Panama City

Do Panamanians like Americans?

Friends visited there and totally loved it!

You could have added a fourth interrogation there OP.

Florida is nice this time of year.

Do we prefer Panama Hattie or Hilo Hattie?

in Panama or Florida?

In Panama - the people are cool and friendly and things are cheap. a lot of ex pats are there. close to costa rica.

In Florida- I hate Florida.

No one, and I mean NO ONE of any class goes to Pananma City.

IF you had to go you'd go to Colon. But only IF you had to go. Costa Rica is where it's at, particularly San Jose, I can give you directions if you like

Is stuff cheap there? How about the night life?

Is Colon a big city? I don't want to go to some sleepy small town hamlet.

Panama City is not a very good 'gay' destination. If that is not a priority, then you'll have a fine time there, doing things all the other tourists do. Yes, Costa Rica is much more gay friendly. Three bathhouses in San Jose alone, and even if that's not your thing, it indicates a strong market for gay people. Now, Panama City is much more cosmopolitan than the rather crude city of San Jose. But San Jose is a hub to other places. Manuel Antonio had a gay nude beach( Playita), but, a large hotel was built near the beach, and the owners, through intimidation, have made it into their own 'private' beach. Pity, as it had a huge ripple effect for the whole area, now that very few gay men go there. I personally would prefer Nicaragua over Panama (San Juan del Sur, and Granada, not Managua) as a vacation destination, but that's just me. Boca del Torres, Panama i s nice, but very touristy. Oh, if renting a car down here, always get the 'bottom line' rate. Usually, the mandatory insurance is not included in the quoted price, and you'll find the charges double of what you expected. It's a terrible deception, and only one or two companies are honest about the rates.

Panama an Costa Rica are the only nice countries in that big shit hole known as latin america

What's the Panamanian food like? Is it Mexican-y?

R12 - No, the food outside of Mexico, in the rest of Central America, is bland, and consists of various variations of rice and beans. There are exceptions, but don't expect any of these countries to be a culinary adventure.

[quote]Panama an Costa Rica are the only nice countries in that big shit hole known as latin america

I've always heard good things about both Argentina and Chile.

Panama and Costa Rica are interchangeable. Both are friendly and are one of the best destinations in Latin America.

Remember that just North of Central America the South of Mexico has the Island of Cozumel and right next to it you have the Cayman Islands. That whole area is very eco friendly and any destination within Panama, Costa Rica, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel is like its own world, probably only matched by Galapagos or Hawaii.

I find Mexico to have the most to offer as a whole package. Excellent culinary scene, fantastic art, pre-colonial ruins, museums, geographic diversity (wonderful beaches and resorts if you're into that kinda thing), well-run ecotourism outfits..

Which is the country that has those hotels within the jungle? I think that's Costa Rica, right?

R17 - Yes, just google 'jungle hotels in Costa Rica'. There are a lot down here. Costa Rica has a lot more rainforest than Panama. Much of Panama is arid and rather barren. And it's much hotter in Panama than Costa Rica. I realize I'm starting to sound like I work for the Costa Rican Tourist Board, but promoting this country is done only in an attempt to help anyone thinking of coming here.

Visit the Darien Gap if you're not a wuss!

The guys look cute, though.

Make sure to check out the Panamanian night life!

Allegedly, the largest cocks are to be found in Panama

^ largest *latino* cocks

R22 - Where did those statistics come from? I've seen, and have played with hundreds of Latino cocks, and yes, there are a few big ones, a lot more medium ones, and many, many small ones. Even many of the black men down here are not well endowed. It doesn't matter to me, as I'm an ass guy, but don't think Latin America is some big dong Nirvana. Now, if you like asses, they are some incredible ones here.

I am not interested in a "gay destination" or "gay scene." Just an exciting, thriving, urban tourist destination. Sounds like PC is it!

Costa Rica is fine for a couple of days, but I got bored after that. IT is a rather slow, sleepy country. Not exactly a thumping cosmopolitan location. If I ever return, it will only for a two or three day stint.

r24, you are a walking STD incubator, dude. Ewww.

Cozumel = anti gay

R27, you sound like a gay "man" with a big, wet vagina. Bigger "ewwwww."

