On the shores of the Pacific Ocean; Panama City is bright, cosmopolitan, and fast moving. Distinctive casinos, bars and restaurants, great shopping, are in beautiful and historical Casco Viejo, the 17th century historical area in mid-renovation; or Panama Viejo, the 16th century Panamanian ruins, the Panama Canal, and the subtropical forest in a metropolitan park all add to the combination that make Panama City exceptional in Central America.
So what kind of lodging do you want in Panama City…? Do you prefer luxury lodging options with 600 thread count sheets and mimosa’s for breakfast? Or do you want median cost dwellings? Even economy travel digs in Panama are available with good food and good folks? They are all accessible! This site will group many of the Panama City lodging alternatives by cost and amenities.
Well you could rent a fully furnished $12 million dollar castle on Contadora Island or stay in spartan lodgings at a Hostel. What would you enjoy the most? Let’s look at the stars of the hospitality industry in Panama City. Until next time…
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Casco Viejo, Calle 4 Ave A, Panama City
Antique furniture and Panamanian artwork set the tone for this bed & breakfast lodging option. This lovely 3 bedroom, 3 and a half bath property in the Casco Viejo, reflects the careful restoration of the property and give it a feel of going back in time to another epoch of Panama’s history. Amenities include a fully equipped kitchen, maid service, dining room, living room with balcony, and a rooftop deck with a great view that’s ideal for entertaining. Rooms may be rented separately or together. Single bedroom and bath lodging is available from $162 per night with breakfast.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Los Cuatro Tulipanes
Avenida Central – Between Calle 3 and Calle 4
Casco Antiguo, San Felipe, Panama City
Los Cuatro Tulipanes are boutique apartments in Casco Antiguo, dedicated to perfecting the travel experience through innovation of the highest standards of hospitality. From elegant interior design to highly-personalized 24-hour customer service, Los Cuatro Tulipanes represents a true home away from home for those who know and appreciate the best. Wow…sounds good, eh?
There are six residences available for rental in Los Cuatro Tuipanes, one of Casco Viejo’s finest models of restoration. From the bright tropical wall tones in the entryway, to the spectacular courtyard areas with century old exposed stone walls, each residence is the lovely example of reborn beauty. These six apartments offer: free cable internet, fully equipped kitchen, unlimited local calls and a cell phone to use while you’re a visitor, TV’s equipped with DirecTV and daily maid service; rates start at $165/night to $195/night, based on season, availability and attitudes of the members in the party.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Panama is one of Latin America’s fastest growing tourism destinations. Amazingly, Panama has gained a reliable renown as: one of the world’s leading intersection of latitude and longitude for those who wish to experience amazing eco tourism objectives, new targets for a variety of sports enthusiasts and becoming a first class retirement destination, with as many alternatives for retirement living, as there are people, it seems.
The first thing you see in Panama City’s skyline is the contrast between the old ‘Panama Viejo’ established in 1519; ‘Casco Viejo’, founded in 1673; and then the new Panama City; represented by a well developed high rise skyline with the addendum of over 250 high rise projects, being built simultaneously.
If you chose to visit a historical site, Casco Viejo can take you way back in time with its narrow streets, fish market and its great colonial architecture. The Panamanian Presidential Palace is located here, away from the noisy hustle and bustle of the busiest international banking district in Latin America. You’ll love peaking at the white cranes strolling around the pond in the President’s garden compound.
It was here the city of Panama was founded in the seventeenth century, and meandering around the neighborhood is definitely like a trip back in time. One block is renovated to the nines and the next looks like a bomb went off… or rather a round of canon balls hit a few hundred years ago.
