Destination Panama City, Panama

Panama City fizzes with a gritty energy that reflects the determination that has helped it to position itself as Central America’s financial hub and a big draw for tourists.

Its coastal setting peppered with skyscrapers made me think I had been misrouted to Miami, but as I delved a little deeper I discovered Panama City, the capital of the Republic of Panama, is a hot and steamy city in more ways than one.

Panama City

Courtesy of Autoridad de Turismo Panamá

Panama is a challenging country and, to quote an American I met, it will teach you patience. But, it won’t be long before Panama’s melting pot of cultures and diverse landscapes work their magic and you will find yourself hooked.

Lodged between the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south, this small country’s population is estimated to be 3.3 million with approximately one million people living in Panama City which was founded in 1519 by the Spaniard Pedro Arias Dávila.

In 1671, Panama City was attacked and pilfered by the Welsh pirate Henry Morgan. The city was eventually destroyed by a fire. Here at the ruins of Panamá La Vieja (Old Panama) learning about the country’s history, I began to understand why this city has evolved into what it is today.

Casco Antiguo
Courtesy of Autoridad de Turismo Panamá

Casco Antiguo, the old quarter where the city was rebuilt after the fire, is awash with 16^th and 17^th century Spanish colonial architecture. A slum, until a few years ago, the area is now being developed and its narrow streets and squares throb with cafés, restaurants, boutiques and traders selling almost everything from hats to food.

The Canal Zone, a former US territory, was only handed over to Panama in late 1999. As Panama started reaping the rewards from the canal, the country began to develop and is now going through a boom as foreign investors pour in their capital.

The Panama Canal

A quick tour of The Miraflores Visitors Centre, at the Miraflores Locks, gives a good orientation into the Panama Canal’s history and its operational process as well as providing an insight into future developments. But, nothing beats a trip on the canal itself, even if you have passed through on a cruise ship, as it gives you a chance to get up close and personal with its workings.

At the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, on the banks of the Chagres River and Panama Canal, just 30 minutes outside the city, the aerial tram whisked me through rainforest peppered with exotic plants and animals including snakes. The highlight was a trip to Monkey Island. After tearing along the Panama Canal in a small boat, I reached the shores of Lake Gatún to be greeted by white-faced capuchin monkeys.

 Emberá Indian Village
Courtesy of Autoridad de Turismo Panamá

A rather special day out was a visit to the Emberá Indian Village in the Chagres National Park. After getting into a dug-out canoe, a group of us sailed across Lake Alajuela and along the Chagres River to reach the village where the chief and his people were on hand to give us a rapturous welcome. It was like being catapulted back in time. The way of life can’t have changed much since the 1500s, when Christopher Columbus arrived.

Panama City is a treasure trove with lots of gems waiting to be discovered. The canal is only one of them.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

Iberia (iberia.com)

Hotel Bristol Panama (thebristol.com)

For general information visit visitpanama.com and visitcentroamerica.com

First published in All About Hair (All About Hair UK), the travel and lifestyle blog with a luxury twist