Visit the Darien Gap if you're not a wuss!--- I did and he gave me the crabs. Also Darien's gap is now more of a gape-- what with all his whoring around.

R28

Gay cruises always hop to Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and then Cozumel. Those places get a huge influx of gays (and awful lot of archaeologist gays)

It is not a gay mecca as you are not going to find a gay district, it is an eco/ archaelogy site after all, but it is regarded as a gay friendly place. Plus you get a lot of Cuban Pinga from Cuba next door.

Trip advisor has some gay reviews on that area:

Damn! I got cut out too soon

OP, why don't you plan a trip for both Panama City and Costa Rica? It just seems like the best option. Central America is not as exploited as other touristy destinations, so at the very least you would have an interesting time getting to see eco friendly sites.

Panama-- the Switzerland of the America's.

they have mountains?

I'd like to tour the Panama Canal. They area nearing completion of a new, larger channel with a new set of locks.

Previously, shipbuilders have been building cargo ships to a size called "Panamax", meaning the largest sized ship that will fit through the Panama canal. More recently, they've been building even larger cargo ships for use in other areas of the world, but these ships wouldn't fit in the old Panama Canal. Panama realized they needed to build to accommodate these larger ships, and has done so.

Now, US ports need to upgrade their facilities to be able to accommodate these larger ships, too. Some US ports are already okay, but Baltimore, Boston, and others lag behind.

pics of hot Panamians?

Yes there are mountains... also lots of offshore banking, low taxes, safety for the ex pat wealthy, and corporate shenanigans are welcomed.

So to get back to the OPs question, if you are planning a trip to Panama City, what is there to do, what is the nightlife like (not gay nightlife, just restaurants, things to see and do, etc.)

Also, does it make sense to spend a week in PC or smarter to hit a beach resort for a few days, and if so, which ones would you recommend?

R14: I have been to Argentina, Uruguay and Chile-- beautiful places, much to see and do, great food, very inexpensive for Americans, the people are not what Americans often consider "Latino" -- they are of pure European descent, Spanish, Italian, German, Irish, English, and so look like white Americans, not say, Puerto Ricans or Mexicans.

It certainly does have an impressive skyline at night.

I went in high school and I loved it. I thought the food was fabulous: ceviche i ubiquitous and deliciously fresh.

At that time there was something of a pre-Castro Havana vibe going on. There were lots of casinos and flashy extravaganza shows.

Well, this is new. . .

Why I never knew Panama had it in her. The city has four gay clubs and the spa mentioned by R41

It warms my very cold heart to see little patches of gay beginning to sprout here and there all over Latin America. <3 In a few more years those places are going to have quality gay travel destinations.

OP apparently the best part of the city is the modern downtown which has many nice hotels, restaurants, galleries, and bars. From the images I am seeing the views are stunning.

The Icon club seems to be a popular gay bar? At least by the looks of this video

[quote] It warms my very cold heart to see little patches of gay beginning to sprout here and there all over Latin America.

Latin American is a lot more gay-friendly than many, many patches of America (the U.S. south, the rocky mountain states, huge parts of the midwest). Some cities like Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta stack right up there with any U.S. major city in terms of gay scenes.

Latin America gets a bad rap on DL regarding gay issues. I think people confuse Latin America with the English-speaking, homophobic CUNTries of the Caribbean (Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago).

Wow, that skyline is impressive for a city in a country with less than 4 million people!

R43 - Homosexuality is illegal in the English speaking country of Belize also, very much in Central America. Best to keep your pink dollars out of there.

Those homophobic countries have large black populations. I wonder why they trail behind their neighbors that are starting to be more liberal?

It's because they have British colonial legacy to overcome R46. All that stupid evangelical religion.

Latin countries have always had a more aesthetic and less ideological approach to religion.

Uruguay claims to the Switzerland of the Americas. It's rather a stretch in any case. The Swiss, on the other hand, claim to be the Bolivians of Europe!

Which countries (other than Mexico) have fully nude male strippers?

Argentina has really hot gays. It must be the whole Italian thing. Yum.

To be fair R50, nearly all Argentines are hot.

How did it get such a stellar skyline?

By serving as a headquarters for dodgy banks until the USA put a squeeze on their bank secrecy, and now they have condos for retirees!

What is there to do there?

It's a haven for dodgy banks and dodgy retirees. The criminal element has given it a skyline.