So some of your neighbors won’t be trying to borrow your Grey’s Poupon…do remember to be realistically cautious, this is a neighborhood in recovery…and its life signs are strong. Since we’re talking about Casco Viejo…let’s consider some of the few lodging alternatives available or close by.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Calle 49 El Cangrejo Panama City AP Panama
Panamanian Phone: (507) 213- 2222 Fax: (507) 213 – 3057
www.lashascas.com E-mail: ventas@lashuacas,com
Decorated in charming old style Panama, Best Western Las Huacas Hotel and Suites offers a comfortable stay to its guests. Best Western Las Huacas is a three-star hotel that offers moderately-priced rooms equipped with 24-hour room service, a kitchenette, and radio.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) (LSE:IHG) (NYSE:IHG) (ADRs), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, announces the grand opening of the InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort&Spa, the first luxury beach resort in Panama. The 300-room resort is the second InterContinental hotel and the third IHG property in Panama. Owned by Empresas Bern under a license agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group (Nachrichten), the resort is situated on 20 acres of lush rainforest and is located just 20 minutes outside Panama City near the western entrance of the Panama Canal. It is the third alliance between IHG and Empresas Bern, one of Panama’s most prosperous developers. Bern has had long-standing agreements with IHG; and his Miramar InterContinental Panama and the Crowne Plaza Panama properties are both located in Panama City. “This magnificent property is a marvelous complement to IHG’s resorts across the globe,” says Alvaro Diago, Area President of InterContinental Hotels Group Latin America. “Herman Bern’s vision, once again, surpasses everyone’s expectations. This resort is IHG’s first in Central America and is destined to be one of the region’s premier properties.”
At InterContinental Playa Bonita, luxury begins with its spacious guestrooms, which feature magnificent views of the ocean and a casual yet elegant West Indies-inspired decor. Every room is thoughtfully appointed and equipped with luxury bedding, rich wood furnishings, air conditioning, cable television and wireless Internet access. In addition, Playa Bonita’s prime locale, within a self-contained enclave along a one mile stretch of golden beach bordered by natural reserves, provides guests with a tranquil oceanfront resort that is isolated from the outside world; yet, it has convenient access to the rainforest, Panama Canal, Panama City, the historic colonial city of Casco Viejo and Amador Causeway for a truly lavish travel experience.
Designed with the well-seasoned traveler in mind, InterContinental Playa Bonita’s brilliant white Mediterranean-influenced architecture, coupled with sophisticated and imaginative style, surrounds guests with a refreshing sense of peace and relaxation. White day beds scatter the grounds overlooking the Pacific Ocean and hammocks hang between every palm tree lining the beach. A mist pool provides a quiet oasis for adults and Bonita Del Mar, the resort’s 10,000 sq ft holistic spa, is the ultimate escape to cool off from the Panama sun. Additionally, the resort boasts four free-form swimming pools, three restaurants, 12,500 feet of meeting space and a number of outdoor activities.
“Playa Bonita is truly a grand work of art,” continued Alvaro Diago. “Herman Bern set out to deliver the luxury product that this destination has been missing, and I’m proud to say that Playa Bonita is it.”
“This property brings together the best elements of both companies,” adds Bern. “We have always been proud of our involvement with IHG, as their brands lend unparalleled global recognition. There is unlimited potential when two companies like ours are working together to develop a property.”
For more information or to make a reservation, please call 1-800-327-0200 or visit http://www.intercontinental.com .
The InterContinental Playa Bonita participates in Priority Club Rewards, the world’s first and most global hotel loyalty program spanning more than 3,600 hotels in nearly 100 countries. Members earn their choice of points toward free hotel nights or merchandise, or earn frequent flyer miles with more than 40 domestic and international airline partners. Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free. Guests enroll online at http://www.priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or at the front desk of any InterContinental Hotels& Resorts property.
InterContinental Hotels&Resorts continues to grow its presence in the Americas region. In 2005, the company’s flagship hotel, the InterContinental Buckhead, completed its first full year of operations. The InterContinental Merida in Mexico joined the portfolio in 2005 and was quickly followed by the opening of the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza in January 2006. This Spring, the InterContinental Harbor Court Baltimore will open. Currently under construction are the InterContinental Boston, scheduled to open in Fall 2006, the InterContinental San Francisco, scheduled to open in late 2007 and the InterContinental Sacramento scheduled to open in mid-2008. Plans are also underway for the new InterContinental Resort&Residences Orlando with construction expected to begin in late 2006 and the property expected to open in early 2009.
IHG has been serving Latin America for 60 years — with hotels situated in nearly every key market in Central and South America. IHG is one of the leading hotel companies in Central and South America.
