What To See and Do in David, Panama

David is the largest city in western Panama and the capital of Chiriqui province.

It is a jumping off point for a lot of the tourist activities in this part of Panama from Bocas del Toro to Boquete.

But if you’re spending some time in David, what is there to see and do in the city?

After spending a month there as a digital nomad, I got to explore the city and what it has to offer.

What to see and do in David, Panama

I should start this off with a bit of a disclaimer.

There isn’t much to see and do in David.

This list is scraping the barrel. If you jump on a bus and travel close by, you will find some fantastic things to see and do. But in the city itself, there really isn’t much.

As what is around the outside has been discussed elsewhere, this guide will purely discuss what to do in David city itself.

Parque Cervantes

This is the main park in David in the city centre. There is a large water feature in the middle and plenty of benches to enjoy people watching. As it is right in the heart of the city, you will walk past the park at least once.

Parroquia Sagrada Familia

Next to the park is one of the more colourful churches in the area, the Parroquia Sagrada Familia. The yellow and blue make it stand out from all the buildings around. The church is open for visitors most of the time to explore inside.

Museo del Barrio y Antigüedades La Casona

The museum takes about 15 minutes to see and costs $1 to get in. Despite not having any info in English, it explains the history of David and the importance of the church to the city and the region.

Watch local sport

With a baseball stadium in the north of the city and a football stadium in the south, if you time your visit to David to be in season you can head to watch one of the local sporting teams play.

Explore the local markets

Close to the main bus station are many of the local markets that start early and end just after sundown. And when I mean local, I mean you will be the only foreigner there. There isn’t anything remotely related to tourism so if you’re looking to get a Panama fridge magnet, you’ll need to look elsewhere. But if you want to see a side of Panama that is truly off the beaten path, people watch in this area. I have to say I didn’t feel particularly safe in this part of the city and rarely took my phone out.

What to do around David, Panama

There are a lot more things to do around David than actually in the city. One popular destination is to head to Boquete which can be done as part of a trip to stay there, or if you aren’t interested in hiking, a day trip will suffice.

Those into hiking will want to visit Baru Volcano National Park but those looking for beaches will need to head out to Playa La Barqueta, one of the longest beaches on the Pacific side of Panama.

I also used it as a base to explore Bocas del Toro but the four hour journey may be too long for some. The bus station, being the major transport link in Chiriqui province, has buses going to all corners of Panama with frequent departures to Panama City and daily departures to San Jose, Costa Rica.

Where to stay in David

There are a few options in the city centre which will make do for a few nights:

How to get around David

Local buses ply up and down all of the roads but knowledge of the area and bus routes is needed. I did use them a few times as all buses from the David bus station to Boquete go north, close to where I was staying.

Uber is available in David with cheap fares starting from just $1.50. There are few drivers and you may be waiting a while at peak time (5-6pm) or very late or early in the morning. I actually had the same driver for three days in a row and a few other times after that as well which was nice to get to know!

In the immediate centre of David, from the bus station to Parque Cervantes, it is possible to walk the grid based city. Once you’ve left the city centre and pavements, the city isn’t particularly walkable.

Dan

Dan is an avid traveller from London. His first big adventure was in 2010 living in Malaysia for 3 months. He has been on the road almost constantly since 2015 travelling to destinations that aren’t on the mainstream tourist trail and working full time and travelling since 2021.