Like many Americans, my knowledge of Panama has been limited to what I have learned about the Panama Canal over the years. A recent visit changed that perspective, as our group explored this friendly and safe country for the first time. Now travel to Panama is easier than ever. New flight routes have recently debuted from several airlines departing from California. Our travel experience was easy and comfortable because we can now fly direct from our home town of San Diego to Panama City with Copa Airlines.

A painless six hours, the flight departed in the evening from San Diego and arrived early morning in Panama City. Unlike some who stare into space on flights in sleepless frustration, I’ve perfected the art of uncomfortable sleeping positions for the most part. Luckily the seats on this Copa Airlines flight were on the more comfortable side. Although they lacked my favorite lay-flat horizontal sleeping options, I was able to get several hours of sound slumber. We arrived in Panama City in the International Terminal, and easily navigated our way to the curb. Packing only carry-on luggage really helps for quick transitions.

A Quick Note About Packing Carry-On Luggage

For most of my life, I could not imagine limiting my clothing options to whatever fit inside a carry-on bag. I’m a changed man after agreeing to rough it on a trip to Europe a few years ago. I have found the ease of navigating through an airport and on and off airplanes is a far preferred mode of travel.

Unless traveling to somewhere cold for two weeks, I’ve perfected two things in this packing scenario: 1) simplified fashion options, and 2) rolling my clothes. For a simplified wardrobe, I now choose one or two colors and just pack options that mix and match. No, I don’t need 11 pairs of shoes for those “just in case moments”. Caring whether others have seen me in the same jeans more than once is no longer my concern. With rolling my clothes, I’ve perfected a sure-fire way to fit more into a crammed carry-on suitcase with minimal wrinkling.

Trust me, it all works. The peace of mind it will bring your travel experience will become a welcome relief – especially with the stress of air travel increasing each day. To fly direct from San Diego to Panama City on Copa Airlines, a carry-on was the perfect choice. Tropical weather, lots of shorts and light shirts, and no need for bulky sweaters made this an easy choice.

New Flight Routes from California to Panama

The national airline of Panama, Copa Airlines is making big expansion moves into the United States and specifically California. Previously, California travelers would have to choose flight options to Panama that included a stop in Dallas, Houston, Miami, and other US cities. Adding several extra hours to the flight itinerary for this stop and layover is challenging for most, both in terms of time and money.

Now Copa Airlines solves these problems for Californians and other West Coasters:

• From San Diego (SAN), Copa began operating four nonstop flights per week to Panama City in May 2025.
• From San Francisco International Airport (SFO), travelers can reach Panama City via United Airlines or Copa Airlines. Copa is now operating one flight per day between these two destinations.
• Via Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) via Copa Airlines, there are three flight options per day to reach Panama City.

Fly Direct from San Diego to Panama City

Now that it’s possible to fly direct from San Diego to Panama City, it seems a whole new part of the world has opened its doors. We gathered some friends and planned an itinerary that mixed relaxation with adventure. It included both jungle destinations and big city vibes.

Panama has much to offer, with a greater variety than many travelers might initially think.

Relaxing Jungle Detox in Valle de Anton

A roughly two-hour drive from Panama City, Valle de Anton is set inside an ancient volcanic caldera deep in the Panamanian jungle. The temperature in this area is often more comfortable than that of Panama City. This makes the area a regular relief for city dwellers seeking respite from the hot tropical climate surrounding the city. Thick green trees, tropical vines, tall grasses and blooming flowers are abundant here. The sound of birdsong is ever-present and welcome. Frogs, iguanas, lizards, butterflies and other creatures can be occasionally seen in the greenery. After all, it is the jungle.

This was a welcome respite from the pace of everyday life. After our red-eye flight, it was the perfect destination to begin our adventures in Panama.

Hotel Compañia del Valle in Panama’s Jungle Valley

Recently remodeled under new ownership and just opened at the end of 2024, Hotel Compañia del Valle includes 70 guest rooms and suites. All rooms have balconies with views of the grounds and jungle beyond, as well as the surrounding mountain tops of the caldera. Everything surrounding the hotel is green, green, green. The hotel is located on sprawling acreage dotted with many sculptures created by different artists from a variety of media, especially teak. This is an impressive collection of art, with some 140 pieces in all, and more on the way.

