Panama just seems dreadfully BORING to me. I loved, loved, loved Guatemala 🇬🇹 and Nicaragua interests me as well. Can you tell me what you loved about Panama outside of what you previously mentioned?
You can be a compete nerd during the day, then get real loose at night.
It's a young single man's destination. Just south of the border...cheap flights....cheap logistics....memorable experiences.
Big disclaimer, I was a history major in college. The history of Panama is very intriguing to me. The historical tours offered are really good. Ancient natives to Pirate wars to Manual Noreiga, it's very intriguing. I remember being upset that my boss wanted all the ships officers to go on this all day historical tour with him. My mind was already sitting at the damn bar....but I did it anyway. Boy, I enjoyed the hell out of the tour. I saw ancient native history, colonized history, canal history, Noriega's house and we finished the day off at a Brazilian Steakhouse with glasses of red wine....worth every damn penny.
They also have plenty of tours in the forest, ziplining, etc. All of that is pretty typical of Central and South American countries tho.
Visiting the canals are nice. At this point, I've sailed through the locks so many times it's old to me, but it's always interesting to see the look on people's faces when they see a ship go through for the first time. The Canals are worth a sober days visit tho...Panama can get pretty warm and you'll be outside.
Outside of history, the nightlife in Panama is really good. As a young man, I swear I thought I saw Beyonce's twin sister down there. That said, the number of Blacks there blew me away as a young man. Everyone assumed I spoke Spanish, until I opened my mouth and they heard my slow southern accent. Those folks could have easily been distant cousins and that experience really ushered me along this journey that I'm on now. The food is better then you might imagine, it about average when compared to other countries. Berthing is about average, albeit I NEVER stayed in hotel room all day and was only there when I passed out....hint...hint. Panama is an out-and-about type of destination. No all-inclusives. No hiding behind a gated fence or property, etc.There is plenty to do there, but you won't find it on some brochure.
Panama is not a "beach" country. There are beaches there but they suck, especially the Caribbean side (avoid the Caribbean side...its trash). If your looking for a place to party on budget, you won't beat Balboa/Panama City. A young single man can stretch the hell out of a dollar there. Whatever your soul deserves, if you have the money you can get it, good, bad, ugly or anywhere in between. It reminds me of Thailand but not on that sort of Satanic of a level.
Everyone that visits Panama needs to go downtown to the Casino. It's popping. Dance clubs are all over the place. It's a party town. Not so much a beach, fishing town. It's a single guys, bro-cation destination. Leave the sand at the beach....
Best practices. Bargain with a taxi driver and get them to be your personal chaperone for your stays. $40-50 bucks may do it for a few days and its worth it. If you pay a little more, the drivers will surely take REAL good care of you, that was my MO. Personal drivers will keep you safe, especially if your hammered. Safety in Panama is about average when compared to other south and central American countries. Just don't be a stupid tourist asking to get robbed. I'm pretty tall and big so I can travel alone with no issues. Traveling in two's is preferred tho. Either way a personal driver is key.
3-5 day stay is about right, with 5 days being the max.