36 Hours
36 Hours in Panama City, Panama
![A family rides in a quadricycle along a paved pathway, bordered by manicured green grass, along a waterfront. The sun is setting behind a cloud, sending rays of sunlight shooting across the sky.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-02-hkcm/30hours-panama-lede-02-hkcm-mobileMasterAt3x-v2.jpg)
Panama City, the perpetually flowering capital of Panama — the small tropical country that bridges North and South America — has been fought over since its founding. The city and commercial hub, famous for the engineering marvel that is its canal, is among the unsung cosmopolitan capitals of the Americas. Flashy highrises and an eclectic culinary landscape — which includes neighborhood canteens, dim sum palaces, French bistros and kosher supermarkets — reflect the city’s international character. Panama City is also where you can feel history under your feet. The Museo Canal, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has a new permanent exhibition on the country’s route to sovereignty, including the United States’s handover of the Panama Canal in 1999, that provides visitors with much-needed context for this place that manages to be very much itself, while also a bit of everywhere else.
Recommendations
- The Amador Causeway has views of the city and the canal. It also offers a path to find wildlife at the Punta Culebra Nature Center and refreshment at Capitán Bahía.
- Museo de la Mola displays the distinctive textile art of the Indigenous Guna people, including 200 colorfully appliquéd mola. It also offers interactive and immersive exhibits.
- Fonda Lo Que Hay serves shareable dishes that celebrate Panama’s bicoastal, international food culture in a festive, music-filled setting.
- Mayda bar serves classy cocktails in a historic former social club overlooking Panama Bay in Casco Viejo.
- Mentiritas Blancas, in the Cangrejo neighborhood, has house-roasted specialty coffee that you can enjoy over a hearty breakfast and buy as gifts.
- Maito is a worthwhile splurge in Coco del Mar with a tasting menu of artful, regional dishes influenced by the country’s history.
- El Trapiche, on Vía Argentina, is a beloved local institution serving hearty and flavorful Panamanian dishes at affordable prices.
- Keene’s is a favorite for brightly hued, tropically inspired ice cream, including vegan options.
- Selina’s rooftop bar in Casco Viejo is the place to end the night with Latin music and people watching.
- Café Unido, Panama City’s hometown coffee chain, has excellent breakfast sandwiches and a full morning menu.
- CACAO Bar Selection in San Francisco allows you to mix-and-match your own selection of exotic Oro Moreno chocolate bonbons.
- Monsters + Rako sells an eclectic mix of cheeky art prints and colorful souvenirs inspired by the country’s biodiversity and designed by a brother-and-sister team.
- Paseo de las Bóvedas, the bougainvillea-draped waterfront walkway, is a romantic introduction to the historic neighborhood of Casco Viejo.
- The Panamá Viejo archeological site preserves the ruins of the first Spanish settlement on the Pacific Coast and features the Museum of the Plaza Mayor.
- Hotel La Compañía, a new Hyatt hotel in Casco Viejo on the beautifully restored grounds of a former Jesuit convent, embraces the neighborhood’s history and has all the amenities one could want. Doubles start from about $300. (Prices are listed in U.S. dollars, which are accepted as legal tender alongside the balboa.)
- The towering InterContinental Miramar Panama may not have the character of the boutique hotels in Casco Viejo, but its convenient location in the center of the city, walkable to both San Francisco and the historic quarter, along with its wide ocean views and its resort-like swimming pool are hard to beat at this price. Doubles from about $165.
- Hotel Casa Magnolia Inn, housed in a restored French colonial mansion, is a small hotel and hostel in the heart of Casco Viejo with basic but clean and comfortable rooms. Private doubles with ensuite bathrooms start from $80, and shared six-bed dorm rooms start from $16 per bed.
- Panama City’s clean and modern two-line metro opened in 2014; while convenient for some trips, it doesn’t extend to a few key areas of the city, including Casco Viejo and the Amador Causeway. Uber rides within the city are typically between $3 and $6 and a good alternative to public transit.
