Tourist Attractions:
Panamá La Vieja : What is known today
as Panama Viejo, the old city of Panama, was the first city established by the
shores of the Pacific Ocean, by Governor Pedro Arias Davila in 1519. This city
was constantly visited by galleons coming from Peru, loaded with gold and
silver, and other treasures en route to Spain. As a result of the attack by the
English corsair, Sir Henry Morgan, occurred in 1671, the city was looted and set
on fire, leaving instead of the Pearl of the Pacific, the ruins visible today.
Among the ruins still visible that stand out are the convent of Saint Francis,
the Company of Jesus, church of La Merced, Saint Joseph’s church, Saint John’s
hospital, the royal houses, the slaughterhouse bridge, and the King’s bridge.
Near the site, museums display objects from pre-Hispanic and colonial times, and
scale models of the city back in the 18th century.
El
Casco Antiguo: After the destruction of the first city as
consequence of the attack by pirate Henry Morgan, a new city was founded in 1673
at the site today known as Casco Antiguo. A great deal of the wall that
protected this coastal city from possible pirate attacks still stands,
sheltering what UNESCO has designated as World Heritage Site. The streets and
buildings in the old quarter served as backdrop for moments crucial to Panama’s
birth as an independent republic, and witnessed the first footsteps as well the
very last breaths of the nation’s forefathers. The Casco Antiguo is currently
undergoing a strenuous restoration process in order to recover its original
splendor. The cobblestone streets of this historical site guide its visitors
through picturesque squares and opulent cathedrals to finally lead them to an
invigorating cup of coffee or a robust glass of wine at any of its al fresco
eateries.
Panama Canal : Considered the “Eight
Wonder of the Modern World,” the Panama Canal counts with three sets of locks
through which a yearly estimate of 14,000 ships transit between the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans. About 56,307 workers coming from the United States, Europe, and
the Caribbean were needed to conclude this engineering feat, which today serves
as bridge to a 5% of the world’s commerce. The Center in Miraflores counts with
expositions about the functioning and history of the Canal, where visitors can
learn about its locks system, pressure valves, tow ships, and other elements
needed to guide ships safely between oceans.
Causeway : Built out of rocks dug out
from the construction of the Panama Canal, the Causeway provides a breathtaking
view from the Pacific entrance to the waterway and the Americas Bridge, which
until the year 2005 was the only connection between the divided land masses. The
Causeway provides fine dining and the chance to enjoy outdoor activities such as
jogging, biking, rollerblading, or fishing, all with Panama City’s skyline as
backdrop.
Afro-Antillean Museum : Since 1980,
The Afroantillean Museum offered the possibility of learning about one of the
most important facets of the construction of the Canal. The Museum has an
exhibition hall that shows photographs of the arrival of the West Indian
immigrants to Panama and their participation in the construction of the
Transisthmian Railway and the Interoceanic Canal. Guided tours are offered in
this hall and during the month of August, the museum organizes conferences and
exhibitions alusive to the construction of the Canal.
Mi
Pueblito : This attractive place is located at the bottom of the
Ancon Hill, and offers the visitors beautiful gardens with ferns and flowers
proper of the countryside. It is totally paved with river stones and natural
flat stone, surrounded by street lamps and houses characteristic of the urban
area of the towns. The representation of the rural area is located behind with a
typical house made up of mud, straw and canvas with a creole clay roof and a mud
floor. Behind the house you may see the furnace, the mud oven, the traditional
"trapiche" (cane press) and range raised hens.
Museum of Religious Colonial Art :
Located in the Old Quarter of Panama City, the Santo Domingo de Guzman old
chapel was built in the third quarter of the 18th Century and was restored in
1974. The items exhibited in this museum belong to families and churches of
Panama City and the countryside of Panama. Some of the pieces on display come
from Spain while in others you may observe the South American art influence in
the isthmus, either through the works, imported from Quito or Lima during the
colonial times, and some others created by native or foreign artists based in
Panama such as the silver chisseled and embossed processional cross, made in
1571 which belonged to the church of Veraguas.
Reina
Torres de Arauz Anthropological Museum : The Reina Torres de
Arauz Anthopological Museum displays a wide collection made up of more than
15,000 pieces of gold and pottery, lithic and ethnographic, preserved in great
conditions, and counts with approximately 5,000 meters of covered areas and
3,500 of open spaces. This museum preserves Panama's history from pre-columbian
times, since the Isthmus' first settlers, who lived more than 10,000 years ago,
until the arrival of the Spanish explorers. The stucture counts with spacious
storage areas, auditorium, amphitheaters, gardens, parking spaces, and six
hectares of tropical rainforest located behind the building.
Panama's Carnival Panama City is no
stranger to Momo’s festivities, when for four days, crowds head out to the
streets looking for fun under the sun. During the day, cistern trucks cool down
passersby with streams of fresh water while floats parade led by fantasy-clad
queens. At night fall, stages located strategically around the city present
local and international performers as a prelude to next day’s party.
