Making the most of Fuerte Amador
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
The new port is now open and allows ships to dock directly at the port without tender. It includes a welcome area with gift shops and restaraunts. It is located at the end of Amador Causeway on Flamenco Island which is where the old port was. This one-mile causeway extends out into the Pacific Ocean and connects four small islands in the area, Flamenco, Perico, Culebra and Naos. The causeway includes the cruise port, marina, the Fuerte Amador shopping and restaurant plaza, a convention center and a second shopping and restaurant plaza.
The port is twenty miles from Panama City center. Private taxis monitored by FARM are the only transportation allowed inside the port area, while local taxis have to remain outside the Island entrance. Due to strict rules by the taxi union, shuttle buses to the city are not allowed. Be aware that taxi services accept U.S. dollars, but be sure to agree on the fare before leaving the port.
Fuerte Amador lies just southwest of Panama City, and so provides an ideal location for further exploration of the city and surrounding islands. The island of Culebra is the home of the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research.
Getting around
For safety reason ship's tours are recommended as public transportation is not very safe.
Taxis are also a decent way to get around in Panama. They're not expensive at all. A three-hour tour is about $90 per taxi.
Nearby places
If you have the whole day, and haven't booked anything for Panama City, and want to do your own thing, you can get cabs in Amador for around $15-20 an hour.
The Miraflores Visitor Center is only interesting for those who do a "partial" cruise. Try to reach miraflores locks around 9am -10:30am or 3pm -4:30pm. If you do the "full canal" you will see everything much better from your ship.
Food and shopping
Traditional Panamanian crafts can be found most cheaply at artesian markets. In Panama City, the best are found at the market in Balboa, with the Panama Viejo market coming in as a close second. Panama's best-known craft is the mola, intricate reverse-applique handwork made by the Kuna. Molas can be bought at either of these craft markets, or from vendors on the seawall in Casco Viejo.
In Fuerte Amador you can find the Fuerte Amador Mall, which is a large duty-free shopping plaza. The mall sells a variety of quality items at rock-bottom prices. Examples of goods that are available in the mall are electronic gadgets, jewelry, food, perfume, and clothing. Fuerte Amador is also home to Flamenco Shopping Center, which is a shopping plaza that houses a number of boutique stores, souvenir shops, and restaurants. There is also a newly built modern shopping center in Flamenco Island.
One can find a number of specialty shops and stalls in the marina that sell local products such as native handicrafts and souvenir items.
If you ship is arriving in the evening: look for a restaurant with a good view of Panama City and enjoy!
Money
Panama uses the Balboa and the US Dollar as its currencies. The balboa is equivalent to the US dollar and has exactly the same value, but in reality the Balboas only exist as coins that are equivalent to the US coins.
Staying connected
Languages Spanish (official), English 14% note: many Panamanians bilingual.
Opening Hours and
Shopping hours vary, but most of the stores and shops open from 9:00 am to 6:00 p.m. and some even up to 10:00 p.m. from Monday to Sunday.