In this plaza, in the heart of Casco Viejo, Panama declared its independence from Colombia on November 3, 1903.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.58 MILES
Celebrating Panama as the land bridge that has permitted astonishing biodiversity in the region, this world-class museum is a visual feast. Exhibits tell…
0.8 MILES
This wonderful privately owned museum features the best collection of Panamanian art anywhere, an excellent collection of works on paper by Latin American…
4.48 MILES
Founded on August 15, 1519, by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias de Ávila, the city of Panamá was the first European settlement along the Pacific. For 150…
2.76 MILES
On a hill north of downtown, this 265-hectare park protects vast expanses of tropical semideciduous forest within the city limits, and serves as an…
Panama Rainforest Discovery Center
17.89 MILES
Geared toward ecotourism and environmental education, this is an excellent facility for birdwatchers and nature-lovers. Since you are probably here to…
4.92 MILES
The easiest way to visit the Panama Canal is to head to the Miraflores Visitors Center, just outside Panama City. This modern center features a four-floor…
2.61 MILES
Ideal for families, CEM is operated by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). This informative marine museum features two small aquariums and…
0.27 MILES
At the tip of the southern point of Casco Viejo, this beautiful plaza pays homage to the French role in the construction of the canal. Its large stone…
Nearby Panama City attractions
1. Museo del Canal Interoceánico
0.03 MILES
This impressive museum is housed in a beautifully restored building that once served as the headquarters for the original French canal company. The Panama…
0.03 MILES
This neoclassical Casco Viejo building, dating to 1910, houses the modest Museo de Historia de Panamá.
3. Museo de Historia de Panamá
0.04 MILES
The modest Museo de Historia de Panamá has a small selection of exhibits covering Panamanian history from the colonial period to the modern era.
0.05 MILES
The headquarters of the Panama archdiocese. Construction started on this 1796 cathedral in 1688.
5. Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús
0.07 MILES
These days only a shell, this 1741 convent and church in Casco Viejo was destroyed in a fire and further damaged in an earthquake but remains a thing of…
0.1 MILES
In 1826, in a schoolroom opposite this Casco Viejo park, Simón Bolívar held a meeting urging the union of the Latin American countries. Bolívar eventually…
0.1 MILES
The Palacio de las Garzas is named after the great garzas blancas (white herons) that reside here. The president of Panama lives on the upper floor.
8. Museo de Arte Religioso Colonial
0.11 MILES
Housed beside the ruins of the Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo, the Museo de Arte Religioso Colonial has a collection of colonial-era religious…