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Flavors and Roots of Panama Food Crawl : Tastings & Culture

By Cook in Fiesta
Free cancellation available
Price is RM 242 per adult

Features

  • Free cancellation available
  • 3h
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
  • Multiple languages

Overview

Start your journey in a rehabilitated local market that preserves the spirit of Panamanian commerce since the mid-20th century. Begin with tropical fruit tastings and traditional sweet flavors before moving through the market’s animal products section, where you’ll learn about whole-animal cooking and the Afro-Caribbean roots of one of Panama’s most beloved traditional dishes.

Continue with a stop at local fondas, where the Panamanian “plate of the day” reflects the country’s everyday food culture. Then head toward the seafood market, where the city’s close connection to the sea comes alive through fresh catches and artisanal fishing culture. Along the way, enjoy a ceviche stop, a refreshing local drink by the waterfront, and a walk through historic streets that reveal the contrast between old Panama and the modern skyline. The experience ends at a historic café with classic local snacks and coffee.

Activity location

  • San Felipe Neri Public Market
    • Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • San Felipe Neri Public Market
    • Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama

Check availability

Flavors and Roots of Panama Food Crawl : Tastings & Culture
  • Activity duration is 3 hours3h
    3h
  • English
Starting time: 10:00
Price details
RM 241.69 x 1 AdultRM 241.69
Total
Price is RM 241.69
Until Tue, 7 Apr

What's included, what's not

  • What's includedWhat's included
    Multiple food tastings across different street food vendors
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Travel tips & food recommendations for the rest of your stay
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Guided food tour led by a bilingual local expert
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Cultural insights & food storytelling at each stop
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Neighborhood exploration through local markets or streets
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    Transfers

Know before you book

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Activity itinerary

San Felipe Neri Public Market

  • 30m
Historical context and tropical fruit tastings (guanábana, borojó, orange with raspadura, tamarind sweets) Start your journey at Mercado San Felipe Neri, an emblematic site whose name honors San Felipe Neri. The current building is a rehabilitated gem that preserves the essence of Panamanian popular commerce since the mid-20th century. Begin with a sensory introduction through tropical fruit tastings. Enjoy natural juices while learning about guanábana, prized for its medicinal properties, and borojó, known as the “fruit of love” in the Darién region. Taste refreshing orange with raspadura, the artisanal sugarcane sweetener that has fed Panamanian campesinos for centuries, along with traditional tamarind sweets.

San Felipe Neri Public Market

  • 30m
Continue into the heart of the market, exploring the animal products section and learning about the importance of using the whole animal in subsistence gastronomy. Here, you will be introduced to Sao, a pickled pig’s foot dish with deep Afro-Caribbean roots that arrived during the construction of the Canal and became a staple of popular celebrations.

San Felipe Neri Public Market

  • 20m
Then experience the Panamanian table at local fondas, where workers traditionally enjoy their “plate of the day.” Taste a variety of dishes including bistec picado, bacalao with coconut rice, plátano en tentación, and guacho de mariscos, a thick rice soup representing the fusion of sea and land.

San Felipe Neri Public Market

  • 20m
Walk toward the seafood market while discovering the historical area of the old fiscal checkpoint, where goods entering the city were once controlled. Observe artisanal fishing boats and learn to identify key species such as corvina, red snapper, tuna, and mackerel.

San Felipe

  • 20m
Near the entrance of Casco Antiguo, stop at a traditional kiosk to enjoy ceviche, either corvina or octopus marinated in fresh lime, paired with a local Panama Beer or Balboa.

La Playita

  • 20m
Continue to La Playita, where you’ll enjoy a refreshing raspao with condensed milk while discovering the striking contrast between the historic Casco Antiguo, founded in 1673 after the destruction of Panamá Viejo by the pirate Henry Morgan, and the modern skyline of Punta Paitilla and the Cinta Costera.

Salsipuedes

  • 20m
From there, walk through Avenida B and the famous “Sal Si Puedes” passage, once a crowded and labyrinthine hub of Asian and local commerce. Cross through Plaza Santa Ana, which in the 19th century served as the political and social center of the arrabal, the area outside the walls of Casco.

Cafe Coca Cola

  • 20m
End your experience at the historic Café Coca-Cola, the only café in the world outside the United States that was authorized to use the brand name in its early years. Opened in 1875, it has hosted politicians, intellectuals, and figures such as Che Guevara. Close with hojaldres and tortillas de maíz, accompanied by a national coffee. With this, the journey comes to an end — with the heart full of history and the palate full of Panama.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    San Felipe Neri Public Market
    • Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    San Felipe Neri Public Market
    • Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama

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