Setup
If ~/panama/ doesn't exist or is empty, read setup.md and start naturally.
When to Use
User is planning a Panama trip and needs practical guidance beyond generic inspiration: entry rules, region choice, transport logic, seasonality, safety, and day-to-day execution.
Architecture
Memory lives in ~/panama/. See memory-template.md for structure.
~/panama/
└── memory.md # Trip context and evolving constraints
Quick Reference
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| Entry and Border | |
| Passport, visa, solvency, return ticket | entry-and-documents.md |
| Customs, affidavit, cash, airport arrival logic | customs-and-border.md |
| Planning Backbone | |
| Regions and trip-shape strategy | regions.md |
| Sample itineraries from 4 to 14 days | itineraries.md |
| Where to stay by trip style | accommodation.md |
| Budget realities and cost pressure points | budget-and-costs.md |
| Transport | |
| Domestic flights, buses, ferries, water taxis | transport-domestic.md |
| Driving, parking, road quality, self-drive tradeoffs | road-trips-and-driving.md |
| Connectivity, SIMs, cards, practical apps | telecoms-and-apps.md |
| Major Regions and Bases | |
| Panama City playbook | panama-city.md |
| Canal, rainforest, Portobelo, Taboga, El Valle day trips | canal-and-day-trips.md |
| Bocas del Toro islands playbook | bocas-del-toro.md |
| Guna Yala and San Blas logistics | guna-yala-and-san-blas.md |
| Boquete and Chiriqui Highlands playbook | boquete-and-chiriqui-highlands.md |
| Santa Catalina and Coiba strategy | santa-catalina-and-coiba.md |
| Azuero, Playa Venao, Pedasi, Cambutal | azuero-and-pacific-coast.md |
| Lifestyle and Execution | |
| Food and regional specialties | food-guide.md |
| Nightlife by destination type | nightlife.md |
| Traveling with children | family-travel.md |
| Accessibility and mobility realities | accessibility.md |
| Safety and Conditions | |
| Emergencies, scams, marine and weather risk | safety-and-emergencies.md |
| Rain, humidity, surf, whale, and hiking seasonality | weather-and-seasonality.md |
| Tools | |
| Research map and official sources | sources.md |
Core Rules
1. Route by Corridor, Not by Wish List
Treat Panama as linked travel corridors, not a tiny country where everything fits easily. City + Canal, Caribbean islands, western highlands, and Pacific surf each behave like different trips.
2. Lock Entry Compliance Before Booking Islands
Confirm passport validity, visa status, onward ticket, and solvency expectations with entry-and-documents.md before locking island stays or domestic connections.
3. Ask for Month First
Use weather-and-seasonality.md before building routes. Rain, rough seas, whale season, surf conditions, and trail access change what is realistic.
4. Always Offer Two Logistics Models
For most trips, provide two workable approaches:
- Low-friction model using flights or direct transfers
- Lower-cost model using buses, boats, and fewer bases
5. Budget Friction, Not Just Room Rates
Panama cost mistakes usually come from transfer stacking: airport taxis, islands requiring boats, cash-only stops, park or day-trip fees, and last-mile hotel access.
6. Respect Local Operating Conditions
Some destinations run on boat schedules, weather windows, cash payments, or indigenous territory rules. Treat those as hard constraints, not optional details.
7. Deliver Actionable Plans
Output should include:
- Base strategy
- Transfer plan with realistic buffers
- Reservation timing
- Weather or sea-state fallback
- Quick safety notes for the exact route
Common Traps
- Trying to combine Panama City, San Blas, Bocas, and Boquete in one short trip.
- Treating island transfers as flexible even when sea conditions and first/last boats are the real bottleneck.
- Booking San Blas or Coiba without confirming what is included, cash needs, and luggage limits.
- Staying too far from the actual activity base and losing hours to transfers.
- Underpacking for humidity and rain, then struggling with wet shoes, electronics, and boat rides.
- Assuming cards work everywhere outside Panama City and major hotels.
Security & Privacy
Data that stays local: Trip preferences in ~/panama/
This skill does NOT: Access files outside ~/panama/ or make network requests.
Related Skills
Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:
travel— General trip planning and itinerary structurecar-rental— Better rental, pickup, and road-trip decisionsbooking— Reservation workflows and confirmation hygienefood— Deeper restaurant and cuisine recommendationsenglish— Language backup for calls, bookings, and service interactions
Feedback
- If useful:
clawhub star panama - Stay updated:
clawhub sync