So as strange as this may seem, sidewalks in Panama deserve their own post.
There’s a few things you need to consider before you decide to move here: (my description is about Panama city, but this could apply to the rest of Panama as well)
- There’s no real sidewalks in Panama.If the area you are walking in has one, it will probably last a short distance & then cut off.
- The sidewalks aren’t where they normally would be in North America. They are near the building very far away from the street.
- A lot of the sidewalks & driveways you walk on are sloped, so you have to strain to walk properly.
- I have to end up walking on the street a lot because either there’s no sidewalk, or the one in front of me is crumbling.
- You have to be VERY VERY CAREFUL when walking. There are holes in a lot of places. I’m not talking small holes, for some strange reason, Panamanians love to put man holes in the middle of streets & sidewalks. Some of these holes are round, some are square. Of course it’s not logical, what is in Panama?You could seriously hurt yourself if you aren’t the type to watch where you are walking.
- It’s normal for cars to park on driveways that obstruct the sidewalk. This means you have to step around the vehicle by walking on the street.
- There can be steal rods coming out of the sidewalks or driveways. Some are sticking up, some are flat, but pushed up from the concrete. It’s hard to explain.
- Panama’s roadways are ten times better than Costa Rica’s & I know tons of areas in the US that have terrible roads, so it’s probably only Canadians who would have a hard time with this because Canadians are used to very good roadways overall.
Michelle