48 hours in Panama City – Weekend Edition
Panama City In Less Than 48 Words
Panama City is the capital and the largest city of Panama, and is perhaps best known for the Panama Canal which has almost overshadowed it in popularity. However, it has reinvented itself as one of Central America’s most cosmopolitan cities, with a vibrant city life and cultural attractions.
Panama Canal (Photo by PelicanPete)
First 24 Hours
You can fly to the so-called “Miami of the South” via the Tocumen International Airport, which is located 24 kilometers from the city center. From there, you can catch a licensed taxi at the airport terminal, which can take you to the heart of Panama City and drop you off at your chosen hotel. The ride lasts for about 30 minutes, and will cost you upwards of $30, including toll fee.
Though Panama City is a modern metropolis, it is still fairly difficult to navigate, especially with its complex web of streets and lack of easily recognizable landmarks. Moreover, most of its main attractions are located far apart. Taxis are the easiest and the most common mode of public transport in the city. You can visit its main tourist office (Edificio Central,Calle Samuel Lewis, Panama City, 526-7000, website) and collect valuable tourist information.
CHECK IN: Get your bearings back at Panama City’s hotels
Radisson Decapolis Hotel Panama City (Photo from Google images)
You can arrange your stay during your 48 hour visit to Panama City at one of its excellent hotels. One of the best in the city is the Radisson Decapolis Hotel Panama City (Avenida Balboa-Multicentro, Panama City Panama 0833-0293, +507-215-5000, website). It is a modern hotel at a convenient location near tourist attractions, and offers comfortable rooms, delicious breakfast, and a pool room.
A nice alternative is the Toscana Inn Hotel (Vía España, Calle D, El Cangrejo, (507) 265-0018, email), which offers first-class rooms, complete amenities, and an excellent staff, all at reasonable prices. You can also try out the B&B La Estancia (Casa 35, Calle Amelia Denis de Icaza, Quarry Heights, Cerro Ancon, + (507)314-1581, website). It is a bed and breakfast inn with nice views and an attentive staff.
PANAMA CANAL: Visit Panama’s pride
Perhaps one of the most popular tourist attractions in Panama City is the Panama Canal, which is considered one of the world’s great shortcuts. It is a ship waterway that stretches for 77 kilometers and serves as a key conduit joining the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The canal has been in operation since 1914, and transports ships across by raising them nearly 85 feet from the sea level using gravity-powered locks. One of the most known of these locks is the Miraflores Lock (Canalside, Panama City, Panama, (507) 276-8325). You can reach via a taxi ride from the city’s Balboa District (located at the Pacific entrance of the canal) for $7.
Once in Miraflores, you’ll see the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center (east side of Miraflores Locks, 507 276-8469, website), which is a center dedicated to sharing knowledge about the canal. There, you’ll have the chance to observe vessels in transit through the canal at a distance of only a few meters. If you have binoculars, you’ll even be able to see more of the canal, well as the Bridge of the Americas.
Inside, you’ll find four main exhibition halls: the History Hall, Hall of Water, The Canal in Action, and The Canal in the World, where you can see various historic pieces, models, and video presentations. The halls will also help you learn more about the canal’s history, operations, importance, and participation in the world markets. The center also contains a theater, three observation terraces, restaurants, snack bars, and a souvenir shop. The site is open daily from 9 am to 4:30 pm, and admission will cost you around $8.
MUSEO DEL CANAL: Have a historical trip
Another noteworthy attraction for visitors to Panama City is the Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá (Av. Central at Plaza Independencia, 228-6231, website). It is considered to be one of the finest museums in the city, and is dedicated to chronicling the history of the Panama isthmus from the pre-Colombian era to modern times.
Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá (Photo from Google images)
Inside, you’ll find various historical documents, such as the 1977 Carter-Torrijos Treaty that transferred control of the Panama Canal from the USA to the country. You’ll also see interactive exhibits, household mock-ups during the canal’s construction, stamps, and old coins, among others. The site is open during Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm, and admission will cost you $2.
MI PUEBLITO: Head to a mock-up of a Panama village
You can have a unique experience by visiting Mi Pueblito (Entrance at Cerro Ancón from Av. de los Mártires, 228-9785). It is a mock-up of an authentic Panama village, and depicts the country’s three main cultures: Indigenous, Interior, and Afro-Caribbean. Inside, you’ll find a Spanish colonial building made in a hacienda style, where you’ll see various household items used by the Panama locals during the 19th century. You’ll also find numerous Caribbean-style homes in the complex, as well as Kuna and Embera Indian huts. The “village” has a souvenir shop where you can buy cultural clothing and crafts. The site is open during Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 am to 6 pm, and admission will cost you $2.
