Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 262-5348; cnr Av Justo Arosemena & Calle 24 Este; admission US$1; 8:30am-4:30pm Tue-
Sat)
The small Afro-Antillean museum has exhibits on the history of Panama's West In-
dian community, particularly their work building the railroad and later the canal.
Baha'i House of Worship
TEMPLE
( 231-1137; 10am-6pm)
On the outskirts of Panama City, the white-domed Baha'i
House of Worship is the mother temple for all of Latin America. It looms like a giant egg
atop the crest of a hill, with a beautiful, breezy interior.
Readings from the Baha'i writings (in English and Spanish) are held Sunday mornings
at 10am. Any bus to Colón can let you off on the highway, but it's a long walk up the
hill. It's 11km northeast of the city center on the Vía Transístmica.
PANAMA CITY FOR CHILDREN
Panama City has a variety of attractions to enthrall and entertain kids. The city's
new
Cinta Costera
has waterfront paths and a playground. The setting also hosts
sporting events and occasional fairs. Another park option is Parque Recreativo
Omar (
Click here
), the local answer to New York City's Central Park, with greens
that were once a golf course.
A perfect reward for a day well spent is ice cream, and Casco Viejo's Granclem-
ent (
Click here
) is a parlor that even mom and dad would beg to visit.
Great rainforest excursions abound. At the Rainforest Discovery Center (
Click
here
), kids can walk short paths and check out the wildlife from the top of a 32m
tower. Other good options include visiting Summit Botanical Gardens & Zoo (
Click
here
), which has kid-focused programs, a small zoo and trails. Alongside huge
canal boats, jungle boats cruise along
Lago Gatún
, fishing for peacock bass or
just spotting troupes of monkeys, birds and other animals.
Isla Taboga
is another interesting day trip, with plenty of sand to play in and a
cool ferry ride that's a blast for small travelers.
For more adventure, families can visit an Emberá village in the Parque Nacional
Soberanía, tour the old cannon-lined forts in
Portobelo
, or take a moderate hike
through Parque Nacional Soberanía (
Click here
), or even just in town at Parque
Natural Metropolitano (
Click here
), where the chances of spotting a monkey or
toucan are pretty good.
The
Panama Canal Railway
, which links the two oceans, provides a lovely jour-
ney along the canal and through rainforest. Kids might also enjoy a visit to the
Mir-
aflores Locks
, especially since the new museum there has lots of eye-catching
multimedia exhibitions and is hands-on in parts.
