United Is About to Start Flying a New Nonstop Route to Panama
The Casco Viejo. The Canal. Those skyscrapers. The shopping. It’s hard to think of an analog for Panama City. If you’ve been, you know there’s not really any place like it, at least in the Western Hemisphere (although some travelers like to compare it to places like Hong Kong).
It’s a fascinating blend of modern development and, at least in Panama’s Old City, a magical kind of charm. (If you head out to Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean coast, you find some of the most pristine landscapes in the Basin.)
And while Panama is still working to develop as a tourism destination, it’s managing to build up quite a network of flights.
That includes another new route that is launching this month: United’s new flights between San Francisco and Panama’s Tocumen International Airport.
The new flight, which takes about seven hours, connects Silicon Valley and the financial hub of Central America, and it’s starting on May 22.
So what about prices? The flights have fares at $827 in economy right now now, operated on Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
Are you heading to Panama City proper? We loved the Casco Viejo (old quarter) on our last visit, and since then the neighborhood has added several sparkling new hotels, including arguably the top luxury resort in the country: the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo (rates at just $331 per night).
If you want to experience a more authentic, immersive corner of Panama, we strongly suggest the Los Establos hotel, set on a coffee plantation in the mountains of Panama. It’s arguably the top adventure-focused all-inclusive in the broader region. Of course, Panama also has some lovely overwater bungalows.
