Things to Do in Panama City

Long before smallpox, conquistadors, and Catholicism made the Americas safe for European occupation, a group of Spanish sailors laid claim to the indigenous settlement of Panamá, "Land of Plenty." It was August 15, 1519, and they had no sense of what their tiny village would one day become.

Though Panama City is considered "Oldest Permanent European Settlement on the Pacific," the original Panamá Viejo (Old Panama) was abandoned after a devastating 1671 attack by Captain Morgan's pirate army. Today, you can wander its worn remains, including the old cathedral and several stone buildings and walls.

The juxtaposition with modern Panama City, visible across the bay, is startling. Fascinating finds from ongoing archaeological excavations are displayed at the onsite museum.

Visible from nearly anywhere in Panama City, Ancon Hill stands proudly above everything else in an otherwise flat region, with its immense flag flying high. At 199 meters above sea level, it’s the highest point within the city, and from the top you can see all the main points of interest. It’s possible to see not only the modern part of Panama City, but also the Panama Canal, the Amador Causeway, the Bridge of the Americas and Old City.

In the middle of this bustling city, Ancon Hill serves as a little natural paradise. The forest has plenty of animals—sloths, armadillos, toucan and deer—and a slow walk up the hill provides the chance to see many of them. Once at the top, spend time watching the ships pass through the canal. It’s a pleasant walk from Mi Pueblito, and serious bikers take the challenge of riding up the hill. Go early to beat the heat, and don’t forget your camera!

When visiting Panama’s Old City (Casco Antiguo), check out the Plaza de Francia on the far southeast side. This public square stands as a testimony to the people who worked on—and gave their lives for—the Panama Canal.

Built in 1921 by Leonardo Villanueva Meyer, the square's main attraction is a 60-foot (18-meter) obelisk. The monument outlines the history of the canal and honors those 22,000 workers and engineers who died, mainly due to disease, while building it. The statues surrounding it show prominent people who participated in the construction at the time of the French involvement, and the Gallic rooster sitting on top of the obelisk is one of the national emblems of France.

Besides the monument, near this plaza you will find the France Embassy and the Esteban Huertas Promenade. There’s also an impressive view of the Panama City bay, the Bridge of the Americas and the Amador Causeway.

Panama is a melting pot of diverse cultures, including those of Spanish, African and indigenous roots. Traveling around the country to see how these different societies live is fascinating, but it can be a challenge to fit them all into one trip. Close to Panama City is Mi Pueblito, however, a little tourist town that has them all in just one place.

The town has life-size representations of villages found throughout the country, including a typical Spanish-style colonial town, complete with a public square with a Catholic church and mayor’s office. There’s also a school, a barber shop and houses with traditional kitchens and furnishings. One area shows the lifestyle of Africans who came to Panama to work on the canal, with a typical Protestant church, wood houses and representations of well-known buildings that form part of Panamanian history.

This outdoor museum is located on an island at the end of the Amador Causeway, a four-mile-long road on a strip of land made from soil and rock that was extracted during the construction of the Panama Canal. At Punta Culebra Nature Center, a total of 3.7 acres (1.5 hectares) are dedicated to the study of marine biodiversity and the great natural wealth found in the area.

The Smithsonian Foundation of Panama has a space here dedicated to marine science and education, as well as to the conservation of coastal environments. Visitors can learn about marine life in Panama and other regions of Central and South America through science exhibitions, movies and art exhibits. There is also a turtle tank and an aquarium comparing the marine life in the Pacific to that of the Caribbean. The touching pool provides the opportunity to come into close contact with starfish, stingrays, sea urchins and octopuses.

This amazingly accessible park claims to be Latin America's only municipal wildlife reserve, draped luxuriantly across 232 hectares (573 acres) in the city center. Though not exactly pristine (it was a key staging area the 1989 US invasion), it remains a remarkably well-preserved dry tropical forest, one of the world's most threatened biomes, walking distance from the modern city.

Though hikers never quite escape the drone of civilization, it's easy to forget when wandering 4km (2.5mi) of trails along the Curundo River and up Mirador Cerro Cedro (150m/492ft), the second highest spot in the city. Squirrel monkeys (mono titis), two- and three-toed sloths, coatis, green iguanas, toucans, and many other animals call the park home.

Everyone loves a good pirate story, and Panama, a country that has received more than its share of pirate attacks, has plenty of them. Perhaps the most endearing tale to survive to this day is about a church built in the original Panama City in the late 1600s. The intricate altar inside, made of mahogany and covered in gold, had both Colonial and indigenous art influences and was appropriately called the Golden Altar. According to the legend, English pirate Henry Morgan arrived in Panama in 1671 and then sacked and burned Panama City. He soon turned his attention to the church, which was under construction. Knowing what was to come, a priest darkened the precious golden altar to make people think it was just wood—the pirates believed the ruse and the altar was saved.

