Panama City
Within the city, taxis are easy to catch and
their fares are based on a published tariff.
Banks are concentrated near the city center,
between Vía España and Calle 50.
The preserved colonial Casco Viejo, a
small peninsula on the southwest coast,
and the Miraflores Locks are the city’s
main landmarks.
h o w
To Get There
The Tocumen International Airport is located
15 miles northeast of Panama City’s
center. A taxi to the city costs approximately
$25 and takes about 30 minutes.
Panama collects a $20 departure tax.
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To Stay
Elegant yet modern, the
Panama Marriott Hotel (Calle 52 and Ricardo Arias, Area Bancaria, tel: 507-210-9100) is located within the city’s financial and business district. Room rates range from $160-$325 plus 10% tax. Visit www.marriott.com or e-mail:reservaciones@panamamarriott.com.
We like The Bristol
(Aquilino de la Guardia,
tel: 507-265-7844), a luxurious hotel in the
heart of the financial district, traditionally
decorated with mahogany furniture and Panamanian art. Room rates range from
$180-$550. Visit
www.thebristol.com
or
send an e-mail to: bristol@thebristol.com.
Another good option in Panama City is the InterContinental Miramar Panama (Avenida Balboa, tel: 507-214-1000), also located near the city’s banking district. Room rates range from $200-$1,500 plus 10% tax. Visit www.miramarpanama.com or write to: panama@interconti.com.
To Eat
Siete Mares
(Area Bancaria, El Cangrejo,
tel: 264-0144) serves excellent seafood
and has an extensive wine list. The
restaurant is located in a commercial
area along the Via España, near the city
center and the banking district. The décor
is simple, with wooden tables and
paintings on the walls.
To Drink
Las Bóvedas (Plaza Francia, Calle Primera Final, tel: 228-8058) and Café de Asis (Plaza Bolivar, tel: 262-9304) are both located in the Casco Viejo. They are good places to relax and sit outside surrounded by colonial architecture. The Wine Bar
(Calle Eusebio a Morales 55 on
the ground floor of the Hotel Las Vegas,
tel: 265-4701) is located in El Cangrejo
area. It features more than 300 wines and
serves delicious gourmet cheeses, pizza
and other nice accompaniments to a great
glass of wine.
To Unwind
The old colonial city center of San Felipe is
w h a t
the most picturesque and historically interesting
part of Panama City, home to many
of its most important buildings, museums
and colonial churches. Panama is, of
course, famous for its canal. Most people
prefer seeing it from the Miraflores Locks, a
30-minute drive from the city, where you
can observe huge ships being gently shoehorned
into the locks for passage.
To Buy
Panama is a good place to buy native Indian
2004 National Holidays
May 1 – May Day
art most notably
molas, hand-embroidered
appliqués of the Kuna Indians made
from brilliantly colored cotton textiles. These
are available at the Mercado de Artesanías
in Plaza Cinco de Mayo and Mi Pueblito in
Avenida de Los Martires.
October 11 – Columbus Day
November 3 – Separation of Panama
from Colombia
November 10 – First Cry of Independence
from La Villa de Los Santos
November 28 – Independence from Spain
December 8 – Mother’s Day
December 25 – Christmas Day