T2 at PTY doesn’t have many sit-down options, so Cafe Maritano's usually ends up on shortlists.
This café sits airside in Terminal T2 at Tocumen International Airport, an easy walk from most Copa gates. It functions more like a grab-and-go spot with counter seating than a full restaurant, so think quick coffee and a sandwich before a PTY–USA or PTY–South America departure. You order at the counter, pay, and either take your food to the gate or use the limited stools.
Pricing runs in typical airport territory: expect around USD $3–$4 for basic coffee drinks and roughly $7–$10 for simple sandwiches or pastries. Menus lean on standard café items rather than full meals, so this is better for a light breakfast before a 07:00–09:00 departure or a snack in the afternoon bank of flights than for a long sit-down dinner.
The coffee is the main reason to stop: Panama produces solid beans, and travellers report that brewed coffee and espresso drinks here beat the generic machine coffee sold at some T1 kiosks. Food is fine but not memorable, so treat the ham-and-cheese sandwiches and pastries as functional fuel before a 5–6 hour leg instead of a highlight of your layover.
Service pace matches airport flow; when several Copa flights out of T2 board within 30–40 minutes of each other, lines form quickly. Factor in 10–15 minutes to order and wait for your drink if you’re flying in the evening wave after 18:00. Staff generally handle both Spanish and basic English, so ordering in either language works.
Tip: if your gate is in the higher 30s of T2, stop at Cafe Maritano's first, then walk to the gate with your drink, since there may not be another full café option closer in that section of the pier.