Interested in Dating in Panama? Here Are Our Top Tips

Are you interested in dating a woman from Panama? This guide will help you learn more about the dating scene in the country and what makes these women so special.

Panamanian women are known for their beauty, cultural heritage, and friendly personalities. They value family ties and bring lots of energy to relationships, making them great partners for serious and casual dating alike.

In Panama, dating is a mix of old and new traditions, but don’t worry – this guide will help you navigate the dating culture and find the best places to meet local singles.

Whether you’re looking for a fun fling or lasting love, dating in Panama can be an exciting adventure. So, are you ready to get started?

What Are These Girls Like?

When you visit Panama, you’ll find that the women there are truly remarkable. They have a wide range of qualities that make them stand out among other Latinas – from their charming personalities and warm hospitality to their striking features and diverse cultural backgrounds.

Here’s a closer look at what you can expect from these women:

Your Girl Can Have A Distinct Mestiza Look 

The term ‘Mestizo’ (or ‘Mestiza’ for women) has traditionally been used to refer to someone of mixed European and Indigenous American descent. Over sixty-five percent of all Panamanians fall under this demographic, so the girl(s) you end up dating here stand a good chance of being Mestiza.

Generally speaking, the women have a lighter skin color in Panama City and a darker one (as well as dark hair) the farther away you get from the city.

They Are Easy-Going and Happy

This point actually applies to all people in the country – they are an easy-going and happy nation and very pleasant to be around.

When faced with challenges in life, they’re more likely to take it on with a smile on their face rather than letting their worries get the best of them. So expect your date to be fun, easy-going, and a bit laid back.

They’re Open To Trying New Experiences

One of the things you’ll notice about people from this country is how full of life they are. When you date a local girl, you will appreciate her willingness to explore new experiences and try new things.

She will be very curious and open to learning about life, as well as experiencing other cultures. For her, the fact that you come from a different country will be one of the most thrilling aspects about you.

They Always Put Their Family First

One of the distinctive aspects of Latin America is how they embrace traditional family values. Likewise, Panama is a very family-oriented country. In fact, there’s a big chance your date could still be living with her parents.

Families there are close-knit and look after one another. So, if she takes you seriously and views you as a long-term partner, she’ll be eager to introduce you to her parents for approval.

They Value Marriage a Lot

When a Panamanian girl meets the guy she wants to spend the rest of her life with, she wants to call him her husband and not her boyfriend or partner. This is mainly because of her Catholic upbringing and Catholicism’s strong role in the country’s culture and life.

This means two things for you:

• First, it means when she begins talking about marriage, she means it, and you need to take what she says seriously.
• Secondly, it means she’ll be loyal to you because these girls treat marriage as a sacred bond.

They Take Their Traditions Seriously

Panamanians are raised with various traditions and rituals that they are taught to respect. But just because she takes her religion seriously doesn’t mean she’ll be closed off to other points of view. Quite the opposite, in fact.

She’ll love to hear about your customs and religious backgrounds and perhaps even partake in them while simultaneously respecting and following her own traditions.

They Are Hard Workers

One of the traditional values she’ll likely have learned growing up from her family is the value of hard work. This applies both at home and in her professional life.

When it comes to her career, she is ambitious and focused, always striving to do her best and achieve her goals. And when it comes to her household, she takes great pride in caring for her home and ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

Your Girl Won’t Try To Be Dependent on You 

Expanding from our previous point, Panamanians are taught the value of hard work from an early age. Your woman won’t grow up and begin her career, assuming that she needs a husband or boyfriend to provide everything for her.

She’ll set her own career goals and work so she can provide for herself. Yes, she absolutely wants a man she can love and start a family with, but she’ll be working towards her own goals first.

She’ll Really Care About You

If a Panamanian woman falls in love with you, she’ll really care for you just like she cares about the loved ones in her family.

She’ll closely care about her future children, and when you come home from work, she’ll be present to give you love and attention. Communicate with her openly and reciprocate the caring personality she displays to you.

She’ll Be Direct with You 

These girls are among the most direct in South America, meaning the girl you date will tell you just the way she feels about you. If you’ve done anything she’s not impressed by (such as the way you act or dress), she’ll let you know. On the other hand, if she likes you a lot, she’ll make that clear to you, too.