Note to Editors:
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom (LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)) is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 3,600 hotels and 537,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels&Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels&Resorts, Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R), Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel Indigo(TM), and also manages the world’s largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards.
InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at http://www.ichotelsgroup.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at http://www.priorityclub.com.
For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group, visit our online Press Office at http://www.ihgplc.com/media
http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2006-03/artikel-6222810.asp
SOURCE: Don Winner @ Panama-guide.com
If you are interested in doing business in Panama or doing business with Panama you will want to make the right contacts, hire a competent, English speaking lawyer, and have someone on your side who knows local customs and politics. VIP Panama takes pride in connecting its clients to the right luxury living accommodations, the right business arrangements, and the most discrete entertainment when required.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Introduction
Nestled in Central America, Panama is bordered by Columbia and Costa Rica. It’s not the first place one thinks of when planning a high-end vacation, but Panama does offer a handful of resorts designed to satisfy travelers in search of luxury accommodations.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Book Luxury Accommodations in Panama
Steps
1
Step One
Call the Instituto Panameño de Turismo toll-free for more information about booking luxuxry accommodations in Panama at (800) 962-1526. You can also book online through their Web site (see Resources).
2
Step Two
Find your own little paradise at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort, Golf and Casino in Playa Blanca. As the name suggests, there are all kinds of sports and activities available. All meals, drinks, gratuities and most amenities are included in the price of the room. Book reservations online (see Resources) or call 011 (+507) 9 932255. (From outside of the United States and Canada, call 00 (+507) 9 932255.)
3
Step Three
Mellow out by booking a room on Panama’s Caribbean coast. Hotels on this coast offer an easygoing Caribbean mood and amenities like snorkeling. Rooms are available for around $120 per night.
4
Step Four
Get away from it all by booking a room at a hotel on Pearl Islands, a secluded archipelago located off the coast of Panama. These islands are home to swank resorts and remote, unspoiled beaches, and offer the opportunity for a truly secluded vacation.
5
Step Five
Book accommodations near Panama City to cool your heels in some of the country’s most upscale hotels. Hotels are available that occupy acres and acres of land near the country’s picturesque rain forests. Amenities include gift shops, beauty services, laundry/valet services, high-speed Internet and spa services. Expect to pay over $300 per night.
Or, we offer a refreshing alternative to finding luxurious accommodations, interesting things to do, and introductions to the right people.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
THERE was a time, back in the mid-70′s, when the tiny island of Contadora was an ”in” place, the kind of trendy tourist mecca that Panama is now desperately eager to recreate. Hollywood stars and international jet-setters — John Wayne and Christian Dior among others — visited. An international treaty was signed there. In 1979, the shah of Iran lived for a few months in a private villa on this small paradise in the Pacific Ocean, some 40 miles off the coast from Panama City.
These days, Panama is looking inland, along the once off-limits Canal Zone, as it makes its bid for foreign tourists. Its latest attraction is the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, a stunning $30 million hotel on the banks of the Chagres River that offers eco-tourism with 24-hour room service, a very 21st-century mix of self-indulgence with a nature-friendly touch.
For a New Year’s holiday, a group of us — two families, with two adults and two children each — set off to try out Panama’s tourist destinations, old and new. After a five-hour flight from Newark International Airport, we arrived late at night in Panama City and by the next afternoon we were on a small plane, taking the 20-minute flight across the Pacific to Contadora.
The island is still largely unspoiled, although in truth, there isn’t much to it. It is all of half a square mile, big enough for several dozen villas (more are being built), a school, a church, a ”supermarket,” several boutiques, a cafe, a disco, a few bed-and-breakfasts and two hotels. Both hotels are perched on the northern end of the island, near the airstrip.
The island’s attractions can’t be explained by what is on it but by what is around it: clear calm turquoise waters that lap up onto smooth white beaches, a combination usually associated with the Caribbean and rarely found along Central America’s Pacific Coast. The Pacific has big tides and on Contadora, low tide is a dramatic sight, tripling the size of beaches and turning rocky shorelines into steep cliffs.
