Panama City – Panama

I believe that Panama City is one of the most amazing places to visit in the Americas. Located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal the city is one of the oldest settlements on the Western Hemisphere and offers plenty of entertainment and sights for vacationers.

After being established in 1519 Panama City was sacked and burned in 1671 by the pirate Henry Morgan. The ruins are still available today as a tourist attraction and are well worth the $4.00 admission charge to tour. Known as Panamá la Vieja (Old Panama) the ruins stretch for acres and feature a centuries old cathedral tower that you can go to the top of.

View from the top of the Cathedral Tower in Panama Vieja

View from the base of the Cathedral Tower

There are several places to dine in Panama City ranging from fast food to high end fine dining and everything in between. The MultiCintro Mall is located near the Old City ruins and offers air-conditioned shopping a food court and Panama’s Hard Rock Café. The Albrook Mall offers a better shopping atmosphere (In my opinion) and an incredible food court that even has a carousel ride. However, the best dining experience in Panama City is found on the Amador Causeway. There you can find several quality restaurants that overlook the Panama Canal, Bridge of Americas, the Bay of Panama and the Yacht Club.

Hard Rock Café, Panama

In addition to the aforementioned malls there are many other shopping opportunities at the markets, where hand crafted souvenirs can be purchased, located at Panama la Vieja and in Balboa.

Driving in Panama City can be tricky to say the least and taxis are very reasonable and abundant making it best mode of transportation.

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