She Knows How to Party 

Panama City is easily the best city for nightlife in Central America and one of the best in Latin America as a whole. There’s a good reason for this: Panamanians know how to party.

The women have a very fun-loving attitude and will be eager to join a handsome Western gentleman for a night out on the town.

They Know How To Dress

Panamanian girls generally favor bright clothes and colorful traditional clothing with noticeable accessories. She’ll stick to casual clothes for her everyday life, but she’ll seek to highlight her gorgeous looks when it comes to your date.

These women really know the meaning of the phrase ‘dress to impress.’ She loves to experiment with her looks both to impress you and to highlight her individuality. 

They Know How to Dance

Panamanian chicks keep up an active lifestyle, which helps contribute to their fit bodies. One way that girls keep their bodies in shape there is through dance.

Dancing is like a language to these women because it’s another form of physical and sensual expression. If your dancing skills are a bit rusty, that’s okay! She’ll love to teach you.

4 Top Destinations for Meeting Women in Panama

By far, the best city for meeting women in the country is Panama City. Most women here speak English and you’ll have plenty of opportunities for both day adventures and nightlife here.

Outside of Panama City, the three best places for meeting local women are David, Bocas del Toro, and Colon.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Panama City

When it comes to dating during the daytime, your best bet to meet women will at be the malls and shopping districts. There are many people in these areas, which means you shouldn’t have too much difficulty finding attractive women in Panama City to approach.

Examples of malls and shopping districts you can visit include:

• 23rd Street Station
• Bay City Point
• Panama City Square
• Magnolia Plaza
• Gilberg’s Plaza

For nightlife, there’s no better area than Calle Uruguay, which is filled with bars and clubs. Another good nightlight option is Casco Viejo. It is more of a touristy area, so it should be easy to meet other women as well.

The best bars and nightclubs in those two areas are are:

• Casa Jaguar
• La Brasserie Pub
• La Mayor
• Murphy’s Bar Restaurant & Club
• Alejandros
• Chill Out Discotheque

David

David is the second-largest city in Panama and is located farther inland in the mountains. It also serves as the central hub to go in the highlands of western Panama.

When it comes to nightlife, David is admittedly a bit limited. However, two of the best bars and clubs there are Opium Club and the bar at the Gran Hotel Nacional. Both get crowded during weekends and less so during the week.

Many foreigners who visit David usually just stop for a day or two before moving on to Bocas del Toro.

Bocas del Toro

Bocas del Toro is actually an island chain on the Caribbean coast of the country. It’s an immensely popular tourist destination and beach town. The chances of you meeting foreign women from countries around the world are honestly a little higher than meeting locals.

Bocas del Toro is known for the younger crowd (including backpackers and younger tourists who stay at hostels) and for its big party scene.

To meet women during the day, there are five main islands to visit:

• Isla Colón
• Isla San Cristobal
• Isla Solarte
• Isla Bastimentos
• Isla Carenero

Most of the action is centered around these islands with Bocas Town on Isla Colón being the centre.

At night, when the town really comes alive, I’d recommend you visit the following bars and clubs to meet women in Bocas del Toro:

• Tequila Republic
• Bom Bom Beach Bar
• Barco Hundido
• Mamallena Hostel Bar
• Cosmic Crab Resort

Colon

Colon is a smaller city located outside of Panama City. The two cities are so close that the two populations are often counted as coming from a single metropolitan area.

Colon isn’t exactly a city that sees a lot of foreigners. Chances are greater that you’ll meet single locals rather than tourists, and you’ll also stand out a lot better.

Just take note that Colon does have a higher crime rate, so be careful about spending time here, and especially after dark.

Online Dating in the Country

Perhaps the easiest way to meet girls in Panama is through online dating sites. This way, you can talk to girls online, get to know some of them, and potentially set up a few dates before you even arrive.

The best online dating site for meeting beautiful women in the country is LatinWomenLove.com. There are hundreds of profiles of women from Panama City and other places we mentioned on this site.

The best dating app to use is LatinAmericanCupid, as there are always many young women using it.

Our Top Tips for Dating Panamanian Singles

Here are our top tips to follow for getting a Latina girlfriend from Panama!

Bring Your A-Game 

Panama women may love to party, but in the end, the man who they will appreciate the most is a well-dressed gentleman who brings his A-game. Trade your backpacking or hiking clothes for a nice blazer, and be ready to dance and initiate flirting in Spanish.

