Casco Viejo
San Felipe
On a narrow peninsula, Casco Viejo with its original brick streets and beautifully restored colonial architecture is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has a wealth of...
- Cultural & Historical
- 2
Ancon Hill
Ancon
The highest point in the city at 654 feet and topped with an over-sized Panamanian flag, Ancon Hill offers spectacular city views. A favorite of runners, hikers and...
- Walking
- Excursions
- Natural Attraction
- 2
Guna Yala (San Blas Islands)
Caribbean Coast
Picture-postcard beaches with powdery sands and protected coral reefs are scattered throughout the 378 islands, many uninhabited, in Panama's San Blas islands or...
- Wild beach
- 1
Mercado de Mariscos
Cinta Costera
The city seafood market (Mercado de Mariscos) is open daily 6 a.m. - 5 p.m. except the third Monday each month. On the bay near Casco Viejo, it has stalls on the...
- Other
- 1
Multiplaza Pacific Mall
San Francisco
The super-luxurious Multiplaza Pacific Mall in Punta Pacifica has nearly doubled in space since it opened in 2007 with shops like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes,...
- Commercial Center
- 1
Panama Canal
Panama Canal
Called the eighth wonder of the world, the canal cuts 48 miles across the isthmus. The best observation spot on the Pacific side is at Miraflores Locks, a 15-minute...
- Cultural & Historical
- 1
Kotowa Coffee Shops
Albrook
Kotowa, one of 62 different Panamanian coffee brands, has coffee shops across from the domestic airport, in Albrook Mall and at other locations around the city where...
- Local Food & Drink
- 1
El Valle
Anton, Cocle
An easy two-hour drive from the capital, El Valle is a favorite weekend retreat for wealthy Panamanians, because it is cooler than the lowlands and offers...
- Eco Tourism
- 1
Amador Causeway
Ancon
Stretching two miles into the Pacific, the Amador Causeway connects the mainland in Balboa with four small islands. Amador has a cruise port, marina, conference...
- Natural Attraction
- Cultural & Historical
- Walking
Contadora
Pearl Islands
One of the some 200 islands in the archipelago just off the Pacific coast, Contadora is the best known of the Pearl Islands because of its resorts and luxury weekend...
- Public beach
Canal Administration Building
Ancon
The Canal Administration Building is perched high on the slope of Ancon hill above the marble Goethals Monument honoring the man who headed the U.S. canal...
- Cultural & Historical
Cinta Costera
Cinta Costera
The new Cinta Costera (Coastal Highway) does more than speed autos around Panama Bay. The section running the full length of Avenida Balboa from Paitilla to Casco...
- Playground
Isla Grande
Caribbean Coast
Isla Grande is a small island within the Portobelo National Park about nine miles off shore from Portobelo in the Caribbean. It is good for snorkeling, scuba diving...
- Public beach
Isla Taboga
Pacific Islands
A small island with a big history, Taboga is only 12 miles off the coast and less than an hour away by daily ferry service from the Amador Causeway. The round-trip...
- Public beach
Playa Blanca
Pacific Riviera
On the central Pacific coast close to several upscale resorts, Playa Blanca has a broad white-sand beach and a tranquil stretch of sea between Playa Farallon and...
- Resort beach
Playa Bonita
Vera Cruz
The golden sands of Playa Bonita are off limits unless you're a guest at the Intercontinental Playa Bonita or Westin Playa Bonita. Not far from the Pacific mouth of...
- Private beach
Playa Santa Clara
Pacific Riviera
The extensive white sands of Playa Santa Clara are nearly deserted during the week, but on weekends the beach is packed with locals who arrive ready for fun with...
- Public beach
Albrook Mall
Albrook
The sprawling Albrook Mall by the national bus station started out as the people's mall and continues to be packed with bargain-seeking locals, but a major expansion...
- Commercial Center
- Cinema
- Fun & games
- 3
Vera Cruz
Vera Cruz
Just 15 minutes from the Bridge of the Americas, Playa Veracruz is the closest public-access beach to the city and just west of the mouth of the Panama Canal. Playa...
- Public beach
- 1
Avenida Central
Santa Ana
Bargains are a way of life in the bustling six-block pedestrian mall towards the western end of Avenida Central. The city's original shopping area, it now has a...
- Shopping Street
- 1
Coronado
Pacific Riviera
Coronado, the country's first beach development, is only an hour from Panama City, which makes it popular with ex-pats and wealthy Panamanians weekenders as well as...
- Resort beach
Metropolitan Park
Juan Pablo II Avenue
The only wildlife refuge in the city, Metropolitan Park provides a convenient taste of the jungle only a short walk from Albrook Mall. The nearly 400-acre park has...
- Park
- Excursions
- Walking
Artisan Markets
Casco Viejo, Ancon, Panama Viejo & Amador
Hammocks, hats, colorfully embroidered molas and mugs emblazoned with "Panama Canal" are just a few of the souvenirs you can pick up at artisan markets around Panama...
- Souvenirs
Biodiversity Museum
Amador Causeway
The first building designed by Frank Gehry in Latin America, the Biodiversity Museum (Biomuseo in Spanish) on the Amador Causeway has a Gehry-distinctive angular...
- Museum
Galeria Arte Indigena
Casco Viejo
The indigenous people of Panama - nine tribes grouped into seven cultures - may not rival the ancient Incas and Aztecs, but they continue to produce distinctive...
- Boutique
Super Gourmet
Casco Viejo
Super Gourmet, the landmark deli on Avenida A in Casco Viejo, is one-stop shopping for anyone wanting to take home locally produced food and beauty products. It...
- Local Food & Drink
Weil Art Gallery
Bella Vista & Casco Viejo
Carlos Weil, Brazilian born of an American mother and German father, runs one of the top avant-garde art galleries in Panama with locations in Bella Vista and Casco...
- Boutique
Punta Chame
Bejuco
At the end of a lonely peninsula, Punta Chame is a windsurfer's and kite surfer's dream from late November through April when the gusty trade winds blow. The...
- Wild beach
City Sightseeing Hop On - Hop Off Bus
Panama City
Double-decker buses allow you to hop on and off at the city's major tourist attractions with buses passing by approximately every 30 minutes. Tickets are sold at...
- City Tour
DiabloRosso
Casco Viejo
DiabloRosso (Red Devil) opened in 2006 to showcase cutting-edge artists in Panama. In addition to its art gallery, it also has a funky meet-up café, film screenings,
- Boutique
