The Carnavals in Panama are hands down one of the most anticipated events in the world. It’s a party you don’t want to miss out on and best of all, it’s a cheap trip. If you’re planning on travelling to Panama for these 2010 carnavals, there are two ways in doing this. You either stay in the city or head out into what the locals call the “interior” of the country.

For this post, I’m focusing on the city portion of the carnavals, located in Via España, one of the several main streets of the country.
Being the second largest festival in the world, you might want to know where to go and what to do before the festivities are over.

Carnavals officially begin on Friday and end on Tuesday before “Ash Wednesday”. Carnavals in Panama are best known for having fire trucks shoot water at people as they pass by, this is known as “culecos”. You might want to be in the middle of Via España by 10 AM so you can catch these famous culecos, it’s definitely a must do.

If you like dancing or enjoy reggae/rap music, you’ll hear a lot of that no matter where you are in the country. Rappers like Mach & Daddy are going to be mixing most of their hits during the first two days of carnavals. You also might want to try going to Omar Park, located ten minutes away from Via España.

Los Reyes del Pasa Pasa are going to be there playing their famous Pasa Pasa dance, you don’t want to miss that.
Don’t worry about eating street food; it’s safe but pricey compared to normal days in the city. Brochettes can cost up to $2 and soda goes for $1, expensive based on Panamanian standards but tasty nonetheless. I’ve seen a lot of people take their own snacks; you could save some cash by doing that.
If you’re partying in the city, have lots of fun and always be safe, you don’t want miss out on Panama Carnavals.