Top 10 Things To See And Do In Panama City

Mainly covered by jungle, Panama is also the financial hub of Latin America. The skyscrapers of Panama City emerge between the green vegetation and the sea, in a megalopolis that brings together nature and cement, tropical climate, colonial architecture and a melting pot of cultures. At the crossroads of two continents, the Panamanian capital is in constant evolution. Here are the top 10 things to see and do in Panama City.

1. Cross the Panama Canal by boat

The Panama Canal is an engineering marvel and the best way to see it is by boat. Crossing through the passage that brings together the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Panama Canal Tours offer partial and total boat trips of the Canal, with prices ranging from $120 to $180 per person, starting in the rainforest park of Gamboa, transiting through the locks and continuing either in the Panama Bay or all the way to the port of Colon, on the other end of the Canal.

4. Visit Casco Viejo with ex-gang members

Discover the gentrified neighbourhood of Casco Viejo through the eyes of ex-gang members. The NGO Esperanza has built a programme called Fortaleza Tours that employs some of the young men who once found themselves at the margins of gang violence, with the goal of allowing them to reintegrate into normal life rather than being compounded to criminality. Get to know the new wave of community leaders who will share their past, present and future with you during one of these eye-opening tours.

1. Eat ceviche at the fish market

Market, Seafood

Open from 6am to 5pm, Panama City’s Mercado de Mariscos is the best place in town to buy fish. Whether you want to buy fresh sea bass and shrimps just as the fisherman unload their boats, or if you are looking for a place to have lunch, a visit to the fish market is an absolute must. Sit at one of the numerous tiny restaurants and order a fresh ceviche (raw fish and seafood marinated in citrus juice) to get a taste of one of the most popular dishes in the coastal regions of Latin America.

2. Visit the Gamboa Rainforest Resort

Resort, Hotel

A butterfly at Gamboa Rainforest Resort, Panama

Just 30 minutes away from the city center, the Gamboa Rainforest Resort is a 340 acre wide resort, located right where the Chagres River joins the Panama Canal. Offering panoramic views over the Soberania National Forest, the resort provides a wide selection of activities to both guests and visitors including a Night Safari, an Aerial Tram, a butterfly farm, a tour to the indigenous villages of the Emberá, boat tours to spot wildlife and much more.