[quote] Which countries (other than Mexico) have fully nude male strippers?

Canada

That's it?

I'm surprised Buenos Aires , Argentina, which is known as the gay capital of Latin America , does not have many gay strip clubs.

Though OP said it was there for the experience. I would still say Argentina is a great country to visit.

Gay bars in Argentina

Is Panama cheap to visit?

[QUOTE]I have been to Argentina, Uruguay and Chile-- beautiful places, much to see and do, great food, very inexpensive for Americans, the people are not what Americans often consider "Latino" -- they are of pure European descent, Spanish, Italian, German, Irish, English, and so look like white Americans, not say, Puerto Ricans or Mexicans.

For Argentina and Uruguay, that's true (Argentina is basically Italians who speak Spanish). For Chile - not as much.

Thank god you cleared that up. We wouldn't want to be around actual brown people... just the brown adjacent.

Hot strippers

Panama City is the Singapore of Central America.

The only bad thing about Panama City is that it's being overrun by those hideous cunts known as Venezuelans fleeing the utter chaos that is their own country.

[quote] I'm surprised Buenos Aires , Argentina, which is known as the gay capital of Latin America

Bitch, please.

I went to Panama and most of their men are black and very are hot.

Mister Panama.

Panama City is OK, but Pensacola has hot navy guys and Fort Walton Beach is cheaper and just as nice.

I have been to many different countries in Latin America and in my opinion the safest city for gays for cruising and having sex is Havana. I'm Cuban and I have been to many Latin American countries and those countries do seem to have better gay venues for entertainment but once you get out of the club,that is all you get,not to mention that I do not feel safe like I do in Cuba. In Havana you see trans-gendered people eating at restaurants, in public places and there is zero homophobia or verbal attacks to them unlike other latin american countries where it is dangerous to even hold hands in public with another man. When Americans get to discover the gay life in Cuba, it will become the gay mecca of latin america because of the care free gay life in cuba that is mainly concentrated in la rampa in front of el malecon or in mi cayito. I think that what me and my husband who is from Finland find especial about Cuba is that there is a real authentic gay night,and is all public and last the whole night in El Vedado. I have been to Cuba with American and European friends and they are fascinated with the gay life in Cuba.in fact,I always find many gay from mexico and other gays from latin american countries and we all agree that the gay night life in Cuba is long and super hot,with a lot of flirting,cruising. it is really crazy.

when it comes to gay entertainment in gay clubs cuba doest have much to offer,but the real fun happens outside of the gay clubs where a super huge crowd of gay,bisexuals, straight,trans,lesbians, and fag hags gather until the sun comes up the next day drinking ,singing and of course people are like crazy looking for sex including the male hustlers called pingueros,you pay them like 50 dollars and you suck their cocks. you get a feel of a very bohemian gay life like the one you feel in Spain. The police do not arrest gays who kiss in from of them,and during the carnival trans-genders openly mix with the straight crowd and they flirt with the straight cops,oh my god!! really a lot of fun.

Unfortunately Americans are not allowed to visit Cuba and so they haven't discovered it yet like Canadians and Europeans have.The majority of Europeans and Canadians flock to Cuba because the gay sex is everywhere and is very safe. Every four months I go to Cuba with my husband and the party is non stop in mi cayito then in el malecon in front of el bimbom with hot pingueros and bugarrones,and of course with the whole gay tribe getting drunk,sitting in the malecon where you see other gay couples kissing in front of straight people and no gay bashing happens.After the clubs close down all the gays head south to el malecon and there the party continues. Sometimes gay people gather around someone playing guitar and they make a choir in the middle of the night at 3:00 am or later. the police frequently passes by but they do not arrest anyone.

In the united states and other countries you go to the club,drink some alcohol, dance a bit then that's it, you get in your car and you call it a night. no wonder my american friends when they first visited Havana they were baffled by the huge crowd in la rampa like you do not ever see in Fort Lauderdale at 1:00 am even during gay pride here in south florida.

this video shows the gay crowd in havana at night with people singing and partying with a lot of drinking going on. some of the guys in the video are pingueros.

[quote]Unfortunately Americans are not allowed to visit Cuba and so they haven't discovered it yet like Canadians and Europeans have.

