Panama City presents a fantastic fusion of traditional handicrafts and international designs. A city, sitting on the crossroads of North and Latin America, is apparently dominated by indigenous handicrafts such as the Panama hat (though it was invented in Ecuador); mola works by Kuna people, and handicrafts by Emberá, Ngöbe-Buglé Indians and Wounaan communities. On the other side, tourists will find no dearth of luxury goods, clothes and electronic items at half the prices that in US or Europe. A shopper's paradise, if any Latin city could beat Panama for the creativeness in its handicrafts it would only be Mexico City.

Shopping Centres

Metro Mall Panama

Go for: departmental stores, over 200 specialty shops, 10-screen cinema and a food court.

Address : Cerro Viento, Avenida Domigo Diaz, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 217 7280

Opening Hours : Daily 10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Albrook Mall

Go for: discount stores, kids wear, adult clothing, exquisite jewellery, Pizza hut, Wendy's and Kentucky's food courts

Address : Ave Marginal, Corregimiento de Ancón, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 303 6333

Opening Hours : Monday to Thursday: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 am to 9:00 pm, Sunday: 10:30 am to 8:00 pm

Multiplaza Pacific

Go for: specialty and boutique shops for all reasons & seasons, movie theatre, several restaurants and a supermarket.

Address : Via Israel, east of Punta Paitilla, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 302 5380

Opening Hours : Monday to Saturday: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am to 7:00 pm

Multicentro Shopping Mall

Go for: casino, 9-screen movie theatre, nightclub, 30 restaurants, boutiques & shops selling apparel, furniture, perfume, art, and jewellery

Address : Balboa Ave., Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 208 2500

Opening Hours : Daily 10:00 am to 9:00 pm

Los Pueblos

Go for: favourite among bargain shoppers, discount shops selling clothing and household goods, dozens of departmental and specialty stores, food court

Address : Via Domingo Diaz, Road to the International Airport, Panama City, Panama

Opening Hours : Daily 10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Flamenco Shopping Plaza

Go for: shops selling jewellery, souvenirs, traditional Panamanian handicrafts, leather goods, cigars, and artwork, bars, and restaurants

Address : Calle Amador, Flamenco Island, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 314 0932

Opening Hours : Daily 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, Restaurant & Bar timings vary

Crafts

Centro Artesanal Antiguo YMCA

Go for: native handicrafts, molas bags, shirts, glasses cases, and pot holders, embroidered blouses, jewellery, hand-woven hats, work by Emberá and Wounaan Indians of the Darién province.

Address : Av. Arnulfo Arias and Av. Amador, Balboa, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 211 0100

Centro Municipal de Artesanías Panameñas

Go for: molas work by Kuna women, chaquiras, bags, hammocks, dresses, framed butterflies, T-shirts, and other souvenirs.

Address : Av. Arnulfo Arias, three blocks up from old YMCA, Balboa, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 211 3924

Flory Saltzman Molas

Go for: biggest mola (Kuna) collection in Panama weaved into bags, shirts, coin-purses, headbands by Flory Saltzman artisans.

Address : Av. Arnulfo Arias, three blocks up from old YMCA, Balboa, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 223 6963

Galería Arte Indígena

Go for: indigenous handicrafts, carvings, paintings, Emberá woven baskets and bowls, decorated gourds, figurines, masks, Panama hats from Ecuador, t-shirts, post cards, maracas, hammocks, decorated gourds, hats, animals figures, folk dance performances

Address : Calle 1, No. 844, Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 228 9552

Opening Hours : Daily 9:00 am to 8:00 pm

Mercado de Artesanía de Panamá Viejo

Go for: shops and stalls selling indigenous handicrafts like woven hats, Carnival masks, beaded jewellery, embroidered textiles, works of mestizo & Kuna artisans, molas

Address : Av. 4 at Av. B, Santa Ana, Panama City, Panama

Opening Hours : Daily 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Mercado de Buhonería

Go for: Masks, hammocks, molas, t-shirts, sandals, maracas, masks, baskets, food stands and other handicrafts

Address : Avenida 4a, (cross-street Avenida B), Panama City, Panama

Opening Hours : Daily 7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Gifts

Artesanías Panamá Bahía

Go for : Panamanian and Ecuadorian souvenirs, Panama hats, and indigenous handicrafts

Address : Vía Veneto, El Cangrejo, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 399 9012 / 3

La Ronda

Go for : Ecuadorian Panama hats, molas, Carnival masks, wood carvings, paintings

Address : Calle 1 and Plaza Francia, Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 211 1001

Accessories / Jewellery

Museo de la Esmeralda

Go for : emeralds jewellery from a Colombian mine

Address : Calle Pedro J. Sossa on Plaza Catedral, Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 215 1664 / 5

Opening Hours : Daily 9:00 am to 6:30 pm

Reprosa

Go for : gold and gold plated replicas of huacas used by the indigenous population at the time of burial, black onyx necklaces, gemstones, reproduction of pre-Columbian gold jewellery and Spanish coins, chaquira beadwork, cocobolo wood carvings, paintings, molas

Address : Av. A and Calle 4, Art Deco Building, Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 271 0033

Opening Hours : Daily 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Joyería La Huaca

Go for: jewellery and huacas resembling huacas from Pre-Columbian times which were buried with the indigenous people, silver, gold, platinum and diamond jewellery

Address : Continental Hotel & Casino, Via España, P.O. Box 6-4202, El Dorado, Panama City, Panama

Tel. No. : +507 269 7254