Panama City
If you’ve been following along, you know that I have a special affinity for Central America. I’ve been slowly checking each country off one by one. Somehow I saved Panama as my second to last country to visit. Panama is easy. For folks living in Boston it is a quick 5 hour direct flight to Tocumen International Airport. And it really does maintain that level of ease as you venture out into the city to explore. You can get by with minimal Spanish and the city caters to tourists. If you are intrigued by Central America travel, but feel intimidated, this is a great place to start.
We spent 4 nights in the city and stayed in 3 different hotels. Yes, with our 9 month old, which may make us seem absolutely crazy. But for this reason I think we got a great feel for this incredible city. Panama City offers a fantastic assortment of things to do, and all located incredibly close together. History, science, cuisine, beach- it offers it all. We booked this trip hoping to see the most famous landmark of the city, The Panama Canal, but unfortunately due to Covid the viewing center was closed. (Oh well, guess we will have to visit again!) Even without this main attraction, we were satisfied with what we were able to see. One of the most impressive parts of Panama is how well the city has documented and communicated the transformation of its culture over time. Based on its location and of course the construction of the canal, it has absorbed food, animals, people from all over the world. I really enjoyed the various museums that told this part of the country’s story. Keep reading for some input on where to stay, eat and some of our favorite things to do!
Where to stay in Panama City
The view from the Sortis
To me, the city is broken into two key parts, the old city (Casco Viejo) or everywhere else. Casco Viejo is the historic district. These are always my favorite neighborhoods within cities. The architecture highlights the history of colonization and it’s an epicenter for great places to eat, drink and shop.
Casco Viejo offers historical building hotels. Quaint, charming and accessible to the night life. It’s very walkable (brick and cobblestone roads/sidewalks) and you can hop around easily from place to place. Crime increases later in the night so if you do plan on being out and about during the party hours, take precaution. We stayed at La Concordia
La Concordia boutique hotel
The view from our balcony
Our bedroom
If you venture outside of Casco Viejo, you’ll be able to book the large hotel chains. We stayed at the Sortis and The Hilton in the Balboa neighborhood. Between the two, I recommend the Hilton. Outside of Casco Viejo, Panama City is not very walkable. I recommend you check the surrounding options for food if it’s important to you to avoid ubers for every meal. My personal preference was to stay within Casco Viejo because the places I wanted to eat and see were mostly located within this area.
The pool at the Sortis
The pool at the Sortis
*Tip* Read reviews of hotels before you book to make sure you aren’t (or are- if you’re into that sort of thing) staying at a hotel within a club. The party will be loud and last into the wee hours, which means you better not plan on getting good rest. Many restaurants/bars turn into nightclubs that also offer a few hotel rooms.
Places to eat and drink in Panama City
Casco Viejo is one of those places that you can drop into and pick a million places to eat just by the curb appeal. We tried to stop into as many places as possible by trying small plates or cocktails at different location. You’ll be drawn to different spots depending on what you are looking for, and we definitely didn’t go to every place I wanted to try, but here are some recommendations from our visit.
Mahalo- Such a great vibe and the food matched. We enjoyed fresh juice and brunch in the gorgeous garden patio.
Watermelon juice at Mahalo
Lunch at Mahalo
Casacasco- This is one of those spots that is known for a great roof deck party scene. We swung through for happy hour and we loved the small bites and cocktails.
Loving the view
Cheers
Small plates
Tantalo- This is a night life spot and we went mid day so we didn’t get to see Tantalo in it’s glory. but the empty, covered roof deck made for a great nap spot for Maddox.
View from the Tantalo roof deck
Tantalo entrance
Santa Rita- We loved our dinner experience here. We dined earlier than the average person so it was mostly empty when we sat down. The service was great and we enjoyed our meals.
Santa Rita Casco Viejo
Pedro Mandiga Rum Bar and Cafe- Perfect place for a drink before your dinner reservation, or a night cap!
Pedro Mandiga Rum Bar and Cafe
Azahor- This is a speak easy located in the Balboa neighborhood (Not in Casco Viejo). We entered through a flower shop and then were walked back to an incredible outdoor seating area. It serves Japanese fusion food with creative cocktails. They don’t have highchairs so we had to manage chopsticks, cocktails and a 9 month old, and we still loved it!
What appears to be a floral shop refrigerator turns out to be the restaurant entrance
The view from our table at Azahor
Maddox had the chance to try so many new foods on our trip
I think we managed to only spill one thing during this meal with Maddox grabbing at everything!
Our cute dinner date
Things to do in Panama City
Cheers from Tantalo roofdeck
Our little guy loved his happy hours!
Visit the rooftop bars of Casco Viejo. Panama City offers a very lively nightlife. We were in bed with our son before most people were heading out the door for dinner, so we opted to do happy hours and lunch on the rooftops.
Biomuseo- I was initially only interested in coming to this museum because it was designed by a famous architect, Frank Gehry. And I’ll have to admit that the content of the museum was more fascinating than the building! Our favorite part was the bottom level where we could read about the cultural transitions of Panama based on the vast number of travelers who came ashore. Following the museum we walked through the path to the canal walkway. It also has this cool area where one side of you is a fish tank with Pacific fish and the other side is Caribbean fish! The museum is located on the Amador Causeway. It’s a beautiful pathway that gives you a view of the Bridge of Americas, and all of the ships coming to enter the canal. You can grab an agua de pipa and walk along the ocean on a nicely paved pathway.
BioMuseo is a great way to learn more about the transition of Panama’s culture
Biomuseo near the fish tanks
A nap for Maddox and Biomuseo for us
Aqua De Pipa outside of BioMuseo.
Amador Causeway
Panama Canal Museum- The history of this canal is incredibly fascinating. It’s mind blowing to think of the effort, time and the number of humans it took to build. The impact this venture had on the country is forever lasting and changed the course of its history.
Panama Canal Museum
Walk around Casco Viejo- Enjoy the beautiful buildings, shops and restaurants in Panama’s old city. A 10 minute uber from the Sortis Hotel to Casco Viejo only cost $4 (summer 2021). You can get here easily and enjoy the outdoor dining while people watching. The area was not as lively as usual because we were still experiencing Covid restrictions, but I imagine the squares are full of vendors and people on an average day.
The view of the American Trade Hotel in Casco Viejo
Strolling the old town
Quiet streets during Covid
Panama is a destination that can absolutely stand on its own, but don’t forget it as a stopover destination! Most flights from North America to South America route through Panama City. Consider extending your layover and bopping around the city for a day or two. I know we will be going back when we get the chance to head South again!
