Holiday Escapes

Trade Dallas winter chills for the sights and thrills of sunny Panama

Pool and canal views from the Westin Playa Bonita.
Photo by Jody Diamond
View from the Westin Playa Bonita of the cruise ships lining up to enter thePanama Canal.
Photo by Jody Diamond
Dug-out canoe ride to the Embera Indian Village.
Photo by Kristy Alpert
Cascada Bonita
Photo by Kristy Alpert
Peaceful day on the Chagres River on the way to the Embera Indian Village.
Photo by Kristy Alpert
View from the MiraFlores Locks at the Panama Canal.
Photo by Kristy Alpert
Lobby to the new Sensory Spa by Clarins at the Westin Playa Bonita.
Photo by Jody Diamond

From dimly lit midnight wine tastings through the romantic Casco Viejo district to venturing out in a hollowed-out canoe to an authentic Indian village, Panama has plenty to keep you warm this winter.

When it comes to traveling south of the border, Panama tends to get passed over like the red-headed step child of Central America for more mainstream destinations such as Costa Rica and Guatemala. But this idyllic isthmus offers a similar sense of exotic exploration with a unique cosmopolitan opulence that has remained refreshingly unscathed by tourists and crowds.

Unlike other Central American hot spots, Panama remains refreshingly unscathed by tourists and crowds.

With a year-round temperature averaging around 84 degrees, this time of year is the country’s prime travel season to escape the unknown winters of Dallas-Fort Worth. (Will it snow or is it time to pull out those shorts again?)

While a certain amount of mystery is what draws many of us to travel. Allow me to take out a bit of the logistical guesswork for your trip to Panama. Here is where you should stay, eat and play in Panama’s capital city:

Stay
Westin Playa Bonita is less than a year old and already it’s become one of the best spots to stay while exploring Panama City. Because it’s located 20 minutes from the city center, this beachfront hotel feels like a retreat, with gorgeous views of the rainforest on one side and that of ships preparing to enter the Panama Canal on the other. Plus, the onsite restaurants are amazing, and the beds are truly heavenly.

Bonus feature: the hotel just opened up a new Sensory Spa by Clarins with a hydrothermal wellness circuit that claims to stimulate circulation, cleanse the skin and relax sore muscles.

Eat
Not only does Miraflores Restaurant at the Panama Canal provide a decadent buffet including local Panamanian favorites and a lust-worthy dessert station, but it also offers arguably the best way to view the ships passing through the canal from its expansive patio overlooking the Miraflores Locks.

DiVino Enoteca is a charming hole-in-the wall located in the heart of Casco Viejo, Panama City’s old town. If walking the dimly lit cobblestone streets amidst stunning architecture in this romantic quarter doesn’t warm your spirits, sipping on one of the exquisite wines from the restaurant’s expansive wine menu while watching old movies on the original brick-walled interior will surely do the trick.

Play
While the Panama Canal is a must-see, a trip to Panama City would not be complete without a visit to the Embera Indian Village, where a loin-cloth-wearing tribesman guides you along the Chagres River in a dug-out canoe to an island of friendly Indians eager to share their culture and cuisine, which includes tilapia and plantains.

If you get the chance, request a trip to the Cascada Bonita (Beautiful Waterfall), where a short hike through the rainforest will lead you to a pristine pool where you can swim beneath a crystal clear waterfall. To commemorate the day, allow the tribesman to apply a temporary tattoo made with vegetable dyes.

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DART News

DART receives $7 million federal grant for new low-emission buses

Gillig

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has received a grant to update its fleet of buses. According to a release, the agency was awarded a $7.094 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to support the purchase of new buses as the agency phases out its fleet of older model vehicles.

The grant awarded to DART is one of 165 transit projects across the U.S. funded with more than $2 billion in federal grants.

In February, DART purchased 476 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses from Gillig, a California-based manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses, to fulfill their goal to modernize their transit system over the next decade — particularly via new buses and light-rail vehicles to replace the oldest units in their aging fleet.

The phase-in of those new vehicles is expected to be executed through 2027.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses are a near-zero emission option, which was a key component in DART qualifying for the federal grant. Gillig has already delivered the first buses ahead of a Spring 2026 timeline — meaning that DART riders will get to start riding the upgraded buses on routes by the end of December 2025.

In a statement, DART President & CEO Nadine Lee says the timing is perfect.

“The timing of this grant couldn’t be better as we begin to receive early delivery of new, state-of-the-art vehicles from Gillig and as we move ahead with preparations to provide service to the massive crowds we expect next year with the FIFA World Cup," Lee says. "We are grateful to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, FTA Administrator Marcus Molinaro, and our entire congressional delegation for valuing their strong federal partnership with DART, recognizing the need to find additional funding to support transit programs in one of the fastest growing metro areas in the nation."

This new grant is in addition to $103 million initial federal grants, bringing the total federal support for DART’s purchase of new buses to more than $110 million – reducing the overall cost to DART and member cities.

U.S. Congressional delegates, representing communities across Texas, were instrumental in securing the funding for the grant. The purchase of 476 buses is one part of DART’s Transform, a $2.5 billion 10-year plan to modernize and upgrade the DART system.

transportation