themark

Do you think it can be better to travel during the rainy season, since their will be less tourists. You can usually find more open hotels, less crowded restaurants and such, and cheaper rates during the rainy season.

Lalaguayaba

I don't notice much of a difference in the # of tourists in either season; Americans tend to travel during Xmas and spring break, during the school vacations. And South Americans tend to travel during their school vacations, Jan.-March, and similar holidays. The surfing hot spots can change coasts with the seasons, but I notice more that ppl go from Darien, with southwest-facing beaches, to the Azueros, with southeast-facing beaches, as the peak breaks move.

Panama is pretty cheap, regardless of the season. I have yet to run into a fully-booked hotel, or a fully-reserved restaurant due to too many tourists. What Panama needs is more tourists!! Right now it just seems like the ppl visiting are there to look for homes and businesses, not beaches and parties.

Cheers.

tallman33

I would suggest going to Panama when it is convenient for you. It's a great place year-round. Don't come during the rainy season if you hate rain, though.

titaniumhijau

I never do that unless when i come to that country, that season is change to rainy season. I also don't really like to travel if that day is rainy. Too many trouble if its happen. I already have some expereince about that. Its not like i hate rain, but i'm not really comfortable about thta.

fellowtraveler

How much beach activity is there during the rainy season? Surfers are a breed of their own. They'll surf anytime, anywhere. Do people hit the beaches when thunderstorms loom on the horizon?

panamapal

People don't usually go much during actual rain or storms, but they'll go before one.

Lalaguayaba

Exactly. A few of my friends went out surfing on the Caribbean coast immediately after the hurricanes this summer, just to take advantage of the larger swells and rapid waves. Awesome! You experience a lot of that near any beach community where there are a lot of surfers--find the storm surge and you'll find the surfers...

Cheers.

expatplayer

I remember going to a beach after a storm one time, and the waves were huge. In fact, the children weren't even allowed into the water because of it. Those were the biggest waves I've ever seen. I wasn't surfing, but I went out and rode them.

titaniumhijau

So, thats why when rainy summer, you need to bring your raining coat and umbrealla. Some old people said, before rain or storm, provide umbrella first..

panman

Is it okay to have an umbrealla in a lightening or thunder storm? Will it attract lightening?

Lalaguayaba

Stay away from trees and don't go swimming during the storms; if you are in a city, the height of the buildings will protect you--they all have some form of antenna system on the roofs that will dissipate the strikes (whether its just a satellite dish or an actual lightening rod doesn't matter.) Lightening goes for the tallest target around--not your umbrella, or you--unless you're standing underneath a tree.

Do you use an umbrella during a thunderstorm in your own country? Or do you just not have thunderstorms in you section of the land? It just seems to me that this is a common-sense kind of question, i.e. if a thunderstorm is close-by, then don't go outside, umbrella or not. I wouldn't worry about having to be outside in a thunderstorm w/an umbrella in Manhattan, but I would be plenty freaked out if I were on the Kansas prarie.

Cheers.

GordonS

Hmm... Question to Lalaguayaba: Earlier in this thread, you referred to the "larger swells and rapid waves" after the hurricanes. From this I gather that the storm surges from hurricanes can travel about 500 miles which I believe would have been the closest edge of the hurricanes thusfar this season. How high would these waves be above normal? Has any hurricane surge caused significant damage in Panama in recorded history?

__________________
Gordon and Randy,
Canada

Lalaguayaba

There really isn't enough development along the Caribbean coast for any storm to damage; aside from Colón (which, as a port, is fairly storm-proofed,) there just isn't much up there. The last info I got on the waves, from my friends surfing up there, were getting 8'-10' swells--which is not that high at all, it is just really high for the Caribbean, and perfect for surfing. Normal wave height along Panama's northern coast is around 2'-3'.

Panama just doesn't really get hit by hurricanes, it is far enough south to be out of the path of a direct hit by a storm. And looking at a map of the region, you can pick out the main hurricane belt--and Panama is no where near it.

I had friends in Honduras--which is several hundred miles north of Panama (on Roatan island,) who sat out the last big storm of the season (I believe it was H. Dean,) and they gave a fairly mellow report. As long as the homes/businesses are built to withstand the winds, everything just chugs along as normal.

Cheers.

coolandhot

Surely there are some buildings along the coast that can get hurt, even if not many. Aren't there any beach houses or anything?

Lalaguayaba

There are beach houses, there are beach developments, just not a lot of them; and if you noticed that I mentioned 10' waves--not 100' waves then you would understand. We're not talking tsunami waves, we're not talking hurricane force winds, we're just talking about good surfing. All the hurricanes for the past few hundred years of recorded storm history haven't hit Panama...

The latter mention of hurricane-proof property was in Honduras--a country several hundred miles to the northwest.

Cheers.

panman

Does Hounduras get a lot of hurricanes?

Nosfer

i always wanted to spend my winter holidays somewhere where it's hot... relaxing on a beach or something. in my country we've got -20 degrees celsius every winter... so i'm really tired of cold weather. what temperatures are in Panama in December-January?

lee

The good news is that we have temperatures from 25 to 35 degrees Celsius (77 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit) during the whole year! We really only have two seasons: The "rainy" season from May to November and the "dry season" from December to April. I always like to spend my Christmas and New Year's Eve in Panama.. and I'm always having a good time!

Lalaguayaba

Everything you wanted to know about Honduras: :: Lets Go Honduras ::
Honduras - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Does the U.S. get a lot of hurricanes? Does Mexico get a lot of hurricanes? Does Venezuela? If it is a country along the hurricane belt, then--yes, it has hurricanes. This belt is ~10 degrees north and south on either side of the equator; Panama, @ 8 N, is within this belt, and thus, free of hurricanes.

Tropical cyclogenesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...acks-edit2.jpg


As always, the Wikipedia is an absolute glut of free information.

Cheers.

zhinghur

Well, i don't prefer to travel Panama in rainy days... i don't think we can enjoy that much in rainy days than sunny.......However this is my view,can differ from person to person...

MRWOOHOO

I just drove around the country at the end of October and the rain actually added to the enjoyment. There were usually sunny mornings and rainy afternoons. If you are along the coast the rain is pretty warm so I did not care that I got wet sometimes. Think of Florida during hurricane season. You are able to get a hotel room anywhere in the interior during the week most of the year. If you rent a good 4x4, purchase a cooler, fill it with ice, food, beer, and rum. Then all you have to do is start driving, no beforehand plans needed. I really cannot recommend any better way to discover and explore Panama. Makes no difference what season.