3 perfect days in Panama City, Panama

As visitors flock to Central American countries like Costa Rica, Belize—and increasingly Nicaragua—in search of affordable jungle adventures and coastal breezes, it’s downright bizarre that Panama, the lanky east-west landmass smooshed between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is frequently overlooked. But those days might soon be over.

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While the Isthmus of Panama may have taken 12 million years to rise from the sea, the capital of Panama City—with its glassy high rises, beguiling old quarter and a certain canal that forever changed the world—is rising much faster. In fact, Orbitz data showed that for spring travel, it had the biggest growth of any destination in terms of hotel bookings over the last five years, at +476%. Here’s how to spend three perfect days in Panama City.

The Waldorf Astoria in Panama City, Panama

Day 1

You’d have to be made of stone not to be affected by the energy, chaos and ongoing development of downtown Panama City, aka the Punta Paitilla. A jumble of skyscrapers, traffic snarls, construction cranes and vintage casinos, there are nevertheless several diamonds in the rough such as the corkscrew-shaped F&F Tower and the upscale Waldorf Astoria.

Cinta Costera

But the best way to actually see the city is to get some distance from it. The Cinta Costera or “coastal lane” is an expansive waterfront redevelopment project that is reshaping the city for visitors and tourists alike. Sandwiched between Avenida Balboa (the Panamanian equivalent to Chicago‘s Lake Shore Drive) and the Panama Bay, this reclaimed combination of bike lanes, walking paths, gardens, a skate park, outdoor theater, multiple green spaces and much more connects downtown to the old quarter and even beyond it. A late afternoon stroll provides a perfect introduction to the city, but the tropical heat and humidity will bear hug you hard (and never let go) so bring a bottle of water or buy one from a vendor along the path.

The Cinta Costera comes to an abrupt curve at the Mercado del Marisco, a bustling and celebrated restaurant and fish market with outdoor stalls selling ceviche and other seafood goodies at cheap prices. Although many locals give it an enthusiastic thumb’s up, an equal number warn that some of its offerings may be a little rough on tourist palates.

Casco Viejo

Beyond the fish market the Cinta Costera gives way to the enchanting Casco Viejo or “Old Quarter.” Undoubtedly the highlight for most visitors to Panama City, this 350-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site is situated upon a snug peninsula where numerous boutique hotels, rooftop bars, nightclubs and fine dining restaurants intermingle with cobblestone streets, historic plazas and crumbling facades. (The French occupied the area during their failed attempt to build the Panama Canal, hence the resemblance to the French Quarter in New Orleans.) The San Francisco Church, Arch Chato and Society of Jesus are among its unmissable attractions, although just wandering the streets is undeniably enjoyable.

Dinner at Tomillo best exemplifies the rapid transformation of the Casco Viejo into an upscale destination for savvy travelers. Ditch the contemporary dining room and instead head straight for the enormous outdoor patio housed in the ruins of the city’s first train station headquarters. Here large fans, artfully strung lights and flame lit torches provide a romantic backdrop for sampling regional small plates. Order the Ceviche de Tuna and the Cachapas con Pato Carinta with a cocktail or two and nudge convivial owner Felipe into sharing his recommendations for eating and drinking around town.

Day 2

Mornings bring low tide to the Westin Playa Bonita Hotel and while this can mean muddy oceanfront views, it also affords the opportunity for visitors to roll up their trousers and wade through numerous shallow tide pools in search of sea shells and other ocean treasures. Panama City is not a beach town and thus the Westin is a lodging rarity in that it offers a coveted expanse of private beachfront (which it shares with nearby adults only Secrets) a generous stone’s throw from the hustle of the city and close to the Bridge of the Americas and the Panama Canal. Other highlights include its spa—the largest in Central America—numerous restaurants and a fitness center where President Obama once worked up a sweat.

The Casco Viejo

Mid-morning is the perfect time to explore the Biomuseo, the city’s museum of biodiversity designed by celebrity architect Frank Gehry whose wife is Panamanian. The facade is pure Gehry and consists of a shingled exterior made up of a riot of colors tailor made for shutterbugs and also for admiring the beautifully manicured grounds that line the Amador Causeway where the museum in situated. Although unfinished as of this writing, the museum is still an engaging journey revolving around biodiversity and the integral role the Isthmus of Panama played in bridging the Americas.

