“Kathleen, are there any detailed road maps of Panama available here in the United States? So far I am not having luck in the local bookstores. I am planning on driving around Panama in December and visiting the Azuero Peninsula.
“Also, would I be able to get a rental car equipped with English-speaking GPS?
“Thanks for any tips.”
–Helen C., United States
Maps2Anywhere sells great maps of Panama, available online here.
We’ve also found them in a travel shop in Baltimore.
One thing about driving around the Azuero Peninsula especially and Panama in general. If you get lost, someone will help you. A friend driving recently down the west coast of the Azuero Peninsula for the first time lost her way. She stopped and asked a woman and her son, who were walking along the roadside, for directions. The Panamanian woman spoke very little English–enough to understand where my friend wanted to go but not enough to explain how to get there.
So she and her son hopped in my friend’s car, directed my friendto the place where she was trying to get, and then hopped out and went on her way again.
This isn’t the only story like this I’ve heard. Traveling in the interior of this country, even as a woman driving around alone, is very safe. And, again, you’ll typically find help when you need it.
