Casco Viejo
Casco Viejo is a 337-year-old neighborhood where you'll absorb history and culture just wandering around. Most of Panama City’s historical buildings are located in the 38 block area referred to interchangeably as “Casco Viejo”, “Casco Antiguo”or “San Felipe”.
The blocks, by the way, are called “manzanas”, meaning "apples". From the Golden Altar of Iglesia San Jose to the Canal Museum, every corner of this old city has something of historical significance.
Above all though, the unmistakeably Panamanian sounds and smells that fill the Casco Viejo air are perhaps its greatest treasure. Street peddlers cry out “bollo!” as sell soft corn wrapped up in corn leaves, a Panamanian favorite; the presidential honor guard’s cheerful cadance perform early morning calisthenics; Kuna Indians sell colorful molas on the Paseo de Bovedas as lovers stroll hand in hand catching glimpses of the distant Canal; old-timers settle on park benches as their grandchildren play Plaza soccer around groups of passing tourists.
Like most of the once-grand Latin American old quarters, the decades of decay are beginning to give way to restoration. Walking through the town you will be able to spot bold, charming restored buildings, side by side with buildings which provide cheap living spaces for friendly Panamanian families. The resulting eclectic blend of trendy restaurants, ramshackle houses, bohemian bars and vibrant street life will seem familiar to anyone who has had the fortune of spending time in a “revitalized” area before it became known to the masses.
Well heeled Panamanians, Americans and other foreigners have made their homes here and they will proudly tell you that they would not move for the world. Several resident associations in partnership with local businesses are making sure that Casco Viejo is a place where the wealthy and poor work closely together to create a first class neighborhood with new opportunities for all and to preserve and enhance Casco's profoundly rich history and culture.
Casco Viejo is currently considered one of the best places for real estate investment, whether to restore buildings or buy property at already restored spaces. Just strolling around you can see that Casco Viejo has a promising future.
A Day in Panama City- by Arthur Frommer
The author of Frommer Guides about Casco Viejo: “ Roberta and I headed for our first morning in town to the city’s outstanding quarter of colonial gems, the Casco Viejo district of 17th century Spanish charm. Preserved as the conquistadors left it, Casco Viejo vies with Old Havana and Old San Juan in authenticity—but it is beginning to leave the others behind with the restored beauty of its courtyards, and the sparkling tiles and marble that line many of the cafes, restaurants and shops that occupy these historic structures. Just as Panama City’s downtown across the bay is transforming itself into a totally unexpected, skyscraper-packed Hong Kong, Casco Viejo is in the process of being restored into the most tastefully attractive area of the city.”
How To Get There
You can get there by taxi or car. It is not far away from anywhere in the capital.
Where To Eat
Café Neri
Every neighborhood needs an Italian restaurant, and for Casco Viejo, it is Café Neri. A local hang out on the corner of Avenida Central and Calle 3ra, the outdoor patio is a great place to grab a few drinks with friends and watch the residents of Casco Viejo wander by.
Casa Blanca
An elegant, yet affordable restaurant inside of Hotel Colombia on Plaza Bolivar. The menu has an array of salads, fish and meats with indoor and outdoor dining available. There is live acoustic music every Wednesday and Saturday night.
Ego & Narcisso
A Peruvian fusion tapas joint on Plaza Bolivar that can go toe-to-toe with any restaurant in the City for cuisine and chic. Offering both inside and outside dining areas, the shrimp brochette is highly recommended!
Granclement Ice Cream
You may have to wait in line to get your cone, but the lovely French couple that run Granclement ice cream shop will make up for it by giving you a free taste of as many of their 30 spectacular homemade flavours as you want. There is a spectacular variety of flavors from traditional chocolate, to Madagascar vanilla and even basil. It is located next door to Café Neri on Ave Central between 3a and 4a.
Las Bóvedas Restaurant
Set in the vaults of Plaza Francia’s old-Spanish seawalls, Las Bóvedas Restaurant serves fine French cuisine with fresh ingredients. There is live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
Mostaza
This is a popular Casco Viejo restaurant known for its meats and San Blas lobsters. Cozy yet elegant, you can dine inside or at the outdoor tables in front of the historical Arco Chato.