The altar was later taken from the destroyed city to the San José Church in the new city, which was protected by fortified walls, and has since been restored to its golden beauty, easy for all to visit.

Modern Panama is home to seven indigenous tribes, and the Embera is one of its most well known native groups. Part of the Embera tribe migrated from the Choco region of modern day Colombia to Panama in the late 18th century. The indigenous people retain their own language, cuisine, culture, and customs, many of which can be seen on a visit to an Embera village. Traditional houses are typically built on stilts and often on the riverside, where they are organized into a small community with a communal house at its center. The Embera also keep their own government and family structures. Most of time, villages can only be approached by water; typically a traditional dugout canoe brings in visitors. As the Embera people live sustainably in the middle of the rainforest and for the most part have resisted modernization, a visit to an Embera village offers a unique glimpse at a preserved way of life.

Located on the Plaza Catedral in the Old City, the Metropolitan Cathedral is one of the most interesting tourist points in the area., as it showcases Panama’s colonial architecture and religious roots.

Work began on the church in 1688 but wasn’t finished until 1796, more than 100 years later. A dark stone façade is flanked by a white bell tower on each side and 67 columns support the high ceiling, while abundant artwork and beautiful stained glass windows complete the decoration.

Having at one time been in disrepair, the church has since benefited from a $4 million renovation. It has also witnessed many important events in Panama’s history, including the day in 1903 when the Republic of Panama declared itself a separate nation from Colombia on the plaza in front of the church.

“Garzas” is Spanish for herons, and you’ll see the white birds roaming freely in the Andalusian-style courtyard of the Presidential Palace (Palacio de las Garzas) in Panama City. The African herons were a gift celebrating the completion of renovations of the palace in 1922, but they’re not the only famous residents; the President of Panama lives in the upper floors of the building.

Originally built during the seventeenth century when Panama was under control of the Spanish crown, the neoclassical white mansion in Casco Viejo was a customs house for a time before its conversion into the official presidential residence in 1922.

The popular Panama Interoceanic Canal Museum may showcase the history, politics and influence of French and American workers who helped construct the Panama Canal, but the Afro-Antillean Museum is the place for travelers who want to learn more about the impact the nation’s West Indian community had on developing the infrastructure that still keeps this Central America destination up and running. Visitors can tour galleries and halls lined with images, stories and artifacts that showcase the dedication, drive and determination it took for West Indians to build local railroads and canals.

Sparkling like a jewel at the edge of the enormous Darién wilderness, tranquil Bayano Lake was created in 1976 and has been a scenic escape from the big city ever since. Monkeys, big cats, and scores of bird species bring in the naturalists, while others visit indigenous Kuna villages, or hire pleasure boat at Puerto Coquira, with fine lake views from ranchero-style restaurants serving fresh tilapia and cold beer.

The famed Bayano Caves riddle the lake's undulating southern shore, a series of caverns carved by crashing waterfalls that echo through each smoothly rounded chamber. Tours include about an hour on the lake and its softly shaded tributaries, followed by a hike through the caverns and crystal clear subterranean streams.

One of the best attractions in Anton’s Valley (Valle de Antón) is the Chorro el Macho waterfall. This 280-foot (85-meter) waterfall is just a short way north of the town of La Mesa and is one of the most beautiful areas of the valley.

A pleasant half-hour walk through the rain forest on well-marked paths leads you to the waterfall. At the foot sits a large natural pool, and walking paths run through the area for exploration, with suspension bridges running over the river.

For the adventurous, there are also zip lines through the treetops that provide breathtaking aerial views of the Chorro el Macho waterfall. If visiting with a guide, they can point out local animals, birds and butterflies, as well as various points of interest. The falls are most spectacular in the wet season.

This nearly seven-acre botanical garden and zoo began as a privately owned nursery, for which the owner gradually began collecting animals and birds. Other people donated animals as well, with the most famous having once belonged to the dictator Manuel Noriega. In time, the site evolved into a public zoo, which now has animals from all around the world, some even from as far away as Madagascar.

Among the endemic animals are the Capuchin and spider monkeys, ocelots, toucans, jaguars, macaws and sloths. This is also one of the best places to see the striking, endangered, Panama native rana dorada, also known as the golden frog.

The onsite Centro de Conservación de Anfibios, with anquarium and exhibits, serves as a center for amphibian studies, sponsored by zoos from the United States. The zoo is surrounded by trees and a botanical garden, a pleasant area to picnic.