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1. Take a City Tour

A good way to get to know Panama City is to take a City Tour with a tour operator—see the link below or ask your hotel for tour info. Panama City Tours include a visit to the "three" Panama Cities: the ruins of the 16th century original city—Panama Viejo or "Old Panama", Casco Viejo—the Spanish colonial city, and the modern skyscraper city. You'll also want to see the Panama Canal which is included in some city tours. Panama City has a rich history as the first city on the West coast of the Americas and as the major crossroads for the Spanish empire. It was the target of famous pirates and finally became the home to one of man's greatest accomplishments — The Panama Canal. Ask your hotel for tour information, contact a Tour Operator, or visit our Panama City destination page.

2. Visit the Panama Canal at the Miraflores Visitor Center

The place to see the Canal is at the Miraflores Visitors Center at the Miraflores Locks, 20 minutes from downtown Panama City. The visit will be more interesting than you think. The center features a museum with interactive exhibits as well as a film on the building of the Canal. There's an outside terrace for close-up views of ships transiting through the locks. Visitor Center admission is $10.
Recommended: Have lunch at the Miraflores Restaurant on the terrace overlooking the locks as ships pass through. People tell us this meal was the highlight of their Panama City experience. Call 232-3121 to make a reservation to get a table on the terrace.

Another way to experience the Panama Canal is to take a "mini-cruise" day trip. You can do a partial transit for a half day or a full transit for a full day. We recommend the partial transit. Go with Panama Marine Adventures. Their Pacific Queen does partial transits every Saturday. Full Canal transits are once a month. For more Panama Canal info visit our Panama Canal destination page.

3. Casco Viejo—Panama City's Historical Sector

A stroll through Casco Viejo, the 333 year old Spanish colonial sector built in 1671 is a must-do. Casco Viejo is a small promontory, so you'll enjoy sea breezes and ocean and bay views. Casco Viejo showcases Panama's Spanish Colonial and Canal-Era history. Casco Viejo has undergone a renaissance in the last decade. Beautifully restored buildings line the historic streets, there are number of good restaurants and nightlife spots and many foreigners are choosing Casco Viejo as a place to live. Arthur Frommer of Frommer"s Guides, writes that Casco Viejo is on the way to becoming one of most beautifully restored Spanish colonial cities in the New World.
You can choose to either go on your own walking tour using one of the walking tours in the Lonely Planet or Frommers Guide or hire a Tour Operator.

Highlights: beautifully restored buildings, 17th century churches including the Church of the Golden Altar, the ruins of a 17th century convent, 16th century convict dungeons, a French monument to the 22,000 Frenchmen who died building the Panama Canal,a Panama Canal Museum in an elegant building that once was the headquarters of the French attempt to build the Panama Canal and the city's best souvenir shops. For souvenirs we recommend Reprosa and ror a snack the Granclement Ice Cream shop, an old fashioned French creamery. For the evening, Casco Viejo also has great night life spots. For more complete info see our Casco Viejo Destination Page.

4. Amador Causeway

With four islands and spectacular views of Panama City's skyline and of the Panama Canal, the Amador Causeway is a scenic place for fresh air activities. Created by connecting four small islands using rocks excavated from the Panama Canal, the Causeway serves as a breakwater to protect the entrance to the Panama Canal.
Swept by pleasant sea breezes, there are bicycle and jogging paths (bicycles for rent for just $2 a hour!), restaurants for a variety of budgets, souvenir shops, a cruise port and a yacht marina. Many restaurants have ocean and Canal views both day and night. One of the best views is at the TGIF's at the Country Inn and Suites, with close views of the Panama Canal and ships passing under the Bridge of the Americas that connects North and South America.

5. Enjoy the Nightlife

Panama City is famous for its lively nightlife. Few peoples rival the fun loving nature of Panamanians. Partying is a national pastime, a fact reflected in a wide selection of nightclubs, discos and casinos...something for everybody. The action takes place in three sectors of the city: the business district in and around Calle Uruguay, the Amador Causeway, and Casco Viejo, the historic sector with Spanish colonial ambiance. Panama City is also a casino destination—some of the best are at the Veneto Hotel, the Marriott and the El Panama Hotel. For more Nightlife info see our page: Panama City's Top Nightlife Spots.

