Panama City Travel Guide

Casco Viejo, also called San Felipe, is Panama City's old quarter, rebuilt on a peninsula above the Pacific in 1673 after Henry Morgan destroyed the original settlement. Stroll the narrow cobbled lanes past colonial balconies, the gold-tiled altar of the Metropolitan Cathedral on Plaza de la Catedral, and the jagged shell of the French-style building at Plaza Francia. By night the bars and rooftop cafés of Calle Arboleda come alive. Go at sunset for the skyline view and watch your belongings in crowds—pickpocketing is common here.

The San Blas Islands, part of Panama's autonomous Guna Yala comarca, scatter some 365 coral islets across the turquoise Caribbean near the Colombian border. The indigenous Guna people govern the archipelago their own way, welcoming visitors to stay in palm-thatched cabanas on sandbar beaches. Days pass snorkelling over seagrass beds, sailing between islands and watching women sew the colourful mola textiles. With no electricity or Wi-Fi on most cayos, it remains one of the Caribbean's most unspoiled island escapes.

The Amador Causeway is a scenic 6-kilometer road built from rock excavated during construction of the Panama Canal, linking Panama City with four islands in the bay: Naos, Perico, Culebra, and Flamenco. Once a U.S. military base, the causeway is now a favorite leisure destination for joggers, cyclists, and families. Walking its edge, you get sweeping views of the capital's skyline, the iconic Bridge of the Americas, and the container ships entering the canal. Along the way you'll find seafood restaurants, the Biomuseo, and the Punta Culebra nature center. Sunset here, with the bridge glowing over the Pacific, is an unforgettable Panama moment.

The Panama Canal links the Atlantic and Pacific—one of the 20th century's greatest engineering feats. Miraflores Locks has a visitor centre to watch ships transit the chambers.

Metropolitan Natural Park hugs the edge of Panama City as a 232-hectare pocket of tropical dry forest—the only protected green space bordering a major Latin American capital. From its Cerro Cedro lookout you can take in both the Panama Canal and the downtown skyline in one glance. Dawn walks reward you with keel-billed toucans, great curassows, and white-nosed coatis crossing the trail. The trail network is a manageable 3 kilometres, best done in the early morning before the heat builds. Bring water, insect repellent, and binoculars.

Ancón Hill is a 200-metre green mound rising beside Panama City, crowned by a giant Panamanian flag that snaps loudly in the trade wind. The slopes mix an abandoned U.S.-era white cross, a small botanical garden, and a French lighthouse amid lush dry forest. From the top, the view sweeps over the Bay of Panama and the Pacific entrance of the canal, with container ships queuing offshore. The climb takes about 30 minutes along a paved track; go near sunset for golden light. The Amador Causeway and the Bridge of the Americas lie just below.