Plaza De Francia

Lonely Planet review

At the tip of the southern point is Plaza de Francia, which displays large stone tablets and statues dictating the story (in Spanish) of the French role in the construction of the canal. The plaza is dedicated to the memory of the 22,000 workers, most of them from France, Guadeloupe and Martinique, who died trying to create the canal.

Most were killed by yellow fever and malaria, and among the busts is a monument to the Cuban doctor Carlos J Finlay, who discovered how mosquitoes transmit yellow fever. His work led to the eradication of the disease in Panama.

On one side of the plaza are nine restored dungeons that were used by the Spaniards and later by the Colombians. Although they're now home to some rather upscale art galleries and restaurants, you can still see the dungeons' original stonework.