Top 10 Things To Do And See In Panama

Panamanian food consists of a mix of Spanish, Native American, and African cooking techniques. Some of the most popular items include arroz con pollo (chicken with rice), ceviche, bollos (corn mash cooked in a banana leaf), carimañola (fried meat pies similar to empanadas), tamales, and various fried starches like plantains and corn tortillas. As for Panamanian beverages, Balboa cerveza is a popular local brew. Alternatively, you can wash down any of the treats listed above with a fresh coconut water or juice of a variety of different tropical fruits. To find authentic local fare, check out our list of the best cultural restaurants in Panama City.

Perhaps one of the most famous elements of Panama is the Panama Canal, which has played a hugely important role in connecting the Caribbean and Pacific more than 100 years ago. The construction itself was a huge feat of engineering for the time. The French initially began work on the canal in 1881, but had to stop largely due to high laborer mortality rate from widespread outbreaks of ailments like malaria. The United States resumed construction in 1904. Finished in 1914, the Panama Canal from one side of the isthmus to the other, spanning 48 miles (77 km) from Panama City to Colón. It is still in use today, and you can watch as enormous Panamax ships move across.

Panama Canal, Panama

Avenida Balboa offers a pretty different picture of Panama City, as it is comprised of modern skyscrapers and busy roads. Avenida Balboa is an excellent place to take a stroll in the evenings when temperatures cool down, as the avenue features a promenade that is situated along the Panama Bay. The streets are lined with trees and flowers, and ocean breezes mix with the air. Here, you will encounter a great mix of visitors and locals. Be sure to pass by the monument to Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish explorer who first crossed the Panamanian isthmus in 1513.

Avenida Balboa, Panama City, Panama