As of October 2026, Horizon's Panama eSIM plans name two partner networks: Liberty, with 4G/5G where available, and Tigo Panama, with 3G/4G where available. The page lists five plans, from 1 GB for 7 days to 25.6 GB for 30 days. The eSIM carries data only and sits beside your own SIM, so you install it at home and switch it on in Panama.
What follows covers the two networks, the plan sizes, the setup before you fly, the arrival at Tocumen and the parts of the country where a signal is harder to find.
Two partner networks on the Panama plans
Horizon's Panama page names Liberty and Tigo Panama. Liberty is shown with 4G/5G where available; Tigo Panama is listed with 3G/4G where available, without 5G. A badge describes what a network offers, not what a particular street, boat or mountain trail will give you, and which generation your phone shows depends on the device, the place and local conditions. Reception may vary by area.
Two names on the list give you a second option. If the connection is poor in one place, the network-selection setting on your phone can be set to the other listed network; switch it back to automatic once you move on.
The Panama data plans
As of October 2026, the page lists these plans:
| Data | Validity |
|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days |
| 3 GB | 15 days |
| 10 GB | 7 days |
| 10 GB | 30 days |
| 25.6 GB | 30 days |
The largest plan holds 25,600 MB, which the page shows as 25.6 GB. Current prices are on the destination page, because they follow the live catalogue.
A long weekend in Panama City with a day at the canal is a small-plan trip. Ten days or more that add Boquete, Bocas del Toro or the San Blas islands mean more maps, more bookings and more photos sent from boats and bus stations, and a laptop on your hotspot adds more again. For a trip of that length, compare the 10 GB plan for 30 days with the 7-day options.
Set it up before you fly
Check that your phone supports eSIM on the supported devices page, and that it is not locked to your home carrier. Then install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, with how to install an eSIM for the iPhone and Android steps. Your installation details are in My eSIMs. Name the new line clearly, such as "Panama data", and leave it switched off until you are in Panama.
Save the QR code and installation instructions securely, somewhere you can access without this phone. Keep the eSIM installed. If you delete it or change phones, contact support before trying to reinstall; reuse of the QR code is not guaranteed.
Validity does not start until your eSIM first connects to a supported mobile network at your destination. Installing the eSIM does not start its validity, so a few days of margin before the flight cost you none of the plan.
Landing at Tocumen
Tocumen International Airport lies east of central Panama City, and the drive to Casco Viejo or the banking district is usually when arrivals first open a map. Once you are in Panama:
- Turn the Horizon line on.
- Choose it as the line for mobile data.
- Turn on data roaming for the Horizon line only.
- Keep mobile data off on your home SIM, unless you accept your home operator's charges.
Have the hotel address, the pickup arrangement and an offline map ready before you board, so the first ride does not wait on a signal.
Hotspot, calls and your own number
Hotspot sharing is free on every Horizon plan. Whatever joins your hotspot, a laptop or a companion's phone, uses the same data allowance, so include it when you pick a size.
The plans give you no Panamanian number. Your home SIM can stay in the phone, and your usual number stays on the device; whether it can call or receive texts in Panama, and what that costs, depends on your home operator. Keep it in mind for the one-time codes banks and airlines send by text.
Islands, highlands and boats
The places people come for are often the hardest to reach. Bocas del Toro is an archipelago where you move between islands by water taxi, and the San Blas islands of Guna Yala are usually reached by a long road and then a boat. Boquete sits in the western highlands below Volcán Barú, where cloud and steep slopes change what a phone can find. Download ferry times, island names and offline maps in Panama City or at your hotel.
Panama borders Costa Rica and Colombia. A Panama plan covers Panama only, so a trip that continues across a border needs a plan for the next country.
Short answers
Which networks do the Panama plans name? Liberty, with 4G/5G where available, and Tigo Panama, with 3G/4G where available.
Can I install the eSIM before I travel? Yes. Install it at home over Wi-Fi and keep the line off until you arrive. Installing the eSIM does not start its validity.
Do I get a Panamanian phone number? No. The plans are data-only, and internet calls and messaging apps use the data allowance.
Does the plan work in Costa Rica? No. It covers Panama only.
What if the data runs out? A top-up adds a plan to the eSIM already on your phone, so there is no new QR code to scan. If the data has already run out, buy it over Wi-Fi. The top-up page explains how it works.
