Best things to do in San Francisco, including free and rainy-day options

Come for the town itself, not for a checklist. San Francisco is a working Veraguas town: a grid of low houses, a plaza with a church, a river, and green hills behind it. The reason to stop is that it sits on the Interamericana between Santiago and David, so it works as a cheap, quiet base for the coast and the highlands without the price of a resort town.

If you have one day, walk the plaza and church in the morning, eat at the market or a comedor at midday, then take a local bus or taxi to the river and the viewpoint above town in the afternoon. If you have two days, add a coast run to Playa Santa Catalina or Soná, or a hill walk. If you want surf, diving or island beaches, stay on the coast instead and treat San Francisco as a pass-through.

Prices are 2026 estimates in US dollars, the currency used in Panama. Local buses and taxis are the cheap way around; a hired driver for a coast run costs more but saves hours.

Start in the plaza. Panamanian towns are built around one, and San Francisco's is the social centre: church on one side, benches, shade trees, a few shops and a bakery. Mornings are busiest, when people come in from the surrounding farms. The church is the town's main building; if it is open, step in, keep quiet and dress as you would at home. Opening times change with services, so treat any posted hours as a guide.

The market and the comedores around it are the second stop. This is where you see what Veraguas grows and eats: rice, beans, plantain, root vegetables, fruit, and simple plates of chicken or pork with rice. Prices are low and portions are large. If you are unsure what to order, point at what someone else is eating; it is normal and usually welcome.

In the afternoon, head for the river and the edge of town. The land rises quickly here, so a short walk gets you above the roofs and into pasture and scrub, with views back over the town and out to the hills. Paths are informal and can be muddy in the wet season; ask at your lodging which route is currently used, and go with someone if you are unsure. Bring water and sun protection, and be back before dark.

If you have a second day, the coast is the draw. Playa Santa Catalina and the Soná area are the usual targets, with surf, fishing villages and long sand. Distances are short on the map but slow on the road, so a full day is realistic and a half day is tight. Ask your host to confirm current bus times, or split the cost of a car with other travellers.

San Francisco also works as a break in a long bus ride. The Interamericana runs through this part of Veraguas, so you can get off, sleep one night and continue the next morning toward Santiago, David or the border. Buy your onward ticket when you arrive, not on the day, if you can.

San Francisco is one of the cheaper stops in Panama. A bed in a basic guesthouse or hostel is roughly $10–25 per person, a private room in a simple hotel $25–50, and a mid-range hotel $50–90 (2026 estimates). Food is cheap: $3–8 for a comedor plate, $1–3 for coffee and a snack, $10–20 for a sit-down meal for two with drinks.

Transport is the main variable. Local buses within town and to nearby villages cost under $2. A bus to the coast or to Santiago or David is $5–20 depending on distance. A hired car or driver for a coast or hill run is $60–120 for the day, split between passengers. Carry small US dollar notes; change is often short and card machines are rare outside bigger towns.