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What to pack for Panama in May

From May, a rain jacket or a compact umbrella goes in every bag. Panama City’s station averages 225 mm (8.9 in) this month and humidity sits around 82% (NASA POWER), so quick-drying clothes and a spare pair of shoes make life easier. Keep phones and passports in a zip bag on day trips. If Shavuot falls in your dates, add Yom Tov clothes and candles.

Your list

May · Panama City · 2 adults · 30 items

  • Panama City94° / 70°F · 225 mm

May averages: Panama City’s weather station, NASA POWER elsewhere. The full weather for May.

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Documents

  • Source: Servicio Nacional de Migración de Panamá

Rain and heat

  • Panama City averages 225 mm (8.9 in) of rain in May.

  • Rainy months are humid too, so clothes dry slowly.

  • Average daytime highs of about 94°F in May.

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

For Shabbat (most stays include one)

  • Or ask your hotel first what it allows in rooms.

  • Hotels, with their Shabbat details

  • Request Shabbat meals

  • Eruv map

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 May 2027

The next May. Candle lighting and the end of each, in Panama City, Panama time.

  • Shabbat · Achrei Mot

    Fri, Apr 30 – Sat, May 1, 2027

    Candles 6:10 PM on Fri, Apr 30. Ends 7:04 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:01 PM (Chabad).

  • Shabbat · Kedoshim

    Fri, May 7 – Sat, May 8, 2027

    Candles 6:11 PM on Fri, May 7. Ends 7:05 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:03 PM (Chabad).

    Rosh Chodesh Iyyar

  • Shabbat · Emor

    Fri, May 14 – Sat, May 15, 2027

    Candles 6:12 PM on Fri, May 14. Ends 7:06 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:04 PM (Chabad).

  • Shabbat · Behar

    Fri, May 21 – Sat, May 22, 2027

    Candles 6:13 PM on Fri, May 21. Ends 7:07 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:06 PM (Chabad).

  • Shabbat · Bechukotai

    Fri, May 28 – Sat, May 29, 2027

    Candles 6:15 PM on Fri, May 28. Ends 7:09 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 7:08 PM (Chabad).

Every time for these dates, with a calendar file, is on the Shabbat times page. A second night of Yom Tov lists the earliest time to light.

Dates, Yom Tov and the parasha from Hebcal.com (CC BY 4.0). Times computed by us.

Day trips in May

Panama City
Rainy: 225 mm, wetter than April (65 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, wetter than April (157 mm). 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: 314 mm, wetter than April (162 mm). Sea about 84°F. No kosher food on the way: pack a cooler.
Gamboa
Rainy: 271 mm, wetter than April (131 mm). About 25 km from the city; go at dawn for wildlife, and bring all your food.
San Blas (Guna Yala)
Rainy: 368 mm, about as wet as April. 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: 334 mm, wetter than April (188 mm). Sea about 85°F.

Rain: Panama City’s weather station, NASA POWER elsewhere. Travel facts from our day trips guide.

Questions people ask

Do I need a rain jacket for Panama in May?
Yes. Panama City’s weather station averages 225 mm (8.9 in) of rain in May, so bring a light rain jacket or a compact umbrella for everyone, plus quick-drying clothes.
What should I wear in Panama in May?
Light, breathable clothes, sun hats and sunglasses: Panama City’s weather station averages 94°F by day and 70°F at night in May (WMO, 1971–2000). Add modest clothes for shul, a light layer for strong air-conditioning, and a warmer one for Boquete.

Lists by month

The reasons behind each item, with sources, are in our packing guide for observant families.

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.

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