Things to do in Panama City
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Spanish Panama
This immensely popular language school gets rave reviews from travelers. It has a similar structure to ILERI's: four hours of one-on-one classes daily and homestays with meals for around US$380 per week (long-term discounts are available). It also offers a 'backpacker special,' which includes classes with dorm stay for US$275 per week.
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Martín Fierro
For top-quality sirloins, porterhouse cuts and filet mignon, there is only one name in Panama City, and it's Martín Fierro. The quality of meat served here is unparalleled - top selections include the best in US-imported New York rib steaks, grass-fed Argentinean fillets and locally-raised Panamanian cuts. And of course, nothing washes down braised beef quite like a deep and bold glass of red wine, and Martín Fierro has no shortage of Chilean standards to round out your meal.
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Casco Viejo
Following the destruction of the old city by Henry Morgan in 1671, the Spanish moved their city 8km southwest to a rocky peninsula on the foot of Cerro Ancón. The new location was easier to defend as the reefs prevented ships from approaching the city except at high tide. The new city was also easy to defend as it was surrounded by a massive wall, which is how Casco Viejo got its name.
In 1904, when construction began on the Panama Canal, all of Panama City existed where Casco Viejo stands today. However, as population growth and urban expansion pushed the boundaries of Panama City further east, the city's elite abandoned Casco Viejo, and the neighborhood rapidly deterio…
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René Cafe
With an unbeatable location underneath the shadows of the Iglesia Catedral and overlooking the Plaza de la Independencia, this relative newcomer is primed to become one of the most popular restaurants in the city. Drawing on the successes of Manolo Caracol, René Cafe also offers prix-fixe five-course lunches and seven-course dinners that change daily.
However, the difference is that René emphasizes the international nature of the capital by infusing traditional Panamanian favorites with influences as broad as Pan-Asian and Continental cuisine to create some truly unique tapas.
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Siete Mares
Artful lighting and a few impressionistic paintings scattered along the exposed brick walls sets the mood for some serious seafood dining, which attracts suits from all corners of Panama City's financial district. The speciality here is lobster, though if the sea hasn't been bountiful, you can choose from a wide variety of options including sea bass, jumbo shrimp and red snapper.
Despite the fact that the street is lined with countless other eateries, the crowds flocking in front of Siete Mares are testament to the fact that seafood here is about as fresh as it gets.
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Parillada Jimmy
The long open porch with high ceilings and wrought-iron chandeliers lends a farmhouse feel to this Panama City institution. The grill flares in the corner giving an indication of the specialties served here, namely some serious cuts of beef, meaty chicken breasts and fresh country-style sausage.
Although it's located in the San Francisco district just east of the old Aeropuerto Paitilla, Parillada Jimmy still packs in lunchtime diners from the business district and it's always hopping with the after-work crowd.
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Limoncillo [closed]
Panamanian chef Clara Icaza Angelini cooked at some of the best restaurants in New York before returning to her roots and opening one of Panama City's best restaurants. The menu changes every few months, but you can always count on a fresh and creative assortment of plates with delicate spices, such as pan-roasted grouper with grilled asparagus or sautéed sea scallops with Thai red curry sauce.
Incredibly stylish and decorated with an eye for detail, Limoncillo benefits from Angelini's family of artists - many of the paintings, photographs and sculptures in the restaurant were made by her relatives (some are for sale).
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Panamá Viejo Ruins
The center of power resided at the Casas Reales (Royal House), a complex ringed by timber ramparts and separated from the city proper by a moat. Within the complex were the customs house, the royal treasury, a prison and the governor's house. Despite the obvious historical importance of the site, past governments have allowed sections of the property to be used as a landfill and for horse stables. Only scattered walls remain of the once-impressive structures.
The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Cathedral of Our Lady of Asunción), built between 1619 and 1626, is the best-preserved building of the ruins. In traditional fashion, it was designed so that its two sid…
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Centro de Exhibiciones Marinas
The Centro de Exhibiciones Marinas, a marine exhibitions center operated by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), includes an informative marine museum with signs in English and Spanish, two small aquariums and a nature trail through a patch of dry forest containing sloths and iguanas.
