Travel Reference
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remains of the convent's seventeenth-century reservoir. The tour continues past the skeletal
remnants of the Jesuit Iglesia y Convento de la Compañia de Jesús before reaching the Cin-
cuentenario.
The Plaza Mayor
Once across the road, you are drawn to the vast open space of the Plaza Mayor , overlooked
by the imposing cathedral bell tower , one of Panama's most distinctive landmarks. The view
from the top allows you to appreciate the city's former grandeur. The plaza constituted the
social hub of the city, hosting events ranging from political rallies to bullfights, and it was
surrounded by the most prestigious buildings, including to the east the Cabildo (City Hall)
and the cathedral - La Catedral de la Nuestra Señora de la Asunción . The stone edifice
that replaced the original wooden structure was completed between 1619 and 1629. The mag-
nificently restored belfry now has a modern staircase, which is worth climbing for the views.
Sporadic free guided tours are conducted in English and Spanish but depend on numbers,
available staff and the weather. Enquire at the small information booth near the tower, or at
the museum.
Leaving the cathedral by the vestibule, you can just make out the remains of the Casa Alar-
cón ; formerly the domicile of the bishop, this nobleman's home dating back to the 1640s is
the largest known and best preserved private house on the site. Beyond lies the crumbling
Dominican Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo.
The northern remains
A few hundred metres north along the Cincuentenario, little remains of the Iglesia de San
José , which survived the fire of 1671 and contained the splendid golden altar that now sits
in the church of the same name in Casco Viejo. At the old northern city limit, a couple of
hundred metres beyond, Panamá Viejo's famous Puente del Rey (King's Bridge) still spans
the Río Gallinero, where it marked the gateway to the Camino Real, the conquistadors' mule
trail across the isthmus. If you explore that far, exercise caution, since the surrounding Río
Abajo neighbourhood is an impoverished barrio and tourist muggings are not unknown.
Bahá'í House of Worship
Apartado 143, Zona 15 • Daily 9am-6pm; Sunday service is at 10am (30min) • Free • 231 1191 • Take any
Transístimica bus bound for San Isidro or Milla Ocho; get off at Supermercado Rey at Milla Ocho, from where
a short taxi ride will cost a few dollars
In the foothills of the Cordillera Central, your eye is caught by the alien-looking hilltop dome
that is the Bahá'í House of Worship , which offers splendid vistas across the eastern suburbs
to the Pacific. The Bahá'í faith developed in nineteenth-century Persia, and this is one of sev-
en churches around the world, with the eighth being constructed in Chile. Interested visitors
can attend the Sunday service or wander through the delightful flower-filled gardens.
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