Planners looking to imbue their group experiences with some authentic Panamanian flavor will find plenty of options. Following are five standout choices.
Chiva Parrandera (www.bernhotelspanama.com): This lively experience takes place aboard a party bus created out of a colorfully converted, U.S.-built school bus, complete with a bar and either a DJ or live band. Hotels such as the InterContinental Playa Bonita coordinate nighttime group excursions, which allow guests to enjoy Panamanian music and drinks as they socialize and head to or from dinner.
Panama Canal (www.pancanal.com): The Miraflores Visitor Center, which offers up-close views of the famed locks as well as exhibitions about the history of the canal, is available for private group events, with venues including a theater, three observation terraces, a restaurant and a hall. “In the very near future there will be visitor centers on the Pacific as well as the Atlantic side, which will allow views of the final construction work of this mega-project, as well as to see ships transiting,” says Ivan Garcia, manager of conventions and incentives at Panama Star Tours, a local destination management company.
Panama Canal Railway (www.panarail.com): Groups can trace the length of the famed canal aboard the Panama Canal Railway, passing through rainforests, skirting impressive locks and enjoying visits to the Colon 2000 Cruise Terminal.
Gamboa Rainforest Resort (www.gamboaresort.com): It’s easy for groups to connect with Panama’s natural beauty at places like the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, a hotel located about 20 minutes outside of the city and featuring 2,800 square feet of event space. The property can host themed parties such as Panamanian Rumba, which combines multicultural musical and culinary elements from the nation’s indigenous, European and Afro-Caribbean heritage, and Carnival Night, which captures the excitement of a traditional pre-Lenten celebration. Hotel guests as well as visiting day groups can also take aerial tram rides through the lush jungle, go bird-watching on Gatun Lake and kayak on the Panama Canal.
Casco Antiguo: Panama City’s historic heart is a fascinating area dotted with eclectic architecture ranging from colonial to Art Deco in style. Destination management companies such as EcoCircuitos Panama (www.ecocircuitos.com) can organize private events and theme parties complete with pirates or conquistadors at locations such as the Teatro Nacional (www.teatrodepanama.com), an elegant theater built in 1907, and the Museo del Canal Interoceanico (www.museodelcanal.com), a history museum housed in the beautifully restored former headquarters of the failed French project to build a canal.