There are many exhibits at the center, including a small six-sided building with sweeping views of the Bahía de Panamá that was built by Noriega for intimate gatherings. Today it houses a museum containing exhibits on the history of Panama's indigenous cultures.
At the museum you can also learn about the role that Panama's marine resources play in the country's economy, and t…
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Panama Canal Murals
The story of the monumental effort to build the Panama Canal is powerfully depicted in murals mounted in the rotunda of the Panama Canal Administration Building.
The murals tell the story of the canal's construction through four main scenes: the digging of Gaillard Cut at Gold Hill, where the canal passes through the Continental Divide; the building of the spillway of the Gatún Dam, which dammed the Río Chagres and created Lago Gatún; the construction of one of the giant lock gates (the canal uses some 80 of these gates); and the construction of the Miraflores Locks near the Pacific entrance to the canal. A frieze located immediately below the murals presents a panorama o…
reviewed
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Ancon Expeditions of Panama
Ancon Expeditions of Panama is the for-profit arm of ANCON (National Association for the Conservation of Nature). This unique model enables a portion of all proceeds from ecotours to be used in the ongoing fight to protect Panama's natural heritage.
Because of its conservationist aims, Ancon Expeditions has been able to recruit the country's foremost nature guides, all of whom are avid birders, speak flawless English and are extremely enthusiastic about the environment. They are excited about their occupations and offer a level of service that is simply superb. In Panama, the standard for nature guides and tours is set by Ancon Expeditions.
Ancon Expedition's tour offering…
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Reprosa
It's possible to purchase high-quality replicas of huacas - golden objects made on the isthmus centuries before the Spanish conquest and placed with indigenous leaders at the time of burial. The indigenous population believed in an afterlife, and the huacas were intended to accompany and protect their souls on the voyage to the other world.
The huacas were mainly items of adornment, the most fascinating being three-dimensional figure pendants. Most took the form of a warrior, crocodile, jaguar, frog or condor. Little else is known about the exact purpose of these golden figures, but each probably held mystical, spiritual or religious meaning.
You can purchase exact (solid …
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Calzada
At the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, a 2km palm tree-lined Calzada connects the four small islands of Naos, Culebra, Perico and Flamenco to the mainland. The Causeway is the popular place to be in the early morning and late afternoon when residents head here to walk, jog, skate, and cycle or simply escape the noise and pollution of the city.
The Causeway also offers sweeping views of the skyline and the old city, and you can see flocks of brown pelicans diving into the sea here most times of the year. Others arrive here simply to savor the pleasant breeze at one of the Causeway's many restaurants and bars.
At the Causeway entrance, Bicicletas Rali operates a booth…
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Plaza De Francia
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. Alt…
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La Cocotte
Fine Parisian cuisine reigns supreme under the stewardship of chef Fabien Migny, who studied at the Ecole Hotelliére Belliard while simultaneously training at the renowned Restaurant Jamin de Joel Robouchon in Paris. Appetizers like pâté de canard (duck pate) meld nicely with entrées of confit de canard (roasted duck) or fresh salmon in a red wine sauce, and everything is expertly topped off with crêpes soufflées au chocolat (chocolate crepes soufflé).
The fixed-price lunch is a good way to sample Migny's cuisine without breaking the bank, though there are certainly less enjoyable ways to spend your hard-earned money.
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Iglesia de San José
Iglesia de San José protects the famous Altar de Oro (Golden Altar), which was about the only thing of value salvaged after Henry Morgan sacked Panamá Viejo. According to local legend, when word came of the pirate's impending attack, a priest attempted to disguise the altar by painting it black. The priest told Morgan that the famous altar had been stolen by another pirate, and even convinced Morgan to donate handsomely for its replacement.
Morgan is said to have told the priest, 'I don't know why, but I think you are more of a pirate than I am.' Whatever the truth, the baroque altar was later moved from the old city to the present site.
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Baha'i House of Worship
On the outskirts of Panama City, 11km from the city center on the Transisthmian Hwy, the white-domed Baha'i House of Worship looms like a giant egg atop the crest of a hill. The inside is surprisingly beautiful, with a fresh breeze always present. The Baha'i House of Worship serves all of Latin America.
Information about the faith is available at the temple in English and Spanish; readings from the Baha'i writings (also in English and Spanish) are held Sunday mornings at 10:00. Any bus to Colón can let you off on the highway, but it's a long walk up the hill. A taxi from Panama City costs around USaround US$10.
