THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Panama - page 89

Palacio Presidencial
Between C 6 and C 5 • To arrange a free guided tour, a letter in Spanish suggesting possible dates needs to be
emailed or hand-delivered to the Oficina de Guías (Mon-Fri 8.30am-3.30pm; 527 9740, ask for Sra Griselda
Bernal, [e-mail] ), round the back of the yellow building on the waterfront by C 4; visits
(Tues, Thurs & Fri mornings) last about an hour - bring your passport • Free
Originally built in 1673 for an unscrupulous colonial judge, who embezzled state funds to
furnish his opulent mansion, the Palacio Presidencial later served as a customs house, teach-
er training college and even a prison before being rebuilt in 1922 as the presidential residence
in grandiose neo-Moorish style under the orders of President Belisario Porras. It is commonly
known as the “Palacio de las Garzas” after the white egrets given to Porras by his poet friend
Ricardo Miró, and they have lived freely around the patio fountain ever since. The pair of
elegant blue cranes that also stalk the patio were donated by the South African government.
The streets around the palace are closed to traffic and pedestrians but the presidential guards
allow visitors access via Calle 5 to view the exterior of the building during the day.
It is also possible to go on a free guided tour of the palace, which is well worth the hassle
even though it only covers a few rooms and requires organizing several days in advance.
After admiring the marble floor and mother-of-pearl encrusted columns of the Moorish ves-
tibule, the tour moves up to the first floor and the long Salón Amarillo (Yellow Hall), used
for official ceremonies. From the presidential throne to the gilt mirrors and heavy drapes, the
room is replete with shades of gold, amber and mustard, while striking murals by Roberto
Lewis offer a selective romp through Panama's history. In the adjoining Comedor del Pala-
cio (Dining Room), where state banquets are held, Lewis's distinctive murals are even more
prominent, depicting idyllic country scenes. At the far end of the dining room a door leads
off to the Salón del Cabinete (Cabinet Room), which contains portraits of all Panama's pres-
idents. In addition to these main rooms, the tour allows you a peek at some of the splendidly
tiled Moorish-themed anterooms.
Plaza Bolívar and around
A block back from the waterfront on Avenida B, elegant Plaza Bolívar , dotted with mani-
cured trees, provides the perfect spot for a glass of wine or a meal at its pavement café-res-
taurants, though at lunchtime the peace is periodically interrupted by the cries of primary-
school children spilling out of class seeking out snow-cones ( raspados ) from the waiting
vendors. On the eastern side, next to the Palacio Bolívar , the seventeenth-century Iglesia y
Convento de San Francisco de Asís , with its imposing bell tower, is finally being restored
after being closed for several years.
Monument to Simón Bolívar
Rebuilt after a fire in 1756, the plaza was dedicated in 1883 to Simón Bolívar , whose central
statue , crowned by a condor, dominates the space. The monument was erected in 1926 to
commemorate one hundred years since the Amphyctionic Congress, the first Panamerican