Panama is defined by the canal, but the country holds more than the locks at Miraflores: Panama City's restored colonial quarter and skyline, the Bocas del Toro archipelago on the Caribbean side, and the San Blas islands administered by the Guna people.
The guides here cover Panama as a whole. The dry season runs mid-December to April, the wetter months bring afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain. The country uses the US dollar alongside the balboa. Panama City works as a base for both coasts, since the isthmus is narrow enough to cross between Pacific and Caribbean in a couple of hours.