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Restaurante Las Bóvedas
This utterly unique French restaurant is set in the vaults of a 300-year-old fort that housed political prisoners for most of the 19th century - fortunately for the crowds who converge here on the weekends, the ghosts of the past haven't had a deleterious effect on the cooking. Specializing in local seafood with a French twist, the menu varies daily, subject to the catch of the day, but always includes a fish fillet, mixed seafood and a cut of steak just to round things out a bit.
A guitarist performs in the last vault nightly except Friday and Saturday, when there's jazz; the music usually starts around 21:00.
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Niko's Cafe
Spawned from the dreams of a Greek immigrant who once sold food from a cart, Niko's has become one of Panama City's most successful restaurant chains, with several locations throughout the city. The secret is simple: serve fresh, hearty portions of inexpensive food in a laid-back cafeteria-style ambience and the crowds will file in.
Open 24 hours to serve all of your late-night snack attacks, Niko's serves up everything from made-to-order breakfasts, Panamanian staples, Greek gyros, Italian pastas and every kind of meat from grilled chicken and fried cutlets to greasy burgers to T-bone fillets.
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Greenhouse
This stylish restaurant and lounge draws its name from its enclosed patio, which puts you in touch with tropical greenery - inside, stained-glass windows, an artfully displayed fish tank and an uber-relaxed vibe completes the setting. Pleasant but sedate waiters bring warm towels as refreshment, before you dine on a variety of salads and tasty bites from the grill (corvina, steak burgers) as well as wraps and quesadillas.
At night, the restaurant puts the electronic music up a notch as a young good-looking crowd holds court over round upon round of expertly mixed martinis.
reviewed
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El Pavo Real
A mix of Panamanians and expats gather over games of darts or pool at this British pub-restaurant made famous by John le Carré's thriller The Tailor of Panama. (The British Foreign Service employee/best-selling novelist spent a lot of time here while conducting research for his book. The pub-restaurant's owner, Sarah Simpson, is also an ex-BFS employee. Coincidence?)
The pub grub here is tasty and filling, and offerings include burgers, chicken-breast sandwiches and fish 'n' chips. There is also occasional live music and there's never a cover charge.
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Crêpes & Waffles
Crêpe and waffle lovers rejoice at this popular spot in nightlife-rich Bella Vista, which is an ideal place to grab a quick bite before hitting the bars and clubs. Spinach, ricotta and tomato are good standbys, though the truly hungry should opt for the more filling lomito á la pimienta (strips of roast beef with pepper sauce).
Owing to its increasing popularity, Crêpes & Waffles franchises are popping up all over the city, which is a good thing - there's nothing quite like wrapping your dinner up in a thin and savory pancake package.
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El Rincón Tableño
The menu changes daily at this open-air cafeteria-style eatery, but the type of food never does: it's always 100% working-class Panamanian. Typical items include sopa de carne (meat soup), camarones guisados (shrimp in tomato sauce), and ropa vieja (literally, 'old clothes'; marinated shredded beef served as a stew), and there's a choice of a half-dozen or so natural fruit juices, each priced under US$1.
Panama City has no shortage of upscale international eateries, but sometimes it's refreshing to simply stick to your roots.
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Café Coca Cola
A neighborhood institution near Plaza Santa Ana, Café Coca Cola is an old-school diner, complete with chess-playing señores and no-nonsense waitresses. It's also air-conditioned and chock full of TVs playing the latest Latin American football matches, which makes Coca Cola something of a hang-out spot for Casco Viejo's working class.
Of course, all of this shouldn't distract you from the real reason you're here, namely to fill the gut without breaking the bank on hearty platefuls of rice, beans and the featured meat of the day.
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Eurasia
Dining at Eurasia is a rich, sensory experience, starting with the lavishly adorned restaurant complete with marble floors and hanging original artwork. The experience continues with impeccable service and daring fusion cuisine including Vietnamese shrimp rolls with orange sauce, and onion soup with tofu and duck breast.
Entrées similarly range across the continents with dishes such as jumbo shrimp in tamarind sauce and coconut milk with rice pilaf to tuna breaded with ajonjolí seeds and caramelized in honey.
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