Uh, no.

uh,yes girl,go and satisfy your cock-starved asshole,you deserve that pleasure cuz you are special.

I went to Cuba and found gay life incredible sad. Cubans will do and say anything in other to hook up with someone that will take them out of that hell hole. The desperation is off putting.

Taking advantage of poor people and their bodies is sick

R68 what you described sounds really fantastic in Cuba, but I imagine that if/when Americans CAN actually travel freely in Cuba, it will all come to a stop.

Cuba is probably free spirited because it has had no contact with conservative and prudish Americans.

The minute Americans start traveling to Cuba en masse, the government will put a stop to all the public displays of gay affection, because Americans will be "offended" by the open gay lifestyle.

Just watch. The whole scene will be ruined by American tourists.

R73 Still won't be as bad as Jamaica.

Can someone please translate?

Are these young guys rough trade? They're really hot!

What are they talking about?

This is what will happen when Americans start visiting Cuba...

I never implied that people should go to Cuba for prostitution,in fact I said that if you are expecting the kind of gay scene involving clubs,white parties, and escorts that you were going to be deeply disappointed. However,you do have lots of pingueros and also guys who are not, all are gathering together in la rampa and that is because in Cuba, people prefer to socialize rather than use hooking apps for dating.

What I meant is that I foresee in the distant future Cuba becoming more popular for gay Americans when they are allowed to visit the island, because the country is the safest in all latin america and the least homophobic, in fact hate crimes towards gays are rare.

in my experience latin american countries offer great entertainments for gays mainly focused indoor in specific gay clubs and saunas,in Cuba you will find gays everywhere in la rampa and in almost all parks around el capitolio, including transgenders sitting in the park benches next to straight people and children without fear of being attacked or mocked. I have seen this social attitude in Spain but certainly not in the US, and not to mention other Caribbean islands.

I have many american friends and they always ask me questions about cuba ,and I really cant help to laugh at the grim mental picture that they have of cuba,like it is some sort of middle eastern country where gays are decapitated, oh my gosh!!! and really, nothing can be further from the truth. Yes, it is a poor country, but prostitution is not something that every gay guy in cuba is into, in fact, you are most likely to be approached by straight guys than by gays on the streets of Havana.

As you can see in the video that I posted, there is one police car close to the gay crowd and you do not see any one being arrested or decapitated.what you see is a group of people singing a song of the famous gay latin icon Juan Gabriel instead. In the next video called camara oculta, you can also see some videos taken by the cams in el malecon at night,and you can see gays kissing and hugging and even some straight girl sucking a guy. One of the guys in the first video is married and he says that he likes to give pinga to maricones.

Obviously, Cuba is not a gay paradise in terms of gay rights such as marriage,but they have gay prides and crazy private gay parties with a lot of bugarrones and no prostitution is involved.Cubans are very open when it come to sex and there is a cuban attitude of "live and let live and mind your own business" and "nobody should fucking care what you do with your ass" , Cubans say "har con tu culo un tambor, eso no es problema mio". This approach to sexuality is very prevalent in cuba's neighborhoods.

Fundamental Christianity or catholicism don't have much power in Cuba. Cubans despise proselytizing and catholicism is mainly mixed with Santeria which is extremely gay friendly. however with a future improvement in relation between both countries the fundies might try to invade cuba with missionaries and antigay propaganda,I know for sure that they are already doing this, but in the long term I think Christianity will not have any major impact in cuba because there have been baptist churches in cuba and Jehovah witnesses for ages there and still the majority of cubans despise them.

So my prediction is that in the distant future the friendliest cities for gay tourists in latin america will be puerto vallarta and Havana. Puerto Rico will have to compete for our pink dollars with them,and Jamaica, oh please,come on.... that homophobic shithole is gonna disappear from the whole Caribbean map.

WHere in the US has the most Panamanians?

The pussy is better in DF.