Pulling up to the reception lobby after the long drive, guests are greeted with a complimentary welcome drink and soothing hand massage. Nice touch (excuse the pun), and a very nice beginning to a relaxing stay. Out by the main pool, more complimentary massages are offered in chairs as a way to relax the upper body. This is a nice release for any neck tension a passenger might have accumulated from an overnight flight or long drive. After a dip in the heated black-bottom pool, a nap in the sun can help dismiss any lingering stress from travel. Or really, life for that matter.

Rooms are spacious, and all have balconies overlooking jungles, mountains, grounds, and more. Bathrooms and fixtures are of the highest quality, and we found everything to be spotless and impeccable. Clearly, these hoteliers are planning to impress the most discerning of guests.

Top Quality Food and Wellness Combined

For a relatively small boutique hotel property, this resort is punching above its weight in food quality and overall luxury experiences. Three on-site restaurants offer a variety in culinary style and menu options, from the more casual to fine dining.

Fuego – “The Art of Fire”: A top-notch culinary experience serving upscale cuisine prepared over an open flame. This is fine dining complete with an impressive wine cellar, extensive menu options, and comfortable seating indoors or outdoors on the enclosed patio.

Tierra – “The Soul of the Earth”: Vegetarian-based, healthy options are prepared elegantly and creatively. Served indoors or outdoors on a covered patio overlooking sculpture gardens.

Tiempo – “The Art of Travel”: More casual fare suitable for breakfast and lunch with a mix of international options. Seating is located indoors off the lobby, under a covered patio, and inside a large glass gazebo structure standing over a pond.

Largest Spa in Central America

Providing an ideal combination of excess and wellness, the resort also includes an impressive spa program. Just opening now, Elysium Spa at Hotel Compañia del Valle is the largest spa in Central America. Encompassing a whopping 22,000 square feet, Elysium is home to one-of-a-kind design elements that add special touches to the overall wellness offerings.

Some experiences unique to Elysium will include:

• Contains 50,000 gallons of water
• Float Pool contains 12 tons of Epsom salt to maximize floating potential
• Guests enter the spa from separate men’s and women’s lounges by wading into caverns and tunnels of warm water (called Journey to the Inner Soul)
• Untethered Soul – a human-sized pass from inside baths through a waterfall into an outdoor pool
• Enormous co-ed internal soaking bath with 30-foot ceilings
• 6 interior therapy rooms, and 4 exterior spaces
• Dry sauna and wet sauna
• Clay bath
• Cold plunge pool
• Interior whirlpool
• Exterior soaking pool
• Himalayan Salt Room
• Hammam with two slabs
• Yoga and group meditation spaces inside and outside in the garden
• Surrounded by gardens and spaces to relax, meditate, nest, or bake in the sun

Urban Vibes in Panama City

Another reason to fly direct from San Diego to Panama is the chance to visit the capital city. Of course, this is also the mouth of the Panama Canal. The hustle and bustle of Panama City itself has been fueled for 111 years by the commerce surrounding the Canal. The city itself is a hub of activity for Central and South America, with more than 2 million residents living in the city. For comparison, there are only 4.5 million residents in the entire country of Panama.

The skyline here is more impressive than most world-class cities, with gleaming skyscrapers topping 70 stories. Packed into urban neighborhoods along the city’s waterfront, the downtown financial and residential areas are punctuated by a graceful arc out into the bay. Lit with colorful lights at night, this roadway arc suspends vehicles above the tidal waters of the Gulf of Panama. This offers a spectacular view of the Old and New Cities in one breathtaking landscape.

Old Town Panama City

Panama City’s origins began inside the protected walls of Casco Antiguo, the old fortified dwellings originally constructed during Spanish colonization in the late 1600s. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its architecture and history, this area is colorful and vibrant. The area is populated by historic colonial structures in various stages of pristine repair and picturesque ruin.

