Plan your trip
What to pack for Panama in March
For March, pack for heat. Panama City’s station averages highs of 95°F and the sun is high at midday, so bring hats, sunscreen and plenty of water bottles, and plan outdoor time for the morning. Rain gear is optional on the Pacific side (23 mm (0.9 in) at the beaches), but a light jacket earns its place in San Blas or Bocas del Toro. If Purim or Pesach falls in your dates, see the calendar items below.
Your list
March · Panama City · 2 adults · 30 items
- Panama City95° / 65°F · 13 mm
Documents
Heat and sun
March is a dry month in Panama City: about 13 mm (0.5 in) on average at most.
Average daytime highs of about 95°F in March.
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
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 March 2027
Shabbat · Vayakhel
Fri, Mar 5 – Sat, Mar 6, 2027
Candles 6:11 PM on Fri, Mar 5. Ends 7:05 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:01 PM (Chabad).
Shabbat Shekalim
Shabbat · Pekudei
Fri, Mar 12 – Sat, Mar 13, 2027
Candles 6:11 PM on Fri, Mar 12. Ends 7:05 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:01 PM (Chabad).
Shabbat · Vayikra
Fri, Mar 19 – Sat, Mar 20, 2027
Candles 6:10 PM on Fri, Mar 19. Ends 7:04 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:00 PM (Chabad).
Shabbat Zachor
Shabbat · Tzav
Fri, Mar 26 – Sat, Mar 27, 2027
Candles 6:10 PM on Fri, Mar 26. Ends 7:04 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:00 PM (Chabad).
Shabbat Parah
Festivals and fasts in these dates
- Ta’anit Esther: Mon, Mar 22, 2027
- Purim: Tue, Mar 23, 2027 (begins the evening before)
Day trips in March
- Panama City
- Dry: 13 mm, about as wet as February; rain on about 1 day at the station. Sea about 76°F. From Paitilla or Punta Pacífica, the Cinta Costera waterfront is a walk, with no transport needed, so it works on Shabbat too.
- Boquete
- Some rain: 73 mm, wetter than February (51 mm). It’s coffee harvest season (December to March; Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá). Too far for a day: fly to David or drive about six hours, and stay over with Chabad Boquete’s kosher food.
- Pacific beaches
- Dry: 23 mm, about as wet as February. Sea about 76°F. No kosher food on the way: pack a cooler.
- Gamboa
- Dry: 21 mm, about as wet as February. About 25 km from the city; go at dawn for wildlife, and bring all your food.
- San Blas (Guna Yala)
- Some rain: 160 mm, wetter than February (62 mm). Sea about 82°F. A very long day by 4x4 and boat from Cartí: bring every passport, all your food and drinking water.
- Bocas del Toro
- Some rain: 100 mm, wetter than February (78 mm). Sea about 82°F.
Questions people ask
- Do I need a rain jacket for Panama in March?
- Not for Panama City, whose weather station averages only 13 mm (0.5 in) of rain in March. Pack one if you’re going to Boquete (73 mm (2.9 in)) or the Caribbean islands (100 mm (3.9 in) in Bocas del Toro).
- What should I wear in Panama in March?
- Light, breathable clothes, sun hats and sunglasses: Panama City’s weather station averages 95°F by day and 65°F at night in March (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 March 2027?
- Purim: Tue, Mar 23, 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.