About Panama
Excellent attractions

Old Panama

Panama City was founded in 1519 by Pedrarias Davila. It was the first Spanish city in the American Pacific. The area was part of an ethnic coastal fishing village. The City of Panama became a strategic geographic location important to  colonial commercial exchange.

In 1671 the city was attacked by the English pirate Henry Morgan, and was left in ruins. Two years later the city was moved to what is now known as the Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) and the old site of the city was abandoned for two centuries. These structures are still intact and are visited by many tourists, giving the visitors a real vision of the colonial City of Panama.

City of Panama

The City of Panama is a metropolis in which modern buildings, spectacular department stores, mansions, hotels and casinos will leave you breathless. In the evening, the City of Panama is full of energy and vivacity. Whether it’s a cultural evening at the theater or an evening visiting restaurants, bars or night clubs, Panama offers a variety of options for entertainment and nightlife. The National Theater regularly schedules concerts, symphonies and operas.

Other attractions include the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Museum of the Canal, the Bolivar Plaza, the Presidential Palace, the Panama Canal, the Summit Biological Garden, the National Sovereignty Park and the Metropolitan Park Calzada Amador, consisting of various islands linked by  a causeway close to the “Bridge of the Americas,”; an excellent place to jog, ride a bicycle or just walk, surrounded by the blue ocean.

The Metropolitan National Park is a tropical forest with more than 200 species of wildlife. Mi Pueblito is a living museum built near Calzada Amador where peasant traditional scenes are recreated.

Islands and Beaches

Panama has coasts on two oceans: the Pacific and the Caribbean. These coasts, although different, are perfect for all types of activities due to the different islands and beaches that can be found on either one.

Caribbean Sea:
On the Caribbean coast, the beaches in the provinces of Colon, San Blas, and Bocas del Toro and the surrounding islands are small to medium-sized and all have coral reef. These are the best beaches for scuba diving.

Pacific Ocean:

On the Pacific Coast you will find a series of beaches that are easily accessible through the Panamerican Highway. Many aquatic sports that include windsurfing, surfing and swimming are practiced there. The most popular beaches are Gorgona, Coronado, San Carlos, El Palmar, Río Mar, Corona, Sea Cliff, Santa Clara, Playa Blanca and Farallón.

Tropical Forest

Panama is ideal for the direct contact with the tropical forest. It is the only capital of a Latin American country with a tropical forest less than 10 minutes away from its downtown. Three national parks near Panama City provide easy access to tropical forests.  Panama offers national parks declared Reserves of the Biosphere and Heritage of the World.  It’s tropical forests have some of the greatest variety of flora and fauna in the world (Darien) where you can find more than 10,000 plant species and more than 1,000 bird species.

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is of approximately 80 Km long and links the  Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Between 13,000 and 14,000 ships use the canal annually thanks to the job of approximately 9,000 workers who work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year offering transit service for ships of all nations.

The Canal uses a locks system that acts as an aquatic elevator raising the ships from sea level (Atlantic or Pacific) to 26 meters above sea level (Gatun Lake). Each locks system bears the name of the town where it was built: Gatun (on the Atlantic side), Pedro Miguel and Miraflores (on the Pacific).

Colon Free Zone

In a separate area of 400 hectares, the Colon Free Zone is located at the entrance of the Panama Canal on the Caribbean sector of the province of Colon. It is considered the second largest duty free area of its kind in the world, and the first one in the western hemisphere.

In view of its unique geographical location and easy access to four major ports, considered the most advanced of Latin America, this is truly an international shipping center. Also, various transportation services such as the France Field airport, a railroad terminal, access to the Panama-Colon expressway, cruise transportation and land transportation terminals, can be found nearby.

The Colon Free Zone is a global logistical center. Its commercial transactions amount to U$ 11,000 million in imports and re-exports. Its size (more than 400 hectares), its more than 2,000 companies and more than 250,000 annual visitors reflect the success of the Colon Free Zone.

Investors and businessmen can find: The International Banking Center, an efficient maritime infrastructure, the largest consolidation and distribution center in the Americas, the use of the United States dollar as currency, security both inside and around the area, exhibition rooms, warehouses and commercial equipment. Also, labor, both specialized and at low cost and a great number of incentives in taxes and sophisticated communications are some of the factors contributing to Colon Free Zone operations and making it an ideal place for international trade.