Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you need a respite from the heat (or the rain), head to Centro de Exhibiciones
Marinas (
Click here
) to get close to Panama's amazing underwater world. Or if all
else fails, stroll down to Multicentro Mall (
Click here
) - a mall with dozens of
shops and restaurants, a movie theater and an internet cafe.
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1
Casco Viejo
Following the destruction of the old city by Captain Henry Morgan in 1671, the Spanish
moved their city 8km southwest to a rocky peninsula on the foot of Cerro Ancón. The
new location was easier to defend, as the reefs prevented ships from approaching the city
except at high tide. The new city was also easy to defend as a massive wall surrounded it,
which is how Casco Viejo (Old Compound) got its name.
In 1904, when construction began on the Panama Canal, all of Panama City existed
where Casco Viejo stands today. However, as population growth and urban expansion
pushed the boundaries of Panama City further east, the city's elite abandoned Casco
Viejo and the neighborhood rapidly deteriorated into an urban slum.
Today, Casco Viejo is half crumbling, half high-end. The restoration of Casco Viejo is
a work in progress, so be aware of your surroundings and exercise caution while explor-
ing this fascinating neighborhood.
The newly restored architecture gives a sense of how magnificent the area must have
looked in past years. Declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2003, the area is getting
international recognition. The construction of a controversial coastal highway around the
peninsula has preservationists fuming.
