Panama City: Pirates to Prosperity
by Paul H. Green
Cosmopolitan Panama City is the hub of sophistication and business in the Central American country of Panama. From marauding pirates to an engineering marvel that brought prosperity; Panama City embraces the past and looks forward to the future. Step into a colorful vibrant city with three areas of interest. The present day Panama City with its gleaming high-rise skyline, colonial Casco Viejo, and the ruins of the original Panama City in Panama Viejo tell a story of a city that moved from one place to the next until it found its home amidst a rainforest on an isthmus.
Modern Panama City
Panama City lies at the entrance to the Panama Canal in Central America. The capital of Panama has become the financial center and a mecca for the business world of Latin America. Modern towers of enterprise and prosperity create a sophistication that belies the surrounding natural splendor just fifteen minutes from the center of the city. Eight of the ten tallest buildings in Central America stand proud in Panama City. Visitors will find everything in Panama City. Shopping in Panama City could be named an Olympic sport. Four fashionable multi-level shopping malls offer the convenience and luxuries of a prosperous city. Search for traditional hand crafted items at local markets. Two of the hottest places to shop are Via Espana and Avenida Central. After a day of shopping you'll be ready for a sea of culinary delights. Fabulous restaurants from world cuisines offer their fare along with local and regional dishes. The night life swelters with casinos and clubs that cater to the night owls searching for a good time. Dance the night away or be entertained by Panamanian dancers dressed in the colorful costumes of their country as they whirl in folkloric dance. Many of the trendier bars and clubs are in the financial district, but you'll find heady south of the border entertainment in the Casco Viejo area as well. Venture into the Latin night and experience Panama City night life.
Panama la Vieja or the Old City
The tower of the cathedral reaches up toward the heavens as testament to the onslaught of marauding pirates bent on plundering the city of its gold and treasures. Before Henry Morgan, a notorious pirate of the late 1600s, attacked with his band of one thousand buccaneers, Panama la Vieja was a thriving town of merchants, traders, aristocrats and peasants. Most of the gold and treasures found in California, Peru, and Chile found their way to Panama la Vieja on the Pacific coast. From this point galleons of gold were shipped back to Europe. The very reason the city grew and prospered also made it irresistible to pirates out to plunder and loot at will. After the infamous Morgan finished with Panama la Vieja the governor moved the city to a place where the city could be defended. Walk among the scattered ruins of the old city imagining life in the growing city. The most well-preserved structures are cathedral tower that has become a national symbol of Panama and the Casa del Obispo or bishop's house. Use caution when wandering among the ruins further into the city. This section of Panama City can be dangerous and it's advised to not be in this area past dusk.
Casco Viejo
Casco Viejo, a Spanish colonial era part of the city, exudes the charm and romance of long ago. Take a walking tour of this part of Panama City to experience the flavor of Spanish and French architecture. Stroll down narrow streets to discover churches, cafes, and homes with wrought iron balconies that open to the street below. Casco Viejo is a fashionable district with elegant restaurants, trendy bars, and sidewalk cafes to sip on espresso and people watch. The Church of the Golden Altar houses the gold altar reported to have been painted black to keep pirates from taking it. From monasteries to dungeons there is much to be seen in this area of Panama City. The atmosphere of Casco Viejo, like a Latin lover, is sultry, haunting, and a little bit dangerous.
Panama Canal
A trip to Panama City would not be complete without stopping to take in the engineering feat that truly makes Panama City the “crossroads of the world.” The canal joins the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean and watching a huge ship rise up and move through the locks amazes those watching. A museum and visitor center at Miraflores locks offers explanations and history. While standing in amazement at what has become one of the wonders of the world stop for a moment to think of the thousands of workers who toiled and died to create this engineering marvel.
The definition for the word panama is abundance and there's no doubt that Panama City is blessed with an abundance of exiting treasures. The glass and steel skyscraper modern city meets the gentility of colonial Casco Viejo and nods from its final destination to the city left behind. Whether you're wandering among ruins or window shopping in fashionable malls and shopping districts the flavor of Panama City melds together in a mix of European meets New World peoples. The unique spirit of Panama City has produced prosperity and a promise for a bright future making it a world destination not to be missed.
More Information
www.visitpanama.com/eng/index.php
www.pancanal.com/