San Jose Church
San Jose Church 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 i
Presidential Palace (Palacio de las Garzas)
Presidential Palace (Palacio de las Garzas) “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
Piedra Pintada
Piedra Pintada If visiting the Anton Valley, the Painted Rock (Piedra Pintada) is a must-see attraction. Located at the foot of the La India Dormida mountain, this large boulder has an underside covered with pre-Columbian petroglyphs.Rumor has it that the Painted Rock tells the history of the area
Parque Natural Metropolitano (Metropolitan National Park)
Parque Natural Metropolitano (Metropolitan National Park) This amazingly accessible park claims to be Latin Americas 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),
Panama Viejo Ruins
Panama Viejo Ruins 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 d
Mi Pueblito
Mi Pueblito 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, ho
Fuerte Amador Cruise Port
Fuerte Amador Cruise Port Fuerte Amador is an island located on the west side of Panama City, Panama and is the main port of call for cruise chips just before or after traversing the Panama Canal. Panama City itself is a metropolis of over one million people that has drawn comparisons to Miami, Fl
El Nispero Zoo
El Nispero Zoo 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 evo
Contadora Island
Contadora Island A lush, volcanic archipelago lies just south of the capital, named for its iridescent undersea wealth: The Pearl Islands. Conquered by the Spanish in 1513, the 227 palm-fringed isles, famed for their postcard-perfect white beaches and clear aquamarine waters, once reported to gorg
Chorro el Macho Waterfall
Chorro el Macho Waterfall 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
Bridge of the Americas
Bridge of the Americas The Bridge of the Americas spans the Panama Canal, which is perhaps the most important public works project in history. Made of steel and reinforced concrete, the bridge is 5,425 feet long, and at high tide, the clearance is 201 feet, under which ships crossing the canal mus
BioMuseo
BioMuseo In a country with so much biodiversity, it’s not surprising to see a museum dedicated to the natural marvels found here. The 4,000-square-meter BioMuseo was designed by Frank Gehry, the same architect who designed the beautiful Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. This site takes visitors on a journ
Bayano Lake Caves
Bayano Lake Caves 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 vil
Barro Colorado
Barro Colorado This was once a jungled mountaintop overlooking the Chagres River Valley, which was flooded, beginning in 1907, by Lake Gatún as part of the Panama Canal. Evolutionarily isolated and protected since 1923, Barro Colorado is now an island and popular natural park, managed along with f
Ancon Hill
Ancon Hill 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 interes
San Blas Islands
San Blas Islands The San Blas Islands are a collection of 378 tropical islands off the coast of Panama, most of which are tiny and can be circumnavigated in only a few minutes. They belong to the indigenous Kuna people and are a paradise for beach lovers and anthropologists alike. The islands are
Isla Grande
Isla Grande Once travelers have gotten their fill of Panama City’s urban streets, they can escape to the white sandy beaches and palm tree-lined shores of picturesque Isla Grande. The ideal place for visitors to slow down and sink in to real life relaxation, this destination offers crystal clear w
Colon Cruise Port
Colon Cruise Port Colon, Panama was founded in 1850 by Americans working to build the Panama Canal. Not surprisingly, today it is the main jumping off point for those who want to see the Panama Canal in action. It is also home to the world’s first transcontinental railway, and the surrounding area
Punta Culebra Nature Center
Punta Culebra Nature Center 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 hect
Soberania National Park
Soberania National Park Learn about the plants and animals of Panama at Soberanía National Park, a tropical forest just 20 minutes outside of Panama City. Located on the east side of the Panama Canal and forming part of its water basin, this is one of the most accessible of the country’s protected