6. Shop for Souvenirs and Native Handicrafts

Panamanian native handicrafts rival Mexico's in their beauty and creativity. Don't leave Panama without an authentic souvenir made by one of Panama's seven living Indian tribes. The most popular handicrafts are "molas," intricate reverse appliqué embroidery sewn by the woman of the Kuna Indian tribe. Other handicrafts include the hand-woven baskets of the Embera Indians of the Darien jungle—similar to baskets woven by Navajo Indians—and tagua nut sculptures, which are tiny figures skillfully carved from the tropical tagua nut.
For a special jewelry gift, visit the Reprosa jewelry store and Rainforest Design cameo jewelry.
Reprosa has shops in the Business District and in Casco Viejo. Its jewelry collection includes authentic reproductions of Pre-Columbian Indian art, reproductions of Spanish colonial jewelry and collections inspired by Panama's flora and fauna. There is a gift for every budget. (Tel:269-0457)
Rainforest Designs are stunning cameo jewelry with rainforest motifs carved by the Wounan Indians. They can be found at the Marriott Hotel Gift Shop and Canopy Tower.

Where else to find souvenirs: In Casco Viejo we recommend the Galeria de Arte Indigena—just off the French Plaza—and for jewelry the beautiful Reprosa store. You can find also a large selection souvenirs at the Balboa Artisans Market and the "Kuna Cages" in Balboa in the former American Canal Zone and in Gran Morrison variety stores.

7.Dine Out

As an international crossroads, Panama City's Restaurants offer a surprising variety of fine cuisine at affordable prices. Most restaurants are located in the business district, historic Casco Viejo or on the Amador Causeway. To enjoy Panamanian food, you can find gourmet Panamanian cuisine at Barandas in the Bristol Hotel and typical Panamanian food at Tinajas. Tinajas also has folkloric dance shows in the evenings.
For more restaurants we recommend, visit our Restaurants page , and our Panama City Restaurant Picks.

8. Try Your Luck- Casinos

Panama Cities best casinos are at the Sheraton, The Marriott, and the El Panama Hotel. The Veneto Wyndham Grand Hotel comes closest to a Las Vegas style casino and also has $700,000 prize poker tournaments.

9. Golf

Panama has a range of amazing venues for golfing within the city limits. Just 30 minutes from downtown Panama City, play golf on a course in a lush tropical setting at the Summit Radisson Resort in the former American Canal Zone. Just 10 minutes down the road from the Miraflores Panama Canal exhibit. Tel: 322.4000. For more information visit our page on Golfing in Panama.

10. Metropolitan Park Eco Tour

The only Rainforest in the world within the city limits of a modern metropolis! The park is 15 minutes from your city hotel. Tour Operators offer guided nature tours of the park—you will need a professional guide to explain the tropical flora and fauna. There are beautiful rainforest and city views from the summit of the park.

Metropolitan Park Canopy Crane Tour: The Canopy Crane tour by Ancon Expeditions takes you up in a crane used by the scientists of the Smithsonian Institute to research the rainforest canopy and experience nature as close-up as it gets. A eco-experience plus spectacular views of the city, bay and Panama Canal. (Tel: +507-269-9415)

Some More Things to Do: Take an Historic Ocean to Ocean Train Ride

Ride the historic Panama Canal Railway, the original and world's first trans-continental railway. Inaugurated in 1855, it was built for the California 49ers coming from the East coast on their quest for fortune during the Gold Rush. You'll coast in luxury observation cars across the Isthmus from Panama City on the Pacific, to Colon on the Atlantic Ocean in about 90 minutes. Along the way, enjoy views of the Panama Canal and lush rainforest surroundings. The train departs in the morning and returns in the late afternoon, so you will need a tour operator to take you on activities during the day. Shopping in the Free Zone is the most popular tour.

For History Buffs: Panama Viejo- Ruins of the Original Panama City

Panama Viejo may be on your city tour- Panama Viejo (Old Panama) was founded in 1519 by the Spanish. It was the first city on the West coast of the Americas serving as the gateway city for the Spanish conquest of Latin America. All the loot sacked from the Inca empire came through here. Once a thriving city of 10,000, today's extensive ruins are the result of an attack by English pirate Henry Morgan in 1671 which, along with a fire, leveled the city. There is a small museum, but go with someone who speaks Spanish, because the exhibits are mostly in Spanish.

Things to Do Near Panama City: Make some day trips right out of the pages of National Geographic to Indian villages and monkey island,to watch whales and more. Check them out in our article What To Do and See Nearby Panama City.