The shallow waters are ideal for young children. Older children will want to wait for high tide to get on one of the Jet Skis available for rent at the hotel beaches. Our best afternoon was spent on a two-masted sailboat hired through Las Perlas Sailing, which is run by a French couple. (They also offer other tours, including a spin on a banana-shaped tube pulled by a Jet Ski for $15 a child).
At a cost of $35 per adult, $20 per child, we set off with a three-member crew who took us to some of the outlying islands in the Las Perlas Archipiélago, our eyes peeled for possible dolphin or even whale sightings. Altogether the archipelago has 220 islands, but only a dozen are occupied. One, San José, was recently depopulated abruptly while the United States began to clean up chemical waste left there during World War II.
The guidebooks told us that the snorkeling would be good, and on our stop near one uninhabited island, we found that to be true. We saw large blue parrotfish and other fishes of various stripes and colors. What we didn’t see were the ”golden hair” jellyfish, which are virtually invisible but can be felt as they brush against your skin, leaving a rash that itches intensely for 10 minutes or so. And we never did see dolphins or whales.
Other excursions are possible — for instance, in a glass-bottomed boat that charges $15 a person per hour, but that we never did try out. Another outing we didn’t try was parasailing. There was also a local fisherman who picked up the enthusiasts among us in a motorized dinghy early one morning, and returned them three hours later with three fish (one caught using a wrench, rather than a lead weight, on the line). Another fisherman promised to pick up a slightly less enthusiastic group at dawn on another day and then failed to show up, leaving us to watch the pelicans rise to meet the sun.
There are several beaches on the island, some of which are most easily reached by boat. But the best is Playa Larga, which stretches out on both sides of the Hotel Contadora and ends in a point of land where pelicans like to roost.
In the old days this 350-room hotel, with its dozen buildings, green lawns, tennis courts, two swimming pools and a nine-hole golf course, was the center of the island’s buzzing social life, and the clue to its international reputation.
But the Hotel Contadora’s glory days are long over, and that is putting it kindly. The main restaurant, where waiters used to stand four deep to serve an elegant clientele, is now open for institutional-type buffet service: the one exception was a varied breakfast that quickly became our favorite meal of the day. Evening entertainment is provided by the hotel staff, which puts on ribald skits in both English and Spanish, and leads the guests in overamplified shouting.
There were other deficiencies — a periodic lack of hot water, sudden flooding, missing toilet seats and most remarkably, over the New Year’s holiday, no telephones except for two public phones — one in the front lobby, beneath the dusty skeleton of a fish, the other behind a door marked ”for staff only.”
The point is that the Hotel Contadora is unapologetically bad, although it must be said parenthetically, it is also cheap: at $150 a night per couple, everything included, which, besides meals and carefully controlled access to beach towels, means ”unlimited national drink” (as it turned out, this was alcohol in gallon jugs and wine in wax cartons, served up in white plastic glasses). The champagne ran out years ago.
Luckily, there is a decent hotel on Contadora, which just opened in September. The Hotel Punta Galeon is owned by one of the two partners in the Hotel Contadora, but the contrast couldn’t be more stark. Unlike its sprawling neighbor, the Punta Galeon, with 48 rooms, is very compact. It was built almost at treetop level on a rocky point of land, with a series of wraparound terraces that provide various stunning sea views.
THE rooms are small, simple and whitewashed, with built-in beds and bedside tables and little balconies attached. The bathrooms (showers only) are attractive and clean, and the water takes only minutes (as opposed to days) to warm up. And the telephones work.
Still, this is a hotel best suited to adults: there are good places to read, and not many to run around. The swimming pool is right next to the outdoor bar and restaurant, and thus not too tolerant of shouting and splashing. (At the Contadora, the opposite is true: no matter how loud your children, they will not be heard over the hard-core Caribbean rock ‘n’ roll played over the loudspeakers.)
The two restaurants at the Punta Galeon are à la carte, one outside for lunch, and one indoors and open only in the evenings. A lunch costs about $20 (for sandwiches, salads, chicken-in-the-basket sort of fare), while dinner, which could include sea bass grilled, fried or, more colorfully, ”run over by flour and eggs” as well as lobster and shrimp, could run as high as $50 to $60 a head, including wine.