Gffd

PRIde Panama City

Spent two weeks there a few months ago. Panama City is an international banking and business haven, and has excellent restaurants, healthcare (Johns Hopkins, etc.), nightlife, casinos and history. It looks like Hong Kong at night. The locals are very proud they have a Trump hotel. You can take a vintage rail and follow the canal to the Caribbean or boat through the canal (12 hours each, I think. Easy to arrange. You can also do the main PC lock and that can be enough. The entire Historic District is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Leave PC and head to Boca Del Torres if you want laid-back, surf/diving/hippie vibes and island hopping, it go the Pacific side and head up to the highlands of Vulcancito and Boquete incredible flowers, tropical birds, waterfalls and rivers. You can rent at small beach towns on the Pacific on your way up. The highlands have lots of ex-pats, lots of coffee and fresh vegetables. A hip-high huge bag of mixed veg will cost you $5. The area has a very large Swiss-German population, even the architecture reflects that. Cost of living is about 40% lower than the US. Watch out for rainy season, it's real and it's torrential. Gorgeous country, very low crime, not a "tourist" destination, so not as much of an income gap between Panamanians and visitors. Lots of adventure hiking, kayaking, dive shops, biking, etc. we had a great time.

How cheap are nice hotels?

We used VRBO and rented apartments and condos. Really great choices available, cost about 1/2 of VRBO rentals in Paris or US. Panama is getting more popular, though, so we looked early and negotiated.

I came down with a severe case of Panamania!

HOW hot are the dudes?

You will be popular and not disappointed.

Some are hot

Ramon C

Thank you R82

Have heard great things about Panama and been curious, but your post just moved this to the top of my radar for winter 2018

Did you go to any of the islands in Bocas del Toro? Seems like a week on one of them-- Isla Batimentos caught my eye-- would be amazing

r90 read The Jolly Roger Social Club if you want a perspective on the islands around Panama.

Panamanian

Thanks R90-- just looked it up and seems like a good read!

Planning on hitting the Caribbean side and the islands next trip, R90. We focused on PC, and the Pacific side. Def going back.

If you love stank sleeves you'll be in heaven

Shut up r95

My closest friend who is Argentinian but NY raised relocated there about 10 years ago. She enjoys the relative stability and it has an interesting international community and is very modern. The food is pretty standard for Latin America nothing extraordinary like Peru lets say. It is gay friendly. You will have a nice time. She wants me to eventually move there as I am sick of NY and have almost no family left. I am very tempted.

R97 Could the guy at R92 convince you?

Nice

Lol , could be , could be r98

More hot Panamanians!

My friend is always sending me stuff from this comic who goes by the alter ego he calls La One Two. If you can understand Spanish and the nuance it is very funny. La One Two is supposed to be sort of ghetto fabulous. My point is that they are quite accepting of gay people it is not like other Latin countries where one might feel more threatened.

Panama is actually in the middle when it comes to acceptance of homosexuality in LA. It is not nearly as accepting as Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, much of Mexico, or Brazil, as reflected in the lack of any official recognition of same-sex relationships. But it is not as hostile as Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, or Paraguay.

.....

Darien

Go to Sloppy Joe's for their great smegmaburgers.

Quick flight

Is it cheap?

[quote]The pussy is better in DF.

Distrito Federal?

Any hot gay clubs with hot pas?

Gogo

Is it safe there? I would just go to Costa Rica for the beaches.

Any hotel recommendations?

Is it still cheap?

How long is the flight from the East?

Skyline is lit!

Why on Earth would you want to visit a city so lazy it can't even think of an original name for itself.

How about hotties?

Dang

I’m trying to get there

It's one of the nicer Mexican countries.

Mexican?

Panama’s citizens are the second-richest in Latin America. Thanks partly to the canal, its economy is the fastest-growing. The social safety-net is generous by regional standards and life expectancy matches that in the United States.

Andrey Millan

I heard that many of those fancy buildings in Panama, Panama the country are empty. Like ruse for laundering money. The Panama papers. Hotels and beaches are kind of mediocre.

The Pearl Islands seem like the beaches are nice. Not really the canal though.

R111 impressive wiggles

The Pearl Islands are a popular location for the reality TV programs, particularly Survivor. The American edition which had 3 seasons (namely Survivor: Pearl Islands, Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Panama) set on the islands. Season 2 of the Israeli version of the program (titled Survivor 10: Pearl Islands), season 1 of Survivor South Africa (titled Survivor South Africa: Panama), season 4 of the French edition (titled Koh-Lanta: Panama), season 3 of the Bulgarian version (titled Survivor BG: Pearl Islands) and Ukrainian versions of the show were all set on the islands.