Lonely Planet Best of Central America

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• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN:
  9781788686709
• Print ISBN:
  9781788684705

PANAMA

Casco Viejo

Panama Canal

Panama Rainforest Discovery Center

Isla Taboga

Panamá Viejo Walking Tour

Sights

Activities

Tours

Shopping

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Panama City

The most cosmopolitan capital in Central America, Panama City is both vibrant metropolis and gateway to tropical escapes. Many worlds coexist here. Welcoming both east and west, Panama is a regional hub of trade and immigration. The resulting cultural cocktail mix leads to a refreshing ‘anything goes’ attitude, more dynamic and fluid than that of its neighbors. The sultry skyline shimmers with glass and steel towers reminiscent of Miami, and in contrast the colonial peninsula of Casco Viejo has become a hip neighborhood where cobblestones link boutique hotels with rooftop bars and crumbled ruins with pirate lore.

Aerial view of Panama City | MARIANA IANOVSKA/500PX/GETTY IMAGES ©

Two Days in Panama City

Spend your first day exploring Panama City’s great rooftop bars and museums and, of course, the historic ambience of Casco Viejo. Take meals at Mercado de Mariscos and Lo Que Hay. On day two, stroll through Panamá Viejo, the ruins of the original Panama City, then feast at Donde José, sample craft beer at La Rana Dorada and catch a performance at Teatro Nacional.

Four Days in Panama City

Time for some day trips! Mosey over to the Miraflores Visitors Center and lay your peepers on the awe-inspiring Panama Canal. Return to the city, grab some street empanadas and venture out to the city’s hottest club, Casa Jaguar. On your final day, either boat over to Isla Taboga for snorkeling and whale-watching or hop over to Panama Rainforest Discovery for some wildlife stalking.

Arriving in Panama City

Tocumen International Airport Most international flights arrive here. Hire taxis (from around US$30) at the transport desk near baggage claim. It’s...

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Welcome to Central America
• Central America’s Top 18
• Need to Know
• Hotspots For…
• Essential Central America
• Month by Month
• Get Inspired
• Itineraries
• Family Travel
• Mexico’s Yucatán & Chiapas
• Chichén Itzá
• Palenque
• Guatemala
• Lago de Atitlán
• Tikal
• Belize
• El Salvador
• Honduras
• Bay Islands
• Nicaragua
• Isla de Ometepe
• Costa Rica
• Volcán Arenal
• Manuel Antonio
• Panama
• Bocas del Toro
• Chiriquí Province
• In Focus
• Central America Today
• History
• People & Society
• Arts & Culture
• Outdoor Activities
• Directory A–Z
• Language
• Behind the Scenes
• Our Writers