Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
To see the legacy left by Captain Morgan, visit the ruins of Panamá Viejo, the ori-
ginal settlement that he thoroughly sacked in 1671. Or check out Casco Viejo's
Iglesia de San José, which houses the golden altar - the only item - salvaged from
the raid.
Sights
Panama City stretches about 20km along the Pacific coast, from the Panama Canal at its
western end to the ruins of Panamá Viejo to the east.
Near the canal are Albrook airport, the Causeway and the wealthy Balboa and Ancón
suburbs, first built for the US canal and military workers. The colonial part of the city,
Casco Viejo juts into the sea on the southwestern side of town. In the south, the Cause-
way has numerous restaurants, bars and fine vantage points on the edge of the ocean.
The main drag is Av Central, which runs through Casco Viejo to Parque Santa Ana
and Plaza Cinco de Mayo; between these two plazas, the avenue is a pedestrian-only
shopping street. At a fork further east, the avenue becomes Av Central España; the sec-
tion that traverses the El Cangrejo business and financial district is called Vía España.
The other part of the fork becomes Av Simón Bolívar and, finally, Vía Transístmica as it
heads out of town and across the isthmus toward Colón.
