Drive to Almirante??

[ROBERT MASTERSON]

Hi: My wife and I will be spending about 30 days exploring Panama in Jan and Feb 2015. We plan to get a rental vehicle and drive:
1. Is it necessary/best to get a 4-wheel drive for most places or will a car do? Any good recommendations for a long term 30 day rental company from Panama City (international airport or other)?
2. Can one drive directly from Boquette to Almirante through the national park? if so, do you need a 4 wheel drive vehicle?

May have other questions as we do more planning.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – LINDA CARD]

Hi Robert- it sounds like you’ll have a nice long visit to explore Panama. Excellent!

1. You do not need a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get around in Panama. My SUV has 4-wheel drive and I’ve used it exactly once in five years, to reach a remote animal refuge up a steep hill in Chiriquí Province. Numerous highway projects in recent years have done a lot to improve the roadways throughout Panama, so you’ll have no problem with a regular car.

Tocumen International Airport has several car rental agencies, including Alamo, Payless and Thrifty among others. I have no personal experience with these, so you may want to do a comparison through Expedia, Trip Advisor or similar site.

2. In short, no. The only route to Almirante is through the town of Gualaca. You have to head south from Boquete on the 4-lane highway and take the turn-off to Caldera, then take the right hand turnoff to Gualaca, where you then turn north. The road rises up and over the Continental Divide and crosses a large reservoir, then slopes back down toward the Caribbean coast. Near Chiriquí Grande the road to Almirante heads to the left (west).

It is a spectacular and scenic drive, with views of the Pacific and Caribbean along the way. It’s fully paved so you do not need 4-wheel drive, but the roadway is uneven in places so you need to be alert.

Be sure to read all about traveling through Panama here at the Insider. There’s a wealth of information here for you: https://internationalliving.com/country_clubs/panama/travelers-panama/

And the Panama Rolodex is chock full of useful contacts here: https://internationalliving.com/country_clubs/panama/rolodex/

Please write again with any other questions you may have and have fun planning!
Chao, Linda

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