Panamá

Panamá has a tropical climate characterized by two seasons: the dry and the rainy, or green, season. Depending on the region and the altitude, there are many possible variations, resulting in many different microclimates within the country. The Caribbean coast gets plentiful rain all year long, while the dry season on the Pacific side is more pronounced. On the Azuero Peninsula, the climate is extremely arid during the dry season, and several weeks can go by with no rain at all. At the other extreme, it can rain for two days out of three during the wet season in the mountains!

The rainy season is from May to November. Panamánians call this season invierno (winter), not to be confused with the cold and snow of North American or European winters. Indeed, the rainy season is generally referred to as the "green season" because of the explosive growth of greenery at this time of year. In fact, many repeat visitors prefer to come during this season, because of the incredible greenery, lack of tourists and lower prices. The dry season (verano, meaning summer) is from December to April; March and April are generally the hottest months.

Temperatures are relatively constant in Panamá, and variations are linked to altitude. Temperatures on the coasts regularly climb to more than 35 °C. The higher the altitude, the colder the temperature, which falls about 1 °C for every 150 m of elevation. For the past few years, the climate has been irregular and unpredictable. But as Panamá is a small country with many climates, there is always somewhere that is comfortable! Those who do not like the heat and humidity would be more comfortable staying in the El Valle, Boquete, Volcán or Cerro Azul regions, where the temperature is almost always cool and pleasant.