After our stay at Bocas del Toro, we take the plane back to visit Panama City where we will spend our last 3 days of the end of our Panama tour.
For our first day at Panama City, we decide to visit the city, its historic district, the business district, the fish market and Causeway des Amador.
Surprising PANAMA CITY!
Cut in two by the Panama Canal, Panama City surprises because it looks nothing like other capitals in Central America or South America.
It is an astonishing contrast compared to the “Caribe” regions that we have just discovered. TO Panama City, we saw businessmen, a Chinese family, rich bankers, Kuna women, small fishermen, tall blond snobbishers, street vendors pass by… It was a pachwork of population that surprised me and amused.
In the same way, one can walk on a craft market or in the historic district of which certain streets made us think of Cartagena. But in the same day, you can also do your shopping as the Americans know how to do in huge malls or even eat in fast food chains. And Chinatown brings even more diversity to this nice mix of genres.
Nicknamed the “Miami of the South”, it proudly displays magnificent tall buildings that overlook the ocean.
Finally, at the end of the city, overlooking the sea, the neighborhood still resists El Casco Viejo. It is the historic district of Panama City where there are a few beautiful, somewhat decrepit colored buildings and a few pretty cobbled streets. We were pleased to note that this district is undergoing renovation. It seems that the government has realized that this magnificent heritage must be preserved and has taken steps to preserve it.
What to see in Panama City? El Casco viejo
We started by visiting the Casco Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It takes an hour to walk around it. The Plaza de Francia in tribute to the 22 workers who died during the construction of the Panama Canal is very nice for the view and for its small craft market. It's in this neighborhood and near of the mercado de mariscos that we find the best restaurants in Panama (except those of Palaces of course).
What to see in Panama City? El mercado de mariscos
Very close to the district of Casco Viejo (10 minutes walk), is the fish and shellfish market. It is a small covered market where fishermen come to sell their catch. It is a bit noisy, there are strong smells but it is so authentic that it is a place that I highly recommend.
Behind the market are dozens of inexpensive little restaurants serving delicious ceviche and other seafood dishes. Count USD 10 for a good ceviche or USD 20 for a lobster.
Leaving the market, you can access a promenade that leads to a magnificent viewpoint over the city. Here is a photo taken there:
What to see in Panama City? Biodiversity museum
We did not take the time to visit it. We simply admired its architecture.
Juan (our private driver) explained to us that this museum aims to tell how the Isthmus of Panama came out of the sea, forever changing the biodiversity of the planet. The permanent exhibition is a combination of art and science focused on ecology and the protection of biodiversity.
From the museum, one can observe the modern city, the historic district, Ancon Hill and the Bridge of the Americas.
What to see in Panama City? Amador
From the Museum, we took a 6 km stretch of road back into the Pacific Ocean to the point where the Panama Canal meets the Pacific Ocean. We gradually access 3 peninsulas (built with earth and rock extracted from the canal). We went to Isla Naos, Isla Perico and Isla Flamenco. It's modern, very clean, very organized, with a few marinas and duty-free shops. This is where you have to go to take the ferries to the islands around Panama City, especially the Las Perlas Islands.
This is also where the tourist snapshot is taken!
What to see in Panama City - The business district
Huge and magnificent buildings, big banks, shops, restaurants and quite dense traffic at the office exits: it almost feels like Shanghai!
Other activities in Panama City
Miraflores lock (see my article: Panama Canal Tour)
Soberania Park (see my article: Panama City between canal and parks)
Centro de Artesanias Panamanas : Avenida Arnulfo Arias Madrid and Avenida Amador
Excursions from Panama City
Transportation in Panama City
From our hotel we could easily go to Metro visit El Casco Viejo. It was enough to walk 5 minutes to get to El Carmen Metro station and exit at 5 de mayo station. From there, we walk about twenty minutes to reach the historic district.
There is only one metro line at the moment, so it's very easy to find your way ...
In addition, by taking the metro, we went on the last day to the last ALBROOK station. From there, we take an overhead bridge to access the bus station. And from the gallery of this bus station, one reaches the largest shopping center in Central America ALBROOK MALL.
Private driver in Panama City
For Panama City tour, we did not do with the metro. We preferred to take a Private Driver to save time and make the visits more comfortable and at our own pace. Of course, it comes at a cost, but it was a real pleasure. Juan gave us lots of good advice, good restaurant addresses, pointed out the best views in the city and commented on everything as a guide would have.
Here are the coordinates of Juan Manuel Rivas Dugarte and his agency 24/7 Transports : reservations@24transporte.com
Cheap restaurant in Panama City
As I like to eat local, Juan advised us to eat at Sugar Mill which was a 5 minute walk from our hotel in Via Argentina.
Very good place to eat typical Panamanian dishes at very very reasonable prices for Panama City (between 10 and 15 USD a full course). We made it our canteen and tasted almost every dish! The one that I recommend above all is the Casuela de Mariscos, a huge seafood casserole of about 500 grams very well prepared.
And for more "gourmet" restaurants, here are: Best restaurants in Panama City
Cheap hotel in Panama City
In the EL CANGREJO district very secure and central, is theClarion Victoria hotel. I chose this hotel because it is very close to bars and restaurants and 8 minutes from the metro Iglesia del Carmen.
What a surprise when we arrived! Indeed, while I had booked a standard room at 65 Euros per night, the receptionist upgraded us at no extra charge. We were able to enjoy throughout our stay a superb and immense suite on the 7th floor! It included an entrance equipped with a coffee maker, fridge…, a living room (sofa + large screen TV), a bedroom with TV, safe and a nice shower room. From the bedroom we had a great view of Panama City (see below). And the icing on the cake is hotel rooftop swimming pool !!!
Everything was perfect.
A special mention for the breakfasts. In the form of a buffet, there was something for all tastes: salty, sweet, cereals, fresh fruit, yogurts, pastries, fresh fruit juice ...
View from the hotel's roof terrace
See our second day
de Panama City tours :
Grazie per le notizie sui ristoranti e su cosa mangiare a Panama City, io abito da circa un mese nella zona Decameron, in a beautiful villa dentro il Centro Golf, che vi consiglio di come to vedere, il bagno lo vado a fare a Playa Blanca dove il nome é proprio azzeccato, una spiaggia di sabbia finissima e un mare splendido, oceano Pacifico. Il gioco del Golf é moltom praticato, soprattutto da Canadasi che arriveano in aereo, di fronte al Centro esiste anche un piccolo aeroporto, costruito apposta per loro. Dalle your visit, manca questa zona che vi consiglio di conoscere.
Please note that for this information, the public you are using will be used in the future.
Have a nice day!