The best restaurant on the island lies between the two hotels, up a slight hill. Called Gerald’s, it has good fish, good meat (amazing for an island) and some German dishes, and the service is swift. A New Year’s Eve meal for a family of four came to $110, including drinks. For dessert, the Café Angelina, on the other side of the airstrip, is recommended for very good Italian ice cream.
The Punta Galeon’s beach is smaller than the Playa Larga and a lot more public. Not only do the planes fly overhead but this is also where the island’s occasional ferry docks, picking up passengers right off the shore.
Ferry is rather a grand word for the Soviet-made hydofoil that makes the two-hour trip from Balboa, the port that marks the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. We happened upon this rather incongruous vessel (which began life as part of the Soviet river fleet) almost by accident, after we decided to leave the island a day early. However, since the fare for the boat and the plane are virtually identical — $56 for a round trip, it is advisable to stick to the plane, which is more predictable and quicker.
With our extra day, we were able to spend more time at the Gamboa, which was the exact opposite of the Contadora. In the heart of what was once the Panama Canal Zone, where the River Chagres flows into Lake Gatún, this 110-room hotel provided both total luxury and total quiet. The main building has gigantic three-story windows that look over an exotic landscape that could be out of Africa, with a savannalike park set against a river bounded by tropical forests.
Each one of the hotel’s rooms has the same view, best seen from the hammock that hangs on each of the balconies. Down at the bottom of the garden is a giant attractive pool that is fed by a waterfall and also looks onto the river valley view.
Besides a marina with its waterfront restaurant and its own spa, the resort offers a number of excursions that justify its eco-status. They include a sunrise birding tour, an evening wildlife boat tour, a ride on an aerial tram that provides a treetop view of the rain forest, a hike up a trail used by the conquistadors, sports fishing on Lake Gatún and kayaking on the Chagres. Most of these excursions cost at least $50 for an adult, which can quickly add up.
The resort is built in an area that was once the headquarters for the canal’s dredging operations. The old buildings, built in the 1930′s and once used for the American staff, have been converted into apartments, 45 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedrooms. These were largely empty when we were there, giving the whole place a strange aura of an abandoned colonial plantation.
The canal itself is perhaps the most intriguing, and certainly a unique, part of any visit to Panama. Leaving aside the awesome engineering feat and the sight of container ships the size of a midtown Manhattan block, a journey through the old zone — once off limits to ordinary Panamanians — is an excursion into a part of United States history that many of us have forgotten.
Island and mainland havens
To call Panama, dial 011, then the 507 country code.
Contadora
The island is an 18-minute plane ride from the Marcos A. Gelabert Airport in Panama City on either Las Perlas Airlines, (507) 315-7500 in Panama City, (507) 250-4026 on Contadora, or Aviatur, (507) 315-0311 in Panama City, (507) 250-4192 on Contadora. Island information: www.isla-contadora.com.
At the Hotel Punta Galeon, (507) 214-3719, fax (507) 214-3721, www.puntagaleon.com, a double is $127 a night, plus 10 percent tax.
Villa Romántica, (507) 250-4067, www
.contadora-villa-romantica.com, offers six air-conditioned rooms on the sea; at the restaurant, guests are invited to cook for themselves on hot stones or in fondue pots. Rooms range from $80 to $100.
Restaurant Gerald’s, on a hill above the Hotel Contadora; (507) 250-4061. A meal for two, with wine, costs approximately $40.
Gamboa
At the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, (507) 314-9000, fax (507) 214-1694; www.gamboa resort.com, a double costs $175 plus tax,
but there are a number of package deals that include transportation from the airport, excursions or treatment at the in-house
spa.
The drive from the Tocumen International Airport takes about an hour.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
PANAMA CITY, Panama — Known for its famed waterway, Panama’s capital boasts more than just a spot to watch the ships cross through the engineering marvel.
Visitors can chose between a swim in the Pacific or the Caribbean, hear tales of pirates looting the city’s original site, find bargain shopping, sample tropical fruits and try their luck at the horse races in Panama City.