American Trade Hotel

Perhaps no other structure in the Casco Viejo defines the neighborhood’s newfound ascendency as a “must visit” destination for savvy travelers than the arrival of the American Trade Hotel, which is owned and operated by the same folks behind the ballyhooed Ace Hotel chain that is so beloved in places like New York and Palm Springs. At the noon hour its cafe and lobby bar become the perfect shelter and respite from the ubiquitous stinging heat. Importantly, it’s also the starting point for the Forteleza Tours, amazing neighborhood expeditions led by former gang members who once occupied the very building where the American Trade Hotel is now located. (In a canny move, the hotel photographed local gang graffiti before having it removed and turned it into wallpaper which now lines the hotel’s main stairwell.)

It’s worth noting that the Casco Viejo rubs shoulders with El Chorrillo, one of the city’s most famous ghettos and one whose boundaries are carefully pointed out to visitors. If you happen to be sightseeing with the assistance of an experienced guide, see if they’ll drive you through the ghetto which is the sight of imprisoned dictator Manuel Noriega’s former headquarters and also the American-led invasion which ousted Noriega but also claimed the lives of many innocent people.

If there is one thing that the Hard Rock Megapolis, a downtown hotel and hub of both leisure and business travel, does well its that its rooftop pool is among the most inviting in town. Keeping cool in this sun-drenched city is a must and there’s no better place to do it than poolside before the sun sets with a tropical cocktail in one hand and good book in the other. If you stay at the Megapolis we can almost guarantee this will become your go to for a daily afternoon siesta.

Intimo

Ubers are plentiful in Panama City and awfully cheap (the average cost of a one-way Uber trip around town is $2-$4; $27 to the airport), but know in advance that your driver will likely not speak English. Nevertheless they are a handy way to shuttle back and forth between downtown and the old quarter and also to points further afield like the San Francisco area which is home to Intimo, a prix-fixe only restaurant that is among the very best in Panama City. Tables at Intimo are scarce although a long and skinny bar seats perhaps a dozen or so patrons who come to sample an incredible 11-course dinner for a mere $85 (Panama uses the U.S. dollar so there is no exchange rate for Americans) and consisting of dishes like butternut squash ice cream with pork pancetta, arrow root chips, kale and coffee dust or red beans with a tamarind glaze, pressed milk cheese, aioli emulsion and fermented watermelon. The staff is knowledgeable, attentive and incredibly friendly.

 Day 3

One of the best ways to experience the Panama Canal is to simply drive across the Bridge of the Americas, one of just three connecting the east and west sides of the country and a viewing point for the numerous freighters, cruise ships and tug boats queueing up for as long as 48 hours for passage through the busy canal. But most visitors to the nation’s capital are content to visit the Miraflores Locks, where they can witness up close the slow and tedious passage of huge freighter ships as they make their slow journey through the waterway. The top floor provides a visitor observation deck and although it isn’t a particularly exciting body of water, when you consider its global impact, witnessing the canal in action really is a must.

Despite being an urban jungle (the city boasts nearly a million residents) the actual jungle is only a short drive from the city and visitors who are strapped for time can content themselves with a day trip to the sprawling Gamboa Rainforest Resort, an oasis of comfort and panoramic jungle views situated on the banks of the Rio Chagres and servings as a jumping off point for adventure tours too numerous to count. One such excursion is the Gatun Lake Expedition, aka the “Monkey Island Tour” which cruises into hidden inlets within the Panama Canal where howler and capuchin monkeys swing from tree to tree in true “Jungle Book” fashion. Another worthwhile quickie is the Aerial Tram Tour in which Swiss-made trams whisk visitors through the lush forest and toward an observation tower from which you might see toucans, the country’s beloved (and increasingly endangered) two- and three toed sloths and views of the Panama Canal and Gamboa Village.

Donde Jose

Make a reservation plenty in advance for the chef’s table at Donde Jose, a teensy unmarked restaurant in the Casco Viejo where each course is referred to as a “story” and where the experience is so precision timed that guests who show up even five or ten minutes late are barred from entry. (We can’t stress this enough, be on time.) Diners are nevertheless in for a rare treat in the form of a ten-course tasting menu revolving around a theme and focusing on Panamanian cuisine and local culinary traditions. If Michelin came to Panama, they would surely throw Donde Jose a couple stars.

The only box left to be checked is drinks from a rooftop bar. Everyone is making a stampede at the moment for Tantalo, an intimate boutique hotel with colorful and funky rooms and whose rooftop bar is currently the talk of the town. But be forewarned that it’s a noisy and cramped affair. For more elbow room visit the Gatto Blanco bar above the Gatto Negro restaurant right next door to Tantalo. The views here are the same and like the city itself are simply breathtaking.

Tagged: Destinations, Hotels, Latin America