Officially “San José de David”, David is the capital of the province of Chiriquí and has an estimated population of 144,858 inhabitants as confirmed in 2013. The Pan-American Highway is a popular route to David.
David is a city in constant movement full of people, cars and commerce.
Its streets to the transport terminal are crowded with vendors of arts and crafts, fruits and vegetables, and shoes. However, if you want to buy fruits and vegetables at a low cost directly from the producers, you can go on Saturdays in front of David’s public library; there sellers meet to offer their products. Also, we have a National Cold Chain Market that has a wide variety of stores that sell seafood, legumes, artisanal products and traditional Panamanian foods.
David’s beautiful central square, the Cervantes Park, is one of the most attractive areas of the city, providing a perfect place to take a break from shopping, drink soda, or simply observe the people who transit. You can also buy handicrafts, lottery and try the famous “raspados” (shaved ice) of different flavors, including passion fruit. In addition, street vendors near the park will shine on your shoes or sell you a cold drink, chicheme (a sweet corn panamanian drink), pineapple rice, a freshly cut coconut or ground sugarcane juice. On the northwest side of this square is the Church of the Sagrada Familia, a very old, historic church. Even if you are not Catholic you can visit it and observe its beautiful architecture and designs. A few blocks southeast of Parque Cervantes are the Barrio Bolívar, a colorful neighborhood full of buildings with a colonial style, a museum, and the San José de David Cathedral. In the same area you can find the Museum of Neighborhood and Antiquities La Casona.
The province of Chiriquí has the most fertile agricultural land in the country. Every year the city hosts the David International Fair, a huge trade fair that attracts hundreds of national and Latin American vendors. Although there are some traditional folk crafts and dances, the fair is a convention mainly for agriculture, livestock, commerce and amusement park.
In general, the services to visitors in David are extensive. You will find all kinds of government offices, hospitals, airport, pharmacies, post offices, banks, gyms, schools, libraries, bookstores, restaurants, internet cafes, supermarkets, laundries , shopping centers, and car rental agencies. The dining options are varied, and there are a large number of bars and several nightclubs. Other forms of entertainment found in the province are cinemas such as Multicines Nacional, Cinemas Moderno, Cinépolis in the Federal Mall, Altitude Trampoline Park, The Star Country Club, pool tables and bowling games.
David offers many accommodation options. As the province of Chiriquí continues to gain popularity as a tourist destination, more hotels are being built for all budget ranges. The hotels are located in the center of the city, near the financial and business district, so they have the most central location in the city. The central location is the base from which the main chains and companies of Chiriquí operate and serves as the headquarters and banking center of many banks in the province. On the other hand, there is also the option of hostels which have a variety of prices and services for customers. A family and quiet hostel for nationals and foreigners, is the bluerockhostal.com, located 4 minutes from the city center. So, regardless of the reason for your visit to the city of David, you have many options to enjoy your stay, and learn more about the city of David, because it is not only a commercial and transit city, but a city to explore and discover.