Panama makes BBC’s list of 25 top places to visit in 2025

Each year BBC Travel publishes a guide highlighting 25 destinations that welcome visitors while supporting local communities, protecting the environment, and preserving cultural heritage.

. The list has been compiled with input from travel experts and organizations to encourage sustainable tourism.

In 2025 Panama is number 10 on the BBC list of Places to Visit of 2025.

The BBC article "25 best places to travel in 2025" published on 16 January 2025 names Panama among countries like Greenland, Wales, and Shi Lanka as one of the best places to travel this year. The article write

“After managing the Panama Canal for decades, the US handed control over to Panama at the end of 1999 in a treaty signed by the late US President Jimmy Carter. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Panama’s sovereignty over its namesake waterway. [...] A series of new permanent exhibits at the landmark’s Museo del Canal highlighting its path to Panamanian rule feels especially timely."

There is a lot to do and see in Panama in 2025, BBC travel mentions these: 

- The Town of La Pintada district, which is popular for traditional Panama hats woven by hand.

- El Valle de Anton (named one of the best community tourism villages by UN Tourism in 2024). 

- The Cerro Gaital Lookout Trail, which is something new to Panama in 2025. The ongoing 1000 km trail project, which seeks to boost sustainable tourism in rural communities, offers views of both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea on a clear day from the summit. 

Source: BBC Travel - The Best Places to Travel in 2025