OUTDOORS
Head to the Amador Causeway and snap photos of Panama’s downtown or the Bridge of the Americas, where traffic crosses over while ships cruise through the canal. Once part of the off-limits Canal Zone guarded by the U.S. military, the causeway has become a favorite of locals and tourists. The thin strip surrounded by the ocean houses duty-free shops, restaurants, hotels and dance clubs. Construction signs and sites make it evident that there’s more on the way. Kiosks sell hammocks, guayaberas, hats and molas, brightly colored fabrics with elaborate, hand-sewn designs of the Kuna Indian tribe.
By day, twentysomethings and families catch the cool of the ocean breeze while biking, in-line skating, or jogging along the causeway. It’s a strenuous and humid walk, so renting multiseat bikes at the stretch’s entrance works best.
For a day of diving, snorkeling and other water sports, head for Taboga Island, on the Pacific coast. Ferries bound for Isla Taboga leave from a Balboa pier and the causeway each morning and return in the late afternoon.
MUSEUMS
Check out any of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s stations. Visit one of the island sites, such as the Barro Colorado Field Research Station, for a boat ride across the canal’s Gatun Lake and a chance to see a half-dozen native monkey species in their natural setting.
At the Marine Exhibition Center in Punta Culebra, view sloths, pelicans and other tropical forest-dwellers along with an unfettered view of the ships crossing and the rhythmic pounding of waves crashing on jagged rocks. Both kids and adults will be mesmerized watching the crab-eating shark and hearing the boas slithering in the dry forest walk within the park.
CUISINE
For breakfast, sip a frothy cafe con leche, made with locally grown coffee beans, or cinnamon tea. Beer connoisseurs should look for local brews Soberana, Balboa and Atlas, which have a light taste that’s thirst-quenching in the sticky climate.
Pencas offers a view of the ocean and authentic Panamanian cuisine, which is inexpensive even at many upscale eateries. On the restaurant’s menu are minitamales wrapped in plantain leaves, pesada de nance (a cereal-textured fruit dessert with bits of white cheese), dorado en salsa de coco (fish in coconut sauce) and ojaldas (a fried bread). On Wednesday nights, Pencas features a troupe of foot-shuffling folk dancers and a live band complete with accordion. As the show wraps up, dancers and some of the servers extend their hands for a dance with audience members. When I told our waiter that I didn’t know the steps, he turned to my mom and asked “Does the lady dance?”
HISTORY
History buffs should explore the remnants of Panama’s colonial past to learn about its history in the quest for riches in the Americas. Just a cab away from most points in the capital city is Panama la Vieja. In 1671, Panama la Vieja was sacked by pirates, led by Sir Henry Morgan. Red-brick streets, a cathedral spire and crumbling walls, arches and buildings of the Spanish settlement era remain.
Guided tours telling of the colony’s former grandeur and demise are available.
Some miles away is the Casco Viejo, an old colonial neighborhood with narrow streets and pastel-colored buildings in the midst of renovation. Its architecture resembles New Orleans’ French Quarter.
Just like locals have for centuries, watch the sunset from the Paseo de las Bovedas, a sea walk along an old Spanish military fort that served as a prison. Other sites include the Catedral Metropolitana, El Teatro Nacional and the unguarded Church of the Golden Altar. Several restaurants and cafes also dot the neighborhood.
GAMBLING
Place a bet on the horse races at the Hipodromo Presidente Jose A. Remon on a Thursday afternoon and mingle with locals and visitors. The horseracing park also is open weekends and holidays.
More than a half-dozen other casinos also offer all night games of chance in Panama. Among the favorite spots is the casino at the Hotel Panama.
NIGHT LIFE
Hit the causeway or the city’s financial district for some dancing, dining and drinking.
ELSEWHERE
Panama City also connects travelers by plane, bus or boat to other provinces. You can spot large green plantain leaves and dozens of noni plants heading out of the capital city. If you roll down the car windows while driving through heavily forested areas, you might hear the monkeys shrieking.
- The province of Colon is where gold and silver from the Americas passed before being transported to Europe. Explore the cannons and the lush green Spanish fortress in Portobelo.
