One of the nice things of Panama City is that there’s so much to see and it’s all close. And unlike Costa Rica, the roads are good too.
A perfect example of how you can dramatically change the city environment for the jungle scenery in less than 30 minute is a visit to an Embara village. In fact, it’s not just a change in scenery, it’s like going back in time, entering another world, forgetting the hustle and bustle of modern life and ….
Conveniently located near The Balboa Inn, Panama’s domestic airport … (formerly Albrook Airforce base) takes you everywhere.
The local airlines are:
AirPanama and Aeroperlas.
Depending on where you come from and what you need to buy, you may want to pay a visit to the Albrook Mall, the largest (covered) mall in Central America. Located just accross the runway from the domestic airport, Albrook mall is great if you need:
Panama City is probably the only big city in the world that has the jungle coming right up to the city limits !
It’s really unique when you see it. Panama has several national parks. In fact, it has more national parks and protected area, both in absolute terms as well as percentage wise, then its better known northern neighbor Costa rica.
The Panama Canal locks at Miraflores mark the Pacific entry of the Panama Canal. 10 minutes by car from the Balboa Inn, you don’t want to miss this one.
The Amador Causeway is a great place to get spectacular views of the city’s skyline as well as traffic going into and coming out of the Panama Canal.
It also houses several attractings such as the ..
And in 2010, the spectacular, Frank Gehry-designed - in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution - Museum of Biodiversity will open.
At only 5 minutes driving from the Balboa Inn, the “Casco Viejo” is an area where you definitely want to spend some time to stroll around. Early morning or late afternoon are best to visit this historial area of Panama City.
After the pirates sacked Panama City, the city was moved to what is now the Casco Viejo.
Come back soon to check our image gallery.
When you look from you (back) room window in the Balboa Inn, you won’t fail to see the imposing ‘Cerro Ancón’. Ancon Hill is a steep 654-foot hill which overlooks Panama City, Panama. It is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the area.
It was under U.S. jurisdiction as part of the Panama Canal Zone for much of the 20th Century, and therefore was never developed like most of the surrounding urbanized parts of the city. The lower slopes contained residences and Gorgas Hospital. Higher up were the residence of the Governor of the Canal Zone, and Quarry Heights, where the U.S. Southern Command was located. Quarry Heights was named for being adjacent to a large rock quarry on one side of the hill, which left a visible cliff face on one side. The hill contains an abandoned undeground bunker once manned by the U.S. Southern Command.
As much of it was undeveloped, it became a kind of an “island” of jungle in an urban area, where wildlife still survived cut off from other jungle areas. It is not uncommon to see sloths, coatimundi, armadillos or deer on Ancon Hill which status is now protected. Its name is used as an acronym by Panama’s environmental group, Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (ANCON) which has its offices here.
It’s a really nice hike up the hill - best in the morning - and ..
There is an excellent new book on the history of the Panama Canal by British writer Matthew Parker. “Panama Fever”. Subtitled “The epic story of one of the greatest human achievements of all time - the building of the Panama Canal’ I can really recommend this book. Fascinating and pleasant to read.
The other classic, ‘Path between the Seas’ by David McCullough, an American is also excellent reading. While covering the same topic, the different nationalities of the writers do result in a somewhat different perpective and focus. Matthew Parker gives more attention to the experiences of the average worker - mostly blacks from the West Indies - on the project and you’ll read a more critical note here and there about the American power politics which is mostly absent from Mr. McCullough’s book.
These books don’t just talk about the building of the Canal, they also cover the politics behind the ‘creation of Panama’ in depth. Really fascinating stuff.
Get them at Amazon.com: Panama Fever and Path Between the Seas.
Real estate is hot in Panama as many as you know. As long time residents we STRONGLY urge you to take your time and carefully research before you buy.
Among the …..