At the same time, take things slowly and be prepared to get to know her first before anything happens. You need to prove to her that you are indeed a gentleman and not just another Western tourist looking to get laid.

Take Charge

Something else that these women really appreciate is a guy who takes charge. Not in an aggressive or pushy way, but in the sense where he’s leading the way, steering conversations, and coming up with ideas on things to do.

Watch Out For Yourself

As with anywhere, stay alert, practice good situational awareness, and don’t walk around flashing valuable possessions (especially after night). Certain areas in Panama have higher crime rates than others (such as Colon, for example).

That doesn’t mean you need to walk around in fear (you still need to enjoy yourself, and if anything, displaying confidence can help keep you safe), but also don’t walk around only half alert.

Approach Groups of Girls As a Group

You’ll rarely find girls at bars or night clubs alone. Most go with groups of three to five girls, both for safety reasons and because it’s fun.

I fully get that approaching a group of girls on your own can be nerve-wracking because there’s more pressure, and it’s an inherently different dynamic from approaching only one girl who’s on her own.

My advice is to meet guys at your hostel who are willing to go for a night on the town. You can approach a group of girls as a group and then begin asking the one girl you like specific questions to get something going between the two of you.

Think of Things To Do

Before you meet, think of things that the two of you can do together. Remember, she’ll both appreciate and expect you to take charge and come up with ideas.

If you’re going for a day date, think carefully ahead about whether you’d rather go to the beach, go on a hike, or grab food at a sit-down restaurant.

The important thing is to have a plan. You don’t want to meet in town only to be clueless about what you’ll do next. Think about what kind of memory you want to form with her.

Avoid Talking Politics Early On

Yes, Panamanian women are very proud of their country and culture, but talking about current events or political matters is something that should be avoided on the first date.

That’s because she wants to have fun and really get to know your personality first. You can talk about political or philosophical issues later after you’ve gone on a date or two and become more comfortable with one another.

Don’t Expect Sex on the First Date

If it happens, it happens. But don’t be yet another sex tourist, pushing aggressively for it, and don’t meet her with the expectation that it will happen fast.

Let the date run its course, and let your mutual attraction play out. The pushier you become about getting her back to your hotel room, the more resistant and hesitant she’ll become.

Ask Her to Dance

As I talked about before, Panamanian chicks love to dance, so if you know your dance moves, you’ll really impress her. And if you don’t know how to dance yet, that’s perfectly okay. Just admit you’re a bit rusty, and she’ll have a smile on her face as you go to the dance floor.

It can be a very romantic moment with her teaching you how to move your feet and your hips out on the dance floor.

Tell Her She’s Beautiful

Remember that Panamanian ladies put a lot of effort into their appearances. When you first approach a girl, tell her something about her that caught your eye.

When you meet up for your date, tell her she’s beautiful. She’ll love being complimented, and telling her she’s beautiful helps to build a romantic mood early on.

Be Wary of Prostitutes 

Prostitution is legal in Panama, and you can almost always find prostitutes or escorts when you’re out at the popular bars or clubs (or even on dating apps). The issue is that many prostitutes will act like they’re not and like they are genuinely interested in you, only to request money after you’ve had sex.

The trick is to try and determine if a girl is a prostitute before anything happens – a gathering of athletic, caring, and well-dressed girls outside of popular hotels or tourist spots is a major red flag.

Be Ready to Pay for The Date 

Panamanian girls will always look down on a guy who expects her to share the expenses with him. Latin American countries are more traditional, and it’s expected for the man to take the lead. From the food to the drinks to the taxi fare, be prepared to sponsor your date with the girl you ask out.

Learn Spanish 

Panama is a country with a strong American influence, so some Panama girls will speak excellent English. Others, however, will not speak any English at all.

Either way, the girl you date will highly appreciate it if you at least make an effort to talk in Spanish. If anything, you may end up switching between English and Spanish throughout the date.

Ready to Date in Panama?

Dating women from Panama can be an enjoyable experience. These girls are attractive, honest, and direct with you, and proud of the country they hail from. 

As you prepare to land in Panama, keep in mind the tips we have shared above. They will come in handy as you go about finding that special someone who catches your eye.