René Café
This brand new restaurant displays great art pieces for sale. Dishes include a variety of seafood and meats, that vary seasonally. Located next to the Iglesia de Catedral, one block from Plaza Catedral, next to the Centro de Salud. www.Renecafe.com Phone: (507) 262-3487.
Casuale
This is a great place for fine dining in Casco Viejo. This colonial home turned restaurant,blends an old-world feel with modern, elegant cuisine. Hours vary so call for reservations. Located on Calle 1ra, in the University Club building. Phone:(507) 228-1017.
Casa Suri
This eclectic restaurant is bordered by the walls of the famous colonial remnant Arco Chato. It has excellent steaks, great paella, and fresh seafood at reasonable prices. It is located on Calle 2nda in the San Felipe Gallery.
What To Do
Plaza Mayor
Also known as Parque Catedral or Plaza de la Independencia, is the main square in Casco Viejo. The mix of Spanish and French architecture found in and around this square is characteristic of this unique neighborhood.
Panamanian independence was declared in this plaza on November 3, 1903 and many important historical buildings, such as the Canal Museum, Municipal Palace, Cathedral Church, and the religious ruins of the Jesuit Church, fringe the plaza. The Canal Museum provides an excellent overview of the history behind the canal’s construction in Panama.
Compania de Jesus Convent
The Jesuit convent and its church were built in 1673, before the Spanish banished the Jesuits from the Colonies. In 1781 the complex burned down and was never rebuilt. The site also housed the first university and synagogue of the city.
La Plaza Francia
The southern tip of the Casco Viejo Peninsula is Plaza Francia and is home to a large obelisk in honor of the ill-fated Frenchmen who, under Ferdinand De Lesseps, started the arduous task of building a sea level Canal in 1880.
Surrounding the obelisk is an arcade of marble plaques ornately carved with the story of the valiant French effort. In addition to the French memorials, La Plaza Francia is also the current location of the French Embassy, the Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INAC), and the restaurant Las Bóvedas.
Paseo Las Bovedas
Wrapping around the French Plaza and the Institute of Culture is Paseo Las Bovedas (Promenade of Vaults) that offers couples and tourists a charming stroll on top of the Old Spanish seawall.
An excellent view of the Panama City skyline, the ships cued for their turn through the Canal, and the Bridge of the Americas can be seen on this walkway.
Arco Chato:
Built in 1678, Arco Chato (The Flat Arch) played a deciding factor in Panama’s history and the construction of the Panama Canal. Spanning some 50 ft, Arco Chato was an architectural marvel for the fact that it resisted earthquakes and storms with no support other than its terminal arches.
Logic reasoned that if this brick arch could withstand nearly 200 years with no visible means of support, then there was no real threat to constructing a lock-style canal. Ironically enough, in 2003, fireworks celebrating Panama’s Centennial brought down most of what was left of the then 300 plus - year old arch.
Presidential Palace
Constructed in the old Customs Building, the structure was restored in 1922. Herons live inside the lobby of the entrance and contribute to its name, Palace of the Herons.
Plaza Santa Ana
Santa Ana at mid morning is the heart of popular commerce; there is life in every corner where almost everything imaginable is for sale: cell phones, fruits, grains, incense, bottles of medicinal medicine that promise “to make you rich” or “beautiful,” inflatable toys and religious paraphernalia.
Café Coca Cola, which dates from the early Canal days, is a great local restaurant on the south side of the park that is still a favorite among locals and tourists alike, especially for breakfast.
Nightlife
Nightlife in Panama’s Casco Viejo is fun as it is non-stop ambiance amongst the ruins of the Old City.
Platea Jazz bar is popular Thursdays for its salsa nights (with a live salsa band) and Fridays for its special live Jazz. You can order delicious appetizers from the adjacent S’cena restaurant making it a fun place to relax and enjoy some good wine and music.
New nightspots in Casco Viejo include La Comedia- gaining popularity for entertaining characters walking around while you eat, as well as for its food- yummy Mexican finger food at very reasonable prices. The most recent nightspot to open is Café Havana- winning praise from some of Panama’s most discerning for its impeccable ambiance, resembling old cuba, and its Cuban rum drinks. Indigo is also a relatively newcomer on the restaurant-bar scene in Casco Viejo, and hosts themed electronic/house music nights most Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in a bohemian-moroccan atmosphere.