On the way back from our visit to Peru we spent a short weekend in Panama exploring the sights and attractions of its capital Panama City. This city is an interesting juxtaposition of gleaming skyscrapers, old colonial world charm, teeming tropical foliage, and melting pot of cuisines. But its main claim to fame is the eponymous Panama Canal – which put this tiny Central American country on the world map, as an epicenter of global trade and commerce. Panama City is a perfect example of the old and the new serving up an inimitable melange of culture and experience. The cosmopolitan city with its wide paved roads, flanked by high rise towers, tropical rainforests, and the Pacific Ocean was a delight to experience, and these are the highlights of our short trip.

Cerro Ancon

We started our Panama City explorations by heading out on a relatively easy hike up Cerro Ancon hill. This protected tropical forest area is well within city limits, and offers panoramic views of the city skyline as well as the Miraflores Locks Canal Zone area. A massive Panama flag adorns the summit of the hill and makes for an easily identifiable landmark. We were hoping to spot some sloths and monkeys, but sadly the animals were either resting or staying well hidden in the tree cover.

Panama Canal at Miraflores Locks

Visiting the modem engineering marvel that is the Panama Canal was the highlight of our Panama City trip. We visited the canal at the Miraflores locks – where we learnt about the initial French efforts to build the canal, it’s eventual US led completion, then spent hours hypnotically watching various ocean going vessels traverse through the canal. More at this link: https://www.stampedonarrival.com/panama-canal/

Mercado de Mariscos

The Mercado de Mariscos (seafood market) was truly an aquatic assault on the senses – with a dazzling array of fresh fish, shrimp, shellfish etc spread out across various stalls, and with the respective aromas wafting across as well! We gingerly made our way across the slick floors that glistened with brine and water from the melting packed ice that was being used to keep the fish and seafood fresh. After ogling at all the seafood, it was time to heed the rumblings from our tummies. So we made our way up to the restaurant on the 2nd floor of the market, where we had a satiating meal of the freshest fish and shrimp.

Casco Viejo

Built in 1673 on a narrow peninsula for better defenses against pirates, Casco Viejo is where the first beginnings of modern Panama City took shape. Today this renovated area of pastel colored Spanish colonial houses retains its old world charm and provides glimpses into its historical heritage. The photogenic brightly hued doors and flower draped balconies lend a dash of color to this architectural time capsule. We spent an afternoon here roaming the cobblestoned streets, peeking into numerous churches, and taking in the colonial era sights.

Sloth Sanctuary at Gamboa rainforest reserve

Since our plans to encounter the local wildlife during our hike up Cerro Ancon had come to nought, we decided to make a trip to Gamboa rainforest reserve instead to experience the local fauna. Our main objective was to see a sloth – my spirit animal! The purpose of the sanctuary at the reserve is to rescue and care for sloths found within the urban areas, with the goal to eventually rehabilitate and release them within their natural habitat rainforest. The sanctuary is home to both two and three toed sloth species, and we were fortunate enough to get up close and personal to the languid creatures. We not only spent time with the sloths, but also learnt about their natural habitat, conservation efforts underway, as well as the various challenges impacting the efforts of the volunteers who help protect these fascinating creatures.

After saying goodbye to our new sloth friends, we spent some time walking around a few of the other parts of the sanctuary. We saw various types of butterflies common in Panama, visited an area dedicated to tiny poisonous frogs, and wrapped up in an orchid nursery that unfortunately had no flowers in bloom at the time. There are plenty of other activities within the Gamboa reserve such as kayaking, boat tours of the canal, aerial trams, zip lining, or biking – but unfortunately we were short of time to enjoy those.

Panama Viejo

The ruins of Panama Viejo are only surviving remnants of the first ever Spanish settlement on the Pacific coast. The settlement here was established by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias de Avilla in 1519, and was plundered by welsh privateer Henry Morgan in 1671 – aka Captain Morgan. Following this, the city was relocated to the Casco Viejo area for better protection against attacks. The main attraction here is the lone standing church bell tower, which also served as a sentry lookout point, and is now considered one of the symbols of Panama. Maybe it was because we had just been wowed by the magical Machu Picchu ruins the week before, or that we got our $10 worth and more the previous day at the Panama Canal – but sadly these ruins paled in comparison.

Eats and Drinks

We really enjoyed sampling the fresh seafood and melting pot of cuisines in Panama City, these are some of our favorites:

Maito

Mercado de Mariscos Restaurante

Ceviche stalls

La Rana Dorada

Wahaka Fusion Tacos