Bocas del Toro offers scuba diving and national parks for trekking.
- Baru volcano is Panama’s highest point at 11,408 feet. Close by is the alpine town of Boquete, in the province of Chiriqui.
IF YOU GO:
Panama
PANAMA TOURISM
INSTITUTE: www.visitpanama.com or (011) (507) 226-7000.
SMITHSONIAN
TROPICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE MARINE
EXHIBITION CENTER: www.stri.org. Adults, $2; retirees, $1; children, 50 cents.
PENCAS RESTAURANT: Amador Causeway, (011) (507) 211-3671.
HIPODROMO
PRESIDENTE JOSE A. REMON RACING PARK: www.hipodromo.com/general (in Spanish) or (011) (507) 217-6060.
SAFETY: Panama is relatively safe, but be aware and don’t venture into some neighborhoods at night. The country has a special police force to help tourists.
DRIVING: Driving within the city can be erratic and some areas have few traffic signs or lights.
TAXIS: Taxis looking for a fare usually honk. Wave to flag them down and settle on price before taking trips.
Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2005
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
http://www.suntimes.com
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
BEST HOTEL
Caesar Park. Decorative details, historic ambience and comfort make this hotel a favorite among LATIN TRADE readers. The location is perfect–in front of the Atlapa Convention Center, close to the airport and near large financial institutions. Housed in a colonial-style building, Caesar Park has tour restaurants, a lobby bar, 353 rooms and eight luxury suites. All guest rooms look out over the bay or the Pacific Ocean. Guests can use the Caesar Xpress Service Center 24 hours a day to do anything from make a plane reservation to drop off dry cleaning. The Executive Club rooms, set up with workspaces and Internet and computer connections, offer business travelers extra privacy and amenities. There’s also a business center with a wide range of services. Rates run from US$105 for a regular room to $165 for an executive room. Via Israel at Calle 77, San Francisco de la Caleta. Phone: [507] 270-0477. www.caesarpark.com
BEST HISTORICAL RUINS OUTSIDE PANAMA CITY
Portobelo. This 400-year-old former fortress guarded one of the most important ports of the Spanish empire, used to load gold and silver from South America onto galleons for shipment back to Europe. The fortress came under repealed attacks from legendary pirates Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan, prompting the Spanish government to seek safer sea routes in the late 17th century. The mine great fortress-port, declared a national historical monument in 1976, is now a sleepy fishing rover with several excellent seafood restaurants. Portobelo is in the Caribbean province of Colon, two hours east of Panama City by car.
BEST TOUR
Bocas del Toro. Most of these enchanting Caribbean islands, which offer diving, swimming and hiking, are part of the Bastimentos National Marine Park During nesting season, you’ll see turtles along the beaches. The main town, Bocas del Tom, on the southeastern part of Colon Island, has hotels and entertainment spots. The archipelago is accessible by plane from Panama City or from the towns of David and Changuinola, or by boat from Almirante and Chiriqui Grande.
BEST RESTAURANT
Las Bovedas. This chic restaurant and weekend jazz bar is tucked into an old dungeon under the defensive sea wall of the Casco Viejo, the center of Panamanian architectural history. La Bovedas offers a unique dinning experience inside the century-old, domed-ceiling stone dungeon. If you gel, claustrophobic, you can eat on the outdoor plaza. French fare and seafood. Plaza de Francia in Casco Viejo. Phone: [507] 228-8058.
BEST TRAVEL AGENCY
Fidanque Panama. The efficiency and quality service of this local agency has made it the exclusive representative in Panama for Avis car rental, American Express and Crystal Cruises. Calle 50 at 59, Urbanization Obarrio. Phone: [507] 264-2444. www.fidanquetravel.com
BEST TOURIST SITE
Miraflores locks. The longest and tallest of three sets of locks on the Panama Canal, the gates at Miraflores on the Caribbean side of the canal has a two-story observation tower to take photos of ships passing through the canal and wave to boat passengers. English- and Spanish-language tourism information is available about the history and construction of the canal. A bilingual guide offers information on the boats and ships passing through. It takes approximately 10-15 minutes for boats to enter and leave the gravity-powered locks. