Plan your trip
What to pack for Panama in August
For August, pack light and quick-drying. A rain jacket each, a spare pair of shoes and zip bags for phones and passports cover the rain, which averages 220 mm (8.7 in) at the city’s station. Sunscreen still matters between showers. If Tisha B’Av is in your dates, add shoes that aren’t leather and Kinot.
Your list
August · Panama City · 2 adults · 32 items
- Panama City93° / 70°F · 220 mm
Documents
Rain and heat
Panama City averages 220 mm (8.7 in) of rain in August.
Rainy months are humid too, so clothes dry slowly.
Average daytime highs of about 93°F in August.
Clothes and shoes
Casco Viejo’s streets are cobbled.
Health and sun
Panama is about 9° north of the equator, so the midday sun is high all year.
Some nature reserves ask visitors to bring them.
Shul
Modest dress is expected.
For Shabbat (most stays include one)
Or ask your hotel first what it allows in rooms.
Yom Tov and the calendar
Tisha B’Av.
Food
Phones, plugs and power
Panama uses Type A and B sockets at 120 V and 60 Hz, like the US and Canada. Source: WorldStandards
Buying a local SIM needs a passport.
Shabbat and Yom Tov in August 2027
Shabbat · Devarim
Fri, Aug 6 – Sat, Aug 7, 2027
Candles 6:20 PM on Fri, Aug 6. Ends 7:13 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:11 PM (Chabad).
Shabbat Chazon
Shabbat · Vaetchanan
Fri, Aug 13 – Sat, Aug 14, 2027
Candles 6:17 PM on Fri, Aug 13. Ends 7:11 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:08 PM (Chabad).
Shabbat Nachamu
Shabbat · Eikev
Fri, Aug 20 – Sat, Aug 21, 2027
Candles 6:14 PM on Fri, Aug 20. Ends 7:08 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:05 PM (Chabad).
Shabbat · Re’eh
Fri, Aug 27 – Sat, Aug 28, 2027
Candles 6:11 PM on Fri, Aug 27. Ends 7:04 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:01 PM (Chabad).
Festivals and fasts in these dates
- Tisha B’Av: Thu, Aug 12, 2027 (begins the evening before)
Day trips in August
- Panama City
- Rainy: 220 mm, wetter than July (169 mm); rain on about 15 days at the station. Sea about 84°F. From Paitilla or Punta Pacífica, the Cinta Costera waterfront is a walk, with no transport needed, so it works on Shabbat too.
- Boquete
- Rainy: 292 mm, about as wet as July. Too far for a day: fly to David or drive about six hours, and stay over with Chabad Boquete’s kosher food.
- Pacific beaches
- Rainy: 311 mm, about as wet as July. Sea about 84°F. No kosher food on the way: pack a cooler.
- Gamboa
- Rainy: 262 mm, about as wet as July. About 25 km from the city; go at dawn for wildlife, and bring all your food.
- San Blas (Guna Yala)
- Rainy: 322 mm, about as wet as July. Sea about 84°F. A very long day by 4x4 and boat from Cartí: bring every passport, all your food and drinking water.
- Bocas del Toro
- Rainy: 314 mm, drier than July (376 mm). Sea about 84°F.
Questions people ask
- Do I need a rain jacket for Panama in August?
- Yes. Panama City’s weather station averages 220 mm (8.7 in) of rain in August, so bring a light rain jacket or a compact umbrella for everyone, plus quick-drying clothes.
- What should I wear in Panama in August?
- Light, breathable clothes, sun hats and sunglasses: Panama City’s weather station averages 93°F by day and 70°F at night in August (WMO, 1971–2000). Add modest clothes for shul, a light layer for strong air-conditioning, and a warmer one for Boquete.
- Which Jewish holidays fall in August 2027?
- Tisha B’Av: Thu, Aug 12, 2027 (begins the evening before), from Hebcal’s calendar for outside Israel. The packing list adds what each one needs.
Lists by month
Where the numbers come from
- Monthly averages: NASA POWER daily data for 2016–2025 (fetched Tue, Nov 10, 2026), averaged by us: the average day’s high and low, the month’s total rain, humidity and cloud. Each figure covers a grid square of roughly 55 by 70 km of land and sea, so Panama City’s afternoons come out about 4.2°C cooler than at the city’s own weather station.
- Panama City’s figures lead with its weather station normals (1971–2000): World Meteorological Organization, from Panama’s weather service (IMHPA). A rain day there is a day with at least 0.1 mm.
- Left out on purpose: NASA POWER’s rain-day counts, because its model drizzles on most days and counts about 27 “rain days” in a wet-season month where Panama City’s station records 14 to 20; and its UV index, which is a 24-hour average far below the midday peak you feel. Rain days on these pages are the station’s, for Panama City only.
- Our rain bands: “dry” is under 60 mm in the month, “rainy” over 200 mm, and “some rain” in between.
- Forecasts: Weather data: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), refreshed at most every half hour.
- Sea temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1 (NOAA NCEI’s daily 0.25° sea-surface temperature analysis, Version v02r01), 2016–2025, averaged by us for one grid cell per sea: Panama Bay (Pacific) (8.625°N, 79.375°W, the open bay south of Panama City); Guna Yala coast (Caribbean) (9.625°N, 78.875°W, off the San Blas islands); Off Bocas del Toro (Caribbean) (9.625°N, 82.125°W, just north of the Bocas del Toro islands). Fetched Tue, Nov 10, 2026. US government data, free to use.
Talk to a person
Questions about Panama? Ask us.
Two people answer: Jack and Shlomo. WhatsApp is usually fastest. You can also write to info@panamaunpacked.com.