Itinerary
Friday
![A gray and black sloth, which looks at the camera and appears to be smiling slightly, sits on stone steps in an outdoor environment. It has three long claws on each limb.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/36hours-panama-city-sloth-alt-fqjc/36hours-panama-city-sloth-alt-fqjc-mobileMasterAt3x-v2.jpg)
![A gray and black sloth, which looks at the camera and appears to be smiling slightly, sits on stone steps in an outdoor environment. It has three long claws on each limb.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/36hours-panama-city-sloth-alt-fqjc/36hours-panama-city-sloth-alt-fqjc-mobileMasterAt3x-v2.jpg)
![A man and a woman sit on a white stone bench outside in the daytime. She is dressed in colorful patterned clothing. Above them, colorful textile works flap in the wind. They are different shades of red, with ornate needlework creating beautiful patterns.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/29/multimedia/36hrs-panama-city-casco-kjcm/36hrs-panama-city-casco-kjcm-mobileMasterAt3x-v3.jpg)
![A man and a woman sit on a white stone bench outside in the daytime. She is dressed in colorful patterned clothing. Above them, colorful textile works flap in the wind. They are different shades of red, with ornate needlework creating beautiful patterns.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/29/multimedia/36hrs-panama-city-casco-kjcm/36hrs-panama-city-casco-kjcm-mobileMasterAt3x-v3.jpg)
![A close-up view of a white bowl with a small red flower design on it. Inside the bowl are steaming-hot clams and broth. A spoon is lifting up some of the clams.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-friday-fqwv/30hours-panama-lede-friday-fqwv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A close-up view of a white bowl with a small red flower design on it. Inside the bowl are steaming-hot clams and broth. A spoon is lifting up some of the clams.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-friday-fqwv/30hours-panama-lede-friday-fqwv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Two people, dressed in light summer wear, stand on a wooden viewing platform inside an old building made with large, stone bricks. Through the arched stone windows: the tops of green trees and, further in the distance, a skyline of tall buildings.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-04-hkcm/30hours-panama-lede-04-hkcm-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Saturday
![A close-up of a piece of toast topped with smoked salmon, pickled onion, capers and seeds. In the background on the wooden table is a coffee in a blue cup.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/29/multimedia/36hrs-panama-city-blancas-btzv/36hrs-panama-city-blancas-btzv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A close-up of a piece of toast topped with smoked salmon, pickled onion, capers and seeds. In the background on the wooden table is a coffee in a blue cup.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/29/multimedia/36hrs-panama-city-blancas-btzv/36hrs-panama-city-blancas-btzv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A bird's-eye view of a ceviche dish on a speckled plate topped with thinly sliced onion, jalapeno and dots of green and red oils.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/29/multimedia/36hours-panama-city-maito-cghz/36hours-panama-city-maito-cghz-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A bird's-eye view of a ceviche dish on a speckled plate topped with thinly sliced onion, jalapeno and dots of green and red oils.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/29/multimedia/36hours-panama-city-maito-cghz/36hours-panama-city-maito-cghz-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![An ice cream shop seen through the exterior window. Inside, the walls are painted in a rainbow color scheme. The window has hand-painted signs that read:](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-saturday-qblf/30hours-panama-lede-saturday-qblf-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![An ice cream shop seen through the exterior window. Inside, the walls are painted in a rainbow color scheme. The window has hand-painted signs that read:](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-saturday-qblf/30hours-panama-lede-saturday-qblf-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Young people dressed to party dance in front of a D.J. booth. One person behind the D.J. booth looks at the camera and makes a peace sign. Above the dancers is are colorful, geometric light fixtures in blue, yellow and red.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-saturday-jpfc/30hours-panama-lede-saturday-jpfc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Young people dressed to party dance in front of a D.J. booth. One person behind the D.J. booth looks at the camera and makes a peace sign. Above the dancers is are colorful, geometric light fixtures in blue, yellow and red.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-saturday-jpfc/30hours-panama-lede-saturday-jpfc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A view of high-rise buildings at dusk. In the foreground, cars drive on a road that hugs a palm-tree dotted coastline.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-05-hkcm/30hours-panama-lede-05-hkcm-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Sunday
![A customer wearing a shirt and jeans stands in front of a wood and marble counter in a cafe. Behind the counter is a man wearing a black t-shirt and with a beard and long hair that is tied back.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/36hrs-panama-city-unido-mfwj/36hrs-panama-city-unido-mfwj-mobileMasterAt3x-v2.jpg)
![A customer wearing a shirt and jeans stands in front of a wood and marble counter in a cafe. Behind the counter is a man wearing a black t-shirt and with a beard and long hair that is tied back.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/36hrs-panama-city-unido-mfwj/36hrs-panama-city-unido-mfwj-mobileMasterAt3x-v2.jpg)
![A person with an orange handbag inside a museum looks up at a display of ornately decorated red textiles. The textile works are displayed in a kind of vertical, 360-degree funnel shape, so it is possible to walk around and observe them. The textiles are different shades of red, and each has a different intricate needlework design.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-sunday-hzvc/30hours-panama-lede-sunday-hzvc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A person with an orange handbag inside a museum looks up at a display of ornately decorated red textiles. The textile works are displayed in a kind of vertical, 360-degree funnel shape, so it is possible to walk around and observe them. The textiles are different shades of red, and each has a different intricate needlework design.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/30/multimedia/30hours-panama-lede-sunday-hzvc/30hours-panama-lede-sunday-hzvc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)