Panama City Shopping – Shops, Stores, Best Buys & Inside Tips

Panama City Shopping Tips

Panama in general is great for shopping, whether you’re buying brand name clothing or local crafts.

Albrook Mall

The Albrook Mall is the largest in the entire country. It’s a huge shopping outlet with a large selection of stores. Interesting decorations throughout the mall serve as landmarks to help you get around. There is also a large food court with a wide variety of restaurants as well. Prices here are a little more expensive than you would find elsewhere, but the great selection makes up for that.

Artisan Market

Mercado de Artesanias of Plaza 5 de Mayo is a complex of 132 spaces, 88 of which are occupied by artisans. The rest are beauty saloons, shoe repairs and small restaurants. Most things are sold at the lowest prices I have seen in Panama. The market is not as frequented by tourists since the area is considered a ‘red zone.’

‘Rincon Panameno’ has a great variety of souvenirs at excellent prices. Very cheap hammocks, tagua sculptures, Panama hats, dominoes, wooden sculptures and a lot more.

Bodega Mi Amiga

Having trouble finding that French wine you can’t do without? Miss having a shot of Jim Beam Black Label before dinner? Vermissen Sie sein lieblings Bier Deutschlands? Not to worry! Bodega Mi Amigas Liquor Store in Panama City probably has your alcoholic beverage of choice! This store has wine, liquor and beer from all over the world. They also have a small selection of very fine cheese, sausage, cold cuts and snacks. They also have a nice choice of glasswear and bar paraphenalia at reasonable prices.

Embera Tribe

The women of the Embera tribe and the other Indian tribes make baskets and plates woven from palm leaves. The men of these tribes carve figurines and jewelry out of the Tagua nut, known as vegetable ivory. The crafts are expensive, so if you visit the Indian tribes and want to bring home a souvenir, make sure you bring plenty of cash.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about Panama City shopping.