After more than a week in Bocas Del Toro in 2010, my friend and I had to travel to Panama City because our flight would leave the next day.
The tourist bus was full, so we had to travel there the backpack way. We took the watertaxi to Almirante, from there we had to take a regular taxi to the bus stop. Our taxi driver was really nice. He was from Jamaica and he wasn’t really a fan of anything in Panama. So when he gave us the tour of the small town, he would just complain about the government, the houses, everything!
We first took a bus to David and from there we took a bus to Panama City. It was a long day, it took us 12 hours to travel from Bocas to the capital. When we arrived we took a taxi straight to our hostel Luna Castle. The hostel was located in Casco Viejo; not the best place to walk around at night so we stayed in.
We had one day of sightseeing in Panama City so these were the sights we visited:
Panama Viejo
Panama Viejo is the remaining part of the old Panama City and former capital of the country. It is located in the suburbs of the modern city. Together with the historical district of Panama, it forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Cathedral of Our Lady of Asunción) is the best-preserved building of the ruins.
I didn’t take this sight in very much because we had a lot of hassle to find a taxi. When we left the hotel to look for a taxi, the moment we asked for the price they would drive away even if we were holding the door open. You have to get into the taxi, state where you’re going and how much you’ll pay and this way they cannot drive away from you.
Panama Canal and Miraflores Locks
We also visited the Miraflores Locks which I believe is the only tourist centre from which you can view the canal. Even though the Panama Canal is very impressive (77km long, it connects the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean), I didn’t think it was a very interesting sight to visit. All along the length of the canal there are locks the ships have to pass through. We were lucky that we saw two ships pass through.
Amador Causeway
In the evening we visited and had dinner on the lovely Amador Causeway. This was actually my favourite place in Panama City, because it feels like you’re leaving behind the hectic city streets.
One thing I noticed and loved in Panama City was how the light would make the place look gorgeous. Not just the street lights at night but also the sunset. The sunset and our subsequent flight home made this the perfect ending to our holidays.
Conclusion
Panama City was the victim of following Bocas Del Toro. The reason we visited the city was because we had to fly home. We were not looking forward to that and therefore Panama City was identified with that feeling. I should revisit when I one day revisit Panama (if I don’t get pulled in to Bocas again), with a more open mind. Especially Amador Causeway had such great potential. Don’t get scared off by my blog. Just know that it was written under the influence of a girl who didn’t want to stop her 1.5 month holiday.
