Panama City Landmarks and Beyond
Panama’s landmarks are spread across the isthmus in ways that rarely fit one trip: Panama City’s colonial and canal-era core, the Bocas del Toro archipelago, the Pacific dive coast around Santa Catalina and Coiba, and the Chiriquí highlands. Casco Viejo and Panamá Viejo alone are worth a dedicated day.
Casco Antiguo and Panamá Viejo
Founded in 1673 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Casco Antiguo (San Felipe) blends Spanish colonial, French neoclassical, and Art Deco buildings around Plaza Mayor, Plaza de Francia, and Plaza Bolívar. The Golden Altar inside Iglesia de San José, a baroque cedar altar legendarily painted black to hide it from Henry Morgan’s raiders, is free to see with donations welcomed. A few kilometers away, Panamá Viejo, the original 1519 settlement sacked in 1671, charges $15.00 foreign adult admission and lets you climb the 30-meter cathedral bell tower, open Tuesday-Sunday 08:30-16:30. Current hours and ticket rules are posted at patronatopanamaviejo.org, the Panamá Viejo Trust’s site . Ancon Hill, a 199-meter protected reserve inside the city itself, is free and best walked early morning for sloths and toucans overhead.
Three bridges that trace the canal’s history
The 1962 Bridge of the Americas carries the Pan-American Highway over the Pacific entrance; the 2004 Centennial Bridge relieves traffic 15 km north near the Culebra Cut; and the 2019 Atlantic Bridge spans the canal’s Caribbean mouth near Colón. Each one marks a different era of engineering ambition on the isthmus.
Bocas del Toro archipelago
Bocas Town anchors the islands with Caribbean Creole architecture and an easy waterfront pace. Isla Colón holds Starfish Beach, where handling the cushion sea stars is illegal and kills them, so look, don’t lift. Bastimentos Marine National Park covers Red Frog Beach and the Cayos Zapatilla for snorkeling, and the real sloth rescue center for the region sits near Gamboa on the mainland, not on the islands.
Santa Catalina and Coiba
Santa Catalina is a renowned Pacific point break and the departure point for Coiba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage marine site with 38 islands and reef diving for white-tip sharks, manta rays, and migrating humpbacks. Daily park entry costs $20.00, set by MiAmbiente, Panama’s environment ministry , and a 2-tank dive day charter runs $140-180. Coiba dive day trips can be found on Viator .
Volcán Barú, the country’s high point
At 3,475 meters, Barú is a genuine 12-to-14-hour round-trip hike from Paso Ancho, 13.5 km each way with 1,800 meters of elevation gain, not a casual afternoon stroll. MiAmbiente registration and entry run $5.00.
The verdict
Casco Antiguo and Panamá Viejo pair into one full day in the capital; Coiba and Barú each deserve their own trip leg given the distance and effort. See the walking tours guide for a route through Casco Viejo on foot, or compare Panama City hotels on Booking.com for a base near the colonial core.
Before you go
Tides of 5-6 meters expose mudflats and reef along the Pacific coast around Panama City and Santa Catalina, so check tide tables before planning beach time there, since the Caribbean side barely moves by comparison.