What to See
5 highlights📍 Tap the pin for directions
Panama Canal — Miraflores Locks
Watching a massive container ship or cruise vessel squeeze through the Panama Canal locks with inches to spare is a genuinely jaw-dropping engineering spectacle. Miraflores Locks Visitor Center has multiple observation decks, a restaurant, and exhibits covering the Canal's extraordinary construction history. Check the ship schedule online at mirafloreslocks.com before you go and time your visit around a transit — the difference between an empty lock and a 300-metre vessel moving through it is enormous.
Casco Viejo (Casco Antiguo)
Panama City's Spanish colonial quarter — a peninsula of 17th-century architecture currently undergoing impressive restoration. The Plaza de la Independencia and its surrounding streets are beautifully maintained. Rooftop bars with views over the bay and back toward the modern skyscraper skyline have become a signature Casco experience. The neighborhood still has an authentic street life even as it gentrifies.
Cinta Costera — The Waterfront Promenade
A wide pedestrian and cycling boulevard along Panama Bay with views in both directions — the historic Casco on one side, the gleaming modern financial district skyline on the other. In the evenings, Panamanians of all ages walk, jog, and gather along the water. A genuinely pleasant urban space and one of the nicest free things to do in the city.
Calle Uruguay
Panama City's main nightlife district — a street lined with bars, restaurants, and clubs that gets properly busy after 10pm on weekends. The crowd is a good mix of locals and internationals, the cocktails are good, and the energy is consistently strong. A lively and safe place to spend an evening.
Pacific Beaches
The Pacific beaches — Playa Blanca and the Farallon resort area — are a good hour's drive or more from Panama City along the Interamerican Highway. The drive passes through the Canal Zone and gives views of the waterway. The beaches themselves are pleasant resort-style destinations rather than spectacular — but a good option for a beach day if you're in Panama City for a few days.