Bar gay en panama

We visited the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center, which is a 20-30 mins taxi ride from downtown.

They are mainly based in the El Cangrejo and the Casco Viejo neighborhoods. The most famous island is Pelicano Island, which was featured in the Netflix series – “Money Heist”. Unlike on Airbnb, you know your host is gay, avoiding any nasty surprises when you check in. As well as having all the usual Hilton amenities – bathrobe, slippers, Salvatore Ferragamo branded toiletries, etc, it also had a very comfy King-sized bed, and a Nespresso machine to satisfy my hourly caffeine fix, and a welcome plate of yummy macarons.

But unlike Dubai, this mighty Latin American metropolis has a far more welcoming gay life, in a country where although culturally conservative, is constantly striving for LGBTQ equality.

Most will associate Panama City with the famous canal, which is a reason alone to visit. We got to try most of them here and loved it!

Famous Caribbean restaurant in Panama City located right in front of Plaza Bolívar in the old town.

The dry season runs from December to March and is the most touristy. It has such a strong influence from the Catholic Church that any attempt by the government to pass any progressive LGBTQ laws in Panama almost always gets blocked! That means if you book something through one of those links, we'll get a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

You can, of course, arrange a taxi when you arrive, but we found taxi drivers in Panama City to be quite dishonest, so we opted for Uber instead. As a general rule and to be on the safe side, we recommend you also do the same: avoid any PDAs and save them for the queer-friendly spaces we've set out in this article.

Gay hotels in Panama City

If you want to be in the tourist heart of Panama City, we suggest booking a hotel in Casco Viejo.

We stayed in a mix of gay friendly hotels located in both areas and have summarised our experiences of each below to help you pick which is the best for you:

01

Las Clementinas boutique hotel

Casco Viejo

Why we love it

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• Our top pic for a romantic stay
• Well located in the Casco Viejo old town
• Elegant and classic boutique hotel bursting with character
• The rooftop terrace has the best views ever!

Las Clementinas is our top choice for gay travellers who want a romantic stay right in the heart of Casco Viejo.

It oozes character – the public areas are decorated with old photographs and vintage decor.

Check their Facebook page for details of the next event.

BLG is open Wednesday to Sunday evenings from 8pm until around 3/4am. It's also a useful destination because it's one of the major transport hubs in Central America.

This is our complete gay guide to Panama City following with a focus on the gay scene, our pick of the most gay friendly hotels, our favourite things to do, and more.

Heads up: We just wanted to let you know that this post contains affiliate links.

However, the big Carnival in February has also become an “unofficial” LGBTQ event to look out for:

Panama City Carnival – February/March

During the big Carnival in late February that takes over the entire country, an “unofficial” gay presence is growing stronger here each year with more and more queer parties taking place over the big four days.

We recommend the AC by Marriott Hotel if you are based right at the heart of the main gay bars and clubs of the El Cangrejo neighborhood.

Check availability

STAY WITH A GAY LOCAL

Misterb&b is the Airbnb equivalent for the LGBTQ community. You get to watch the Canal in action, as large ships approach and need to cross.

It is in fact the rooftop lounge of the “Gato Blanco Party Hotel” located at Avenida B 8, a few blocks from the Panama Canal Museum.

El Apartamento Panama: El Cangrejo