Hostels in Panama Hostels in Panama

You are looking for hostels in Panama? Good news, you have come to the right place.

On this page we list every single city with hostels and other budget accommodations. Hostelz.com helps you to find your Panama hostel and compare its prices on the major booking sites such as Hostelworld, Hostelsclub and Booking.com. So you can sleep on a budget and save money while backpacking Panama.

All Cities in Panama

We list every single hostel in Panama and the world. In total, we have 39 cities in Panama for you. Please note that not all cities actually have a hostel to stay in. Below you can filter for cities with hostels and with no hostels-type accommodation, but guesthouses and budget hotels. This will help your planning.

All Panama hostels on a map

Alright, you are more the visual type? Planning your trip with a map is always handy.

Therefore, this map shows you all cities with hostels in Panama. It will help you to plan your trip. Just zoom in the map and click your destination for more details. Just so you know: If we do not have a hostel in a city, it is likely that there is no hostel in that city.

Our handwritten guide on Backpacking Panama

Panama is one of the more popular destinations in Central America for hostel backpackers. When travelling into Panama from Costa Rica, you can head across the border in either the northern part of the country or the south. When heading in from the north, you will come to the islands of Bocas del Toro (often just called "Bocas", a popular region for hostel backpackers, partying, sun and surfing. It is a great place to chill out and relax and there are a number of hostels that you can stay in while you are here, with the majority on the largest island of Bocas, Isla Colón. There are quite a few places around the islands that are remote, so check out the location if you are looking to be in a region that is either quiet and remote or in among all of the partying that goes on there of a night with all of the free and cheap drink deals. Most of all, enjoy the border crossing of walking along the old railway tracks to enter the country. It is certainly a novel way to arrive.

If arriving into the southern part of the country you will come down on the bus into the town of David City. You will find some hostels to stay in here as you figure out your next move and explore the charming little town. From David, you can head up to the small mountain town of Boquete, Cerro Punta, or Volcan. Here you can climb Volcan Baru, one of the most popular volcanoes in Panama to hike. Most of the buses go to Boquete from David, but there are hostels in all of these places. From David you can also head north to the beaches, or east along to the capital city.

There is a region on the southern peninsula which has many towns with the odd hostel in them suitable for a quieter beach holiday and getting some surfing in. The towns along the way that you can stop in here include Torio, Pedasi, Guanico, Las Tablas, and Las Escobas del Venado. These regions tend to be quite popular with resorts, however, so will be more expensive than other destinations. So do your research before you go if you're looking for a hostel.

Panama City is the capital of Panama and it is here that you will find the famous Panama Canal that was build as a passageway for ships so they didn't have to route themselves down through the bottom of South America to get between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It is a great city with quite a few things to see and do here so ask at your hostel. Make sure you check out the Casco Viejo, which is the old quarter of the town, and all of the churches and archaeological sites within it, as they are quite charming. There are also a few good museums here depending on the time you have to see them.

If you are planning on making your way down through to Colombia, the best options are to either fly or to take a boat through the San Blas Archipelago, which your hostel can help you organize. The border area of Panama and Colombia is notoriously dangerous and is not recommended for travelling as a backpacker. There are also no hostels from Panama City heading towards Colombia.

expert for Panama hostels

Handwritten by local expert for Panama hostels Globetrotter

Travel Tips for Panama - from the Community

Hey fam! Here are a few more tips from the community, from them to you, and you to them. This space is dedicated for travellers to share their best tips on backpacking Panama. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Panama. Everyone is welcome to add something useful, funny, unexpected and the "absolutely necessary to know before you go" - share, share and then share a little more!

FAQ on Hostels in Panama

There is a lot of travel planning to do. So let us help you once again by putting together the frequently asked questions:

Finding Hostels and Prices

What hostel booking sites are best to use?

There is several hostel booking sites, such as Hostelworld.com, Hostelsclub.com and Booking.com. While every platform has its pros and cons, there is a universal truth you as a traveler should be aware of: Not a single booking site can always offer the best prices.

This is where Hostelz.com comes in. You can compare all major booking portals with one click.

For you as a traveler, Hostelz.com is the best booking site to actually save money.

How much are hostels in Panama?

Prices always vary, depending on various factors. Weekends tend to be more expensive, same goes for special holidays. Please also take into account local vaction time.

You can search for exacty hostel prices in Panama here on Hostelz.com. Pick your destination and pick a date. The system will track down the prices to give an idea of what budget and prices you can expect.

When to book hostels?

If you want to stay at the best hostels, it is a good idea to have your hostel booked around 1 month before you travel. For the regular hostels, booking one week before should be okay. Yet again, this always depends.

We dedicated a full article to the topic of when to book hostels.

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Safety and Packing

Are hostels in Panama safe?

Generally speaking, hostels are as safe as you make them. We highly recommend always to bring your own padlock, using the lockers and taking care of your belongings. Make sure you pick a safe hostel, offering lockers and a safe location. Please always pay attention to the reviews; they can give you a great insight on what to expect and safety tips.

What to pack when staying in hostels?

There is a few basics you should always pack when staying in hostels.

  1. Padlock
  2. Earplugs
  3. Sleeping Mask
  4. Quick Dry Travel Towel
  5. Head Lamp

There is more actually. We wrote a complete guide with more details. Read our full hostel packing list.

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