Things to Do in Casco Viejo, Panama City

Casco Viejo (also called Casco Antiguo or San Felipe) is the historic old town of Panama City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's small enough to walk end to end in about twenty minutes, but you can easily spend a full day, or several evenings, here. These are the highlights.

1. Walk the plazas

Casco Viejo is built around a handful of squares, each with its own character:

• Plaza de la Independencia, the main square, where Panama declared independence from Colombia in 1903.
• Plaza Bolívar, shaded and elegant, next to the palace where Simón Bolívar convened the 1826 Congress of Panama.
• Plaza de Francia, at the tip of the peninsula, a monument to the French canal builders.
• Plaza Herrera, quieter, on the western edge of the neighbourhood.

2. See the churches

The Metropolitan Cathedral, restored and reopened in 2019, dominates the main square. A few blocks away, the modest Church of San José hides the famous Golden Altar. The Church of La Merced has a stone façade carried from the ruins of the first Panama City, and the roofless Santo Domingo ruins hold the Arco Chato, a flat arch with a surprising role in canal history.

3. Learn the story of the canal

The Panama Canal Museum on the main square tells the whole story: the failed French attempt, the American construction and the handover to Panama in 1999. Give it at least an hour. It's closed on Mondays.

4. Catch the sunset on the sea wall

The Paseo Esteban Huertas runs along the top of the old sea wall under a canopy of bougainvillea. In the late afternoon the light falls on the skyline across the bay, and you can often see ships waiting to enter the canal. Artisans sell crafts here, including the colourful molas made by Guna women.

5. Have a drink on a rooftop

Casco Viejo's rooftop bars are one of the best things about an evening in Panama City. Tántalo was the neighbourhood's first rooftop bar, and CasaCasco's top-floor terrace has 360-degree views of the bay and old town. See our eat and drink guide for more.

6. Try Panamanian coffee and food

Panama grows some of the world's most sought-after coffee, including the Geisha variety. Café Unido is a good place to try it. For lunch, look for Panamanian dishes like ceviche, sancocho (the national chicken soup), carimañolas and patacones. On hot afternoons, street vendors in the plazas sell raspao, shaved ice with syrup and condensed milk.

7. See the Palacio de las Garzas

The presidential palace is named after the herons that live in its courtyard. You can see it from outside; access to the surrounding streets is sometimes restricted.

8. Take a walking tour

A guided walk is a quick way to understand what you're looking at. Several companies run walking tours of Casco Viejo in English and Spanish, including tip-based tours. Our one-day itinerary also works as a self-guided route.

Nearby: easy trips from Casco Viejo

• Panama Canal (Miraflores Locks): watch ships pass through the locks from the visitor centre, roughly 20 to 30 minutes away by taxi.
• Amador Causeway and the Biomuseo: a road out into the bay built from canal excavation spoil, with the colourful Frank Gehry–designed biodiversity museum at its start.
• Panamá Viejo: the ruins of the original Panama City, destroyed in 1671 and now part of the same UNESCO World Heritage Site as Casco Viejo.
• Cinta Costera: a waterfront park and promenade linking Casco Viejo to the modern city, good for walking, running and cycling.
• Mercado de Mariscos: the fish market just outside Casco Viejo, where you can eat fresh ceviche.

Practical tips

• Go early or late. Panama is hot all year. Explore in the morning, rest at midday and come back out in the late afternoon.
• Dress for churches. Cover shoulders and knees if you plan to go inside.
• Carry water and sunscreen. There's little shade in some of the plazas.
• Check opening hours. Museums and churches change their hours; confirm before you go.