The Panama Canal impresses as a sight and experience. You can see the massive cargo vessels cross from one of its locks or from boat at Gatun Lake, or sail through it on a lunch cruise. In the heart of the city’s beginnings, ruins left following a pirate attack in 1671 set a magical backdrop for gala dinners. The cobblestone streets of the Spanish-Colonial Casco Viejo district are lined with cafes and shops, and house the famed gold altar the pirates were after. A meeting hub with high rises and a vibrant nightlife, it has been given the name Little Miami.
• Panama City is over 500 years old and was the first city on the Pacific Ocean in the Americas to be founded.
• The Panama Canal generates a third of the country’s annual income.
• Panama City is just 40 minutes by car from the magnificent Gamboa Rainforest.
• Take over the Miraflores Locks as a venue for a private dinner.
• An underground, guided visit of the Casco Viejo takes you through surprising highs and lows of Panama’s fascinating history.
• Cruise along the coast of Panama City, or take a quick ferry to spend the day at an island with a beautiful beach.