Mi Pueblito (Photo by Alejandro Llanes)
DINNER TIME: Discover Panama City’s restaurants
You are guaranteed a delicious dinner at the restaurants available all over the city. One of the best in the city is Rene Café (Calle Pedro J. Sossa | Casco Viejo, Panama City, 507-262-3487). It is a restaurant specializing in an International cuisine at reasonable prices. A nice alternative is La Posta (Calle 51, Panama City, + 507 269-1076), which also offers an International cuisine, and is best known for its seafood and Latin fusion dishes.
Have a taste of Japan in Panama City at Sake (Torre de las Americas, Panama City, 3017250). It serves an authentic Japanese cuisine, with fresh and delicious sushi. You can also try out El Trapiche (Via Argentina y Ave 2a B Norte, Panama City, 507 269 4353), which offers Central American delicacies and local Panamanian food.
Sake (Photo by btgrimes)
Next 24 Hours
You can discover Panama City’s other tourist attractions during your next 24 hours in the city. One of the must-sees there is the Museo de Arte Religioso Colonial (Av. A at Calle 3a, Casco Viejo, 501-4127), which is a museum housed inside the former Santo Domingo Convent. Inside, you’ll find more than 220 religious art works dating back to the colonial baroque art era (17th to 18th centuries) of the Americas. It houses pieces such as wooden polychromatic sculptures, church bells, chalices, oil paintings on metal and leather, and a colonial baroque altar gilded with gold. The site is open during Tuesdays to Saturdays from 8 am to 4 pm, and on Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission will cost you $1.
ART MUSEUM: Appreciate art
Art lovers will definitely enjoy themselves at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (Av. de los Mártires at Calle San Blas, 262-8012, website), which is considered to be one of the city’s foremost art museums. Inside, you’ll find an array of impressive watercolor and oil paintings made by contemporary Panamanian and Latin American artists. The site is open during Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm, and admission will cost you $1.
IGLESIA SANTUARIO NACIONAL: Let’s go to church
Iglesia Santuario Nacional (Photo by IMAGEN09)
You can go to church at the Iglesia Santuario Nacional (Avenida 2a Sur, Panama, (0)261 0002), which is one of the most recognizable landmarks in downtown Panama City. It is known for its unique architecture fusing the Gothic and Baroque styles, while inside, you’ll see its whitewashed walls, tiled floors, and a simple altar.
MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCES: See wildlife from the past
You can learn more about the wildlife that had roamed the Earth in the past by visiting the Museo de Ciencias Naturales (Av. Cuba between Calle 29 and Calle 30, 225-0645), which is also known as the Museum of Natural Sciences. Inside, you’ll find local animals that have been stuffed and displayed in glass cases, as well as plaster mock-ups of ancient mastodons and sloths. You’ll also see the “International Specimen Salon, which contains massive elephant tusks, reptile and insect displays, and preserved heads of animals such as leopards, buffaloes, wolves, bears, and elephants. The site is open during Mondays to Fridays from 8 am to 3:30 pm, and admission will cost you $1.
MARINE EXHIBITION CENTER: Amuse yourself
Another noteworthy attraction for tourists in Panama City is the Punta Culebra Marine Exhibition Center (Isla Naos, Panama City, 212-8793, website), which is a unique park set in a patch of dry forest. Inside, you’ll find mounted telescopes which will allow you nice views of the skies and the surrounding areas. You can also see a Biodiversity Museum. It has a pool where you can find and touch starfish, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins. You can even relax by going for leisurely strolls along its walking paths that wind through the dry forest. The site is open during Tuesdays to Fridays from 1 pm to 6 pm, and on weekends from 10 am to 6 pm. Admission will cost you $2.
NIGHTLIFE: Enjoy Panama City’s vibrant nightlife scene
At night you may proceed to Panama City’s bars and clubs to have a taste of the city’s exciting nightlife. One of the most popular is Anemos (Calle Uruguay, Limoncillo, 214-6038), which is a bar known for its live DJ music, “orgasmic” cocktails, and an animated crowd. You can also try out Bar Platea (In front of Old Club Union, Casco Viejo, 228-4011), a bar/club that plays live jazz music to a classy crowd, and which hosts salsa bands.
A nice alternative is the Decapolis Radisson Sushi Bar & Martini Lounge (Av. Balboa at the Multicentro Mall, 215-5000). It is an ultra-chic bar that draws the upscale crowd, with live DJ music and a poolside bar.
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