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Amador Causeway – The Causeway is a real oasis
in Panama City, four tiny islands, Naos, Culebra, Perico and Flamenco, connected
by a road, lined with palm trees and wide walkways. Located at the entrance
to the Panama Canal, it's quiet, green and tropical, and the perfect place
to walk, bike or watch the ships lined up for the Canal. |
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 Punta Culebra Nature Center (Centro
de Exhibiciones Marinas) –
Marine exhibits center, run by the Smithsonian, is a gem! Check
out exhibits of Pacific Ocean fishes, tanks of live moray eels, hawksbill turtles, bright colored topical
fish, and touch pool for little ones with sea anemones and sea urchins.
200 colorful frogs in the fabulous frogs exhibit. Take the short trail through tropical forest, and keep your
keep eyes peeled for green iguanas sunning themselves or sloths in the trees. At the
tip of the island is a telescope to watch boats, including labeled pictures
so kids can identify shrimp boats, cruise ships, tankers, tuna boats, Panamax
ships, yachts, container ships and tugs. Exhibits are in Spanish and English. |
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Go
for a bike ride – Rent bikes and go for a ride on the wide sidewalks.
You can rent surreys to pedal the whole family around (this is great if
you have little ones), kids' bikes, full-size bikes, pedal karts from Tony
Bikes Rental on Culebra. |
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Casco Viejo – The Casco Viejo is the old city center with Spanish style buildings and plazas, built after the city burned
in 1671. Tip:
It's best to take a taxi or ride share to the Casco Viejo. |
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Plaza
de la Independencia – Start your explorations of the Casco Viejo
at the Plaza de la Independencia, which commemorates the independence of
Panama in 1903. It's a quiet plaza, surrounded by pastel colored buildings,
the Metropolitan Cathedral (it's worth taking a quick look inside the cathedral),
and the Panama Canal Museum. |
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Panama
Canal Museum (Museo del Canal Interoceanico de Panama) – This museum
is a good introduction to the Panama Canal, and the history of Panama. Exhibits
start with the earliest inhabitants of Panama, the Camino de Cruces, the
treasure trails across the isthmus (including re-creations of gold and silver
ingots, Spanish armor, cannon balls and muskets), posters and weapons from
the California gold rush. Other displays document the construction of the
Panama Canal, including excellent historical films, time lapse video of
boats zipping through the locks, and transfer of the Canal to Panama in
1999. The exhibits are labeled in Spanish, an English audio tour is available. |
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Iglesia
de San Jose – Don't miss this impressive church with a huge golden
altar (Altar de Oro). The altar is decorated with figures of Saint Joseph holding the baby Jesus and other saints. |
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When Henry Morgan sacked Panama City in 1671,
according to stories, a priest disguised the golden altar by painting it
black, so it was saved from the pirates. |
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Mi Pueblito – Mi Pueblito is a re-creation of
a typical Panama town at the turn of the 20th century – a Spanish style
church, a school, a house, museum with gorgeous hand-embroidered Panamanian
dresses, and cobblestone plaza, plus replicas of a Caribbean style village
with bright colored buildings, and Kuna Indian village from the San Blas
Islands, with thatched houses and exhibits of Kuna traditions. There are
folklore performances on the weekends, and shops to buy local arts and crafts. |
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Parks – |
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Parque
Andres Bello (Via Argentina, El Cangrejo) – If you're staying in
the Cangrejo district, this is a quiet neighborhood park on Via Argentina,
north of Calle 1ra B Norte, with swings, slides, climbing structures, benches and grass to run around. |
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Parque
Urraca (Balboa Ave., near Ave. Federico Boyd, Bella Vista) – A
wide, spacious park, right across from the bay on Balboa Ave, with large
grassy areas, swings and playground. |
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Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks, Gatun Locks, and trips on Gatun Lake are all a
day trip from Panama City |
