colon (CRC) US dollar (USD), Balboa
Plugs and voltage A, B - 120 V A, B - 120 V
Everyday languages Spanish Spanish
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region Central America Central America
Capital San José Panama City
Costa Rica
Pura vida is a greeting, philosophy and customer-service standard all at once.
What we have written up
- Arenal Volcano mountain
- Bajos del Toro waterfall
- Barra del Colorado lake
- Barra Honda cave
- Barrio Amón old town
- Basílica de los Ángeles church
Worth knowing before you go
- Cards work widely; dollars accepted, colones given in change
- Tipping: 10% service is included by law; extra is kind
- Dry season December-April is high season everywhere
Panama
Crossroads energy - canal commerce, Caribbean islands and cloud forest within hours.
What we have written up
- Altos de Campana national park
- Barro Colorado Island forest
- Bocas del Toro island
- Bocas Town old town
- Boquete viewpoint
- Casco Viejo, Panama City old town
Worth knowing before you go
- US dollars are legal tender alongside the balboa coin
- Tipping is 10%
- The rainy season means afternoon downpours, not lost days
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.