Panama City
From Panama Travels Wiki
The capital of Panama is a modern, thriving commercial center stretching 10km (six miles) along the Pacific coast from the ruins of Panamá Viejo in the east, to the edge of the Panama Canal in the west. The old district of San Felipe (also known as Casco Antiguo or Casco Viejo) juts into the sea on the southwestern side of town. It’s an area of decaying colonial grandeur, striking architecture, peeling paint and decrepit balconies. Attractions include the 17th-century Metropolitan Church, the Interoceanic Canal Museum of Panama, the Plaza de Bolívar, the presidential palace, the History Museum of Panama and the sea wall built by the Spaniards four centuries ago. Via España’s banking district is the complete opposite to this yesteryear charm, with aggressively modern buildings and sophisticated entertainments.
Attractions on the fringes of the city include the Panama Canal, the 16th-century ruins of Panamá Viejo, the Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo, the tropical rain forest of the Parque Nacional Sobreranía and the 265-hectare (655-acre) Parque Nacional Metropolitana.
