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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Panama

11 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Panama

Updated April 10, 2025

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Architecture 2
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Stories About Panama

The rugged and infamous terrain of the Darién Gap as seen from the Pacific, off the coast of Panama.

Podcast: Darién Gap

An infamous break in the Pan-American Highway has been in and out the news for more than 100 years.
by The Podcast Team
A new study finds that black-handed spider monkeys like their fruits, well, boozy.

Monkeys Love Their Alcohol

But proving the “drunken monkey” hypothesis has been an exhausting—and messy—endeavor.
by Sarah Durn
Azteca ants live within cecropia trees.

These Ants in Panama Are Masters of Damage Control

An incident with a slingshot led scientists to a greater understanding of the relationship between the insects and their host trees.
by Jonathan Moens
There are 49 Guna communities on the island archipelago of Guna Yala.

The Secret History of Panamá’s Most Colorful Clothes

In Guna Yala, indigenous women sew stories of legend, revolution, and even Minnie Mouse into the elaborate textiles known as molas.
by Sarah Durn
An aerial view of a few of the artificial islands that make up the development project known as The World, a short boat ride from the coast of Dubai.

How to Build an Island

All you need is a dream, investors with deep pockets, and concrete. A lot of concrete.
by Alastair Bonnett
A green sea turtle, tangled in a ghost net in 2014.

Ghost Nets Haunt the World's Oceans, Hunting Beyond the Grave

Who you gonna call?
by Sabrina Imbler
The San San River.

Biologists in Panama Eavesdrop on Manatees for Their Own Good

In the murky waters of Bocas del Toro, you can't see the manatees, but you can hear them.
by Sabrina Imbler
A lot goes into a túngara frog’s ability to attract a mate.

Urban Frogs Make More Attractive Mating Calls

Yo! The old tale of city-frog, country-frog now has a decisive winner.
by Matthew Taub

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