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Clothing should be light weight, but with long sleeves and pant-legs (to avoid insect bites and being scratched by forest branches). For days in the forest or on a boat, bring sunscreen, insect repellant, a hat, sunglasses, a small umbrella or rain poncho, tennis or hiking shoes (not sandals), and binoculars if you are interested in birds. For visit to Bocas del Toro bring bathing suits and flip flops. You may bring snorkeling gear; otherwise STRI will provide it. If you plan to scuba dive, do not bring your own equipment. You will be given Smithsonian-certified equipment.

During the May to December rainy season, Panama City experiences heavy rain most days, often with brief flooding of streets or walkways. During the rest of the year rains are less frequent. In the dry season, weather will be hot (78-85degrees F) without much chance of rain, except in Bocas del Toro. Restaurants, meeting rooms, and STRI offices and laboratories will be air conditioned, and can be quite chilly.

Panama has a tropical climate since it lies so near the equator. Its weather is pleasant year round with temperatures remaining constant. So, most of the time you’ll be able to dress in lightweight clothing. A jacket may be needed at some of the higher elevations. Don’t forget your umbrella for the rainy season. U.S. style rain gear is too warm and cumbersome for the tropics.

Temperatures vary little from season to season and fluctuate with altitude. Weather can vary due to location. The higher you go, the colder it gets, and the lower you go the warmer it is. The sealevel temperature is around 80 to 85 degrees F. (27 degrees C.) most of the year. The Atlantic side tends to receive more rain. The weather on the Pacific side of the country tends to be drier both on the coast and in the mountains.

Like the rest of Central America, Panama only has two seasons. The summer or verano is generally from late December to mid-April with March and April being the warmest months of the year. The rainy season or invierno, runs from mid-April to December. However, there is plenty of sunny weather during the rainy season.

During the wet season, many mornings are sunny and clear with only a few hours of rain in the afternoons. Since the temperature varies little, the wet months are usually as warm as the dry months. It is unusual to have two or three days of continuous rainy weather in most areas of the country. October is usually the rainiest month of the year.

Foreigners should not let the rain get them down since there are a variety of indoor activities available. Panama City has many museums, theaters, malls, casinos, roller skating rinks, Internet Cafés and other indoor activities that will more than keep you busy when it rains.

Panama is the southernmost country in Central America. It occupies an area of about 30,000 square miles, which is about the size of South Carolina. Bordered by Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east, it is a long narrow country in the shape of a horizontal S. The country is between 50 and 120 miles wide and is bounded on each side by 477 miles of Caribbean and 767miles of Pacific coastline. Thus, the country has almost endless coastline on both sides for beach lovers. The Isthmus of Panama is the narrowest landmass between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, the narrowest point being about 35 miles wide. The Panama Canal, which is about 60 miles long and divides the country into eastern and western regions.

A mountain chain stretches almost the entire length of the country. The highest peaks of this range are in the west. Volcán Barú in western Chiriquí Province is the highest point in the country. The country also has around 500 rivers, which empty into the Caribbean and Pacific.

Panama also has a large number of islands scattered on both sides of the isthmus. The two main island groups, both on the Caribbean side, are the Bocas del Toro and San Blás Archipelagos.

Due to its climate Panama has a wide variety of animal and plant life. Panama’s lush verdant forests contain the greatest number of species of all the new world’s countries north of Colombia. Thirty percent of the country’s total land is set aside for conservation.

Politically Panama is divided into nine provinces two Indian territories (Comarcas): Bocas del Toro, Coclé, Chriquí, Darién, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, Veraguas and the Comarcas of Kuna Yala and Emberá.