What is Panama City, Panama really like?
Updated: Aug 8
The Panama City skyline feels like Miami or Dubai with its modern skyscrapers; yet its old city, Casco Viejo, beckons with rich history. Behind the gleaming facades, a complex city at the center of global trade and power scarred by centuries of imperialism emerges.
We stayed at the Marriott AC (https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ptyar-ac-hotel-panama-city/overview) in the financial district. The hotel was fresh and modern and had a rooftop pool practically in the shadow of the Bank of China building.
At the pool, we met a couple from Nashville who were fresh from a visit to the Panama Canal Museum that morning. They asked where we were from and why we had chosen Panama and we explained that we had a layover here a few years earlier on our way to Costa Rica and it piqued our curiosity. They had found super cheap flights, did a little research and decided to check it out. We ended up talking for almost an hour about how the canal was given back to Panama and how it lead to this crazy economic boom but then the skyscrapers were overbuilt and there was a housing market crash and a shady financial services sector emerged which led to a global financial crackdown….on and on. “Look” one of the guys motioned to the skyline “What DON’T you see?” He paused. “Cranes! There are no cranes on the skyline. Nothing new is being built!” He was right, not one construction crane poked up through the buildings. It looked like the party is over.
Between the threat of global financial blacklisting and the impact of climate change on the flow of traffic through the canal, the Panamanian economy has faced headwinds and it is palpable. At the same time, Panama has generous benefits for ex-pat retirees and is seeing a massive influx of foreigners (and their money).
We stayed up at the pool well into the evening, even catching a glimpse of a flock of small green city parrots cruising along the rooftops as the last rays of sunlight dimmed on the horizon.
The next day we took a cab to Casco Viejo, a UNESCO world heritage site. The cab driver, a guy that gave middle aged dad vibes, dropped us off near Plaza Herrera.
First, we grabbed some ice cream at Gelarti Casco Antigua, then we wandered in and out of the colorful shops along the narrow cobblestone lanes until we were exhausted and cranky. Casco Viejo has no shortage of ultra-luxury shopping opportunities, complete with armed guards. In fact, many, if not most shops had armed guards. I’m unsure if that made me feel more or less safe. Down one street we saw a family with young children playing barefoot and living in what appeared to be an abandoned storefront just blocks away from luxury boutiques.
We had a tasty lunch at the graffiti art restaurant in the Tantalo hotel https://www.tantalohotel.com/. The waiter warned that the meal my 12 year old ordered was extra spicy. He was impressed when she finished it! :)
The kids wanted more swimming so we flagged down a cab to go back to our hotel. The little old man driving it had a broad, sparsely toothed smile. He spoke broken English and pointed out sites along our drive, we came to a corner that looked like a military operation. “You don’t go there” he said, “el Chorillo”.
El Chorillo is the neighborhood America invaded when it captured Manuel Noriega; burning cars and buildings and killing hundreds of civilians in pursuit of him. In the years that followed, various gangs moved in and the neighborhood became engulfed by crime. You can still see the scars of the community left to stitch itself back together. Now it’s starting to become a destination as tour groups have sprouted up offering tours of sites where this decapitation operation happened.
Next we drove through what looked to be an abandoned Chinatown district. Many Chinese came to Panama to build the railroad and the canal. The historic Barrio Chino, where many lived, suffered through a long period of neglect so many people left to reestablish themselves in the newer and livelier places like el Dorado, hollowing out the historic neighborhood.
Arriving back at our hotel we drank an assortment of Spanish and Nicaraguan beers and ate fried chicken takeout on the rooftop while the kids splashed around in the pool.
A young and pretty local woman surrounded by three American men in their 60s. They wore khaki shorts, golf shirts and caps. It was clear she was a prostitute, and she wasn’t the first one we had seen, but the way she smiled at me when I shushed my rowdy kids made me feel like she was probably also a mom, trying to do the best she could for her kids. That was a pretty huge privilege slap. I lost track of what happened to them but thought about her for days. I still do.
The next day we grabbed some lunch at a place that I cannot recall the name of. Usually I write these things down but I must have forgotten. OMG the sauces/salsas. If you recognize this place, let me know.
On our way out of town we drove along the Cinta Costera, a four mile long park-like promenade along the sea. It was a Sunday and the park was packed with people out walking, picnicking, bicycling and playing pickleball and basically just enjoying the beautiful day. Then as we entered the countryside, we finally saw our first Diablo Rojo! These buses, used for public transport, are super tricked out secondhand school buses from the US. I'm not sure the story behind them but they are awesome to see.
Ok so overall impressions of Panama City, Panama...I would say the wealth disparity is striking as it is many places, but one thing that felt different to me was how high the high-end was. I mean, there were shops that I couldn't afford to even look at steps away from poverty. BUT there seems to be a vibrant middle class with a good quality of life. There are nice parks to explore and new apartment and condo buildings. We felt safe most places; of course we avoided neighborhoods with known crime problems and because we enjoyed the hotel rooftop deck so much at night, we didn't leave our hotel after sundown. The traffic was a little chaotic so we really kept a close eye on the kids when we were walking around. I could see visiting again, but maybe staying closer to the water.