The charm of Panama’s culture runs deep here. Many local artisans can be found in the cobbled streets, and local boutiques and restaurants are tucked into porticos and plazas overhung by blooming tropical flowers. From higher vantage points, the terra cotta tiled rooftops, whitewashed walls, and church steeples are reminiscent of parts of Southern Europe and the Mediterranean.  

Hotel La Compañia Casco Antiguo

With the Casco Antiguo sits the stately sister hotel to La Compañia del Valle. Created within the original site of a monastery, school, and other uses throughout history, the hotel is an impressive remodel. The Hotel La Compañia Casco Antiguo campus includes three buildings in all. The original Spanish building is from 1688. When the French came here to begin digging the canal, they built the second building in 1739. The Americans created the final structure in 1904. Somehow, they all work together in tandem to create a lovely setting for an historic hotel.

Cuisine at La Compañia Casco Antiguo

La Compañia Casco Antiguo includes several high-end restaurants serving a variety of cuisines:

El Santuario – The hotel’s 3-meals-a-day restaurant, this is hardly a common dining establishment. With soaring original stone ceilings and walls, this restaurant serves a variety of cuisines. Breakfast was a favorite among our group.

1739 – The hotel’s premium dining option, the 1739 restaurant space was originally inside a chapel. It includes elaborate tall ceilings a spacious wine cellar, and delicious French cuisine.

Luigi’s  – Fun and vivacious Italian restaurant with plenty of space for an informal drink and meal downstairs, or a more formal dinner upstairs.

Hari’s – Hari’s is boldly decorated full of whimsy and color, offering a celebration of Mexican cuisine at its finest.

The Panama Canal

Begun by the French, finished by the Americans, and now operated by the Panamanians, the Panama Canal was – and is – a game-changer. It used to take 3 or 4 weeks for ships to travel around the tip of South America. That time was instantly reduced to a few hours.

Some fun facts:

• Some 30-40 ships pass through the Panama Canal every day.
• It takes 8-10 hours to for a ship to travel the 50 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.
• Each ship pays a fee in the neighborhood of $750,000 0 $1 million to use the canal.
• The Panama Canal operators require each ship captain to relinquish control of their vessel to a Panamanian captain skilled in the careful navigation of the canal and locks.
• There are 12 main lock chambers arranged in three sets within two lanes along the Canal.
• The main body of water in the canal is actually a lake. Gatun Lake measures about 24 miles of the roughly 50-mile passage.
• Gatun Lake is 85 feet above sea level, which is why the locks are needed to raise the boats up to lake level and back down to sea level.

It rains here – a lot. Average rainfall per year in this area is approximately 16 feet. This deluge naturally replenishes any water in the canal that is depleted by the locks releasing into the oceans on either side.

View Jungle Wildlife

It’s possible to tour the Canal without actually navigating all the way through it. Small private boats and captains can be accessed for day trips on the canal and into its tributaries. These boats often traverse a portion of Gatun Lake while dodging some of the large vessels. Then they dart off into a series of waterways populated by dense green islands full of foliage and wildlife.

On these tours, boat captains promise visitors they will see monkeys and other tropical species. On our visit, this was certainly true and we spied all three types of local monkeys. The White-faced Capuchin monkeys are highly intelligent and curious, with white faces and dark bodies. Mantled Howler Monkeys are known for their deep, loud howls heard throughout the jungles. Perhaps the most rare and cutest are the Geoffroy’s Tamarin. These are smaller and reddish in color with a white mohawk. We also saw toucans, eagles, hawks, and many other tropical species of birds in various colors and fanciful feather arrays.

Put Panama on Your Must-Visit List

With new flights recently debuted offering direct routes from California to Panama City, visiting Panama is easier than ever. This country deserves its place on the Must-Visit List for its natural beauty alone. Pair that with fantastic hotels, world-class cuisine, relaxing wellness offerings and fantastic wildlife. The whole experience makes for a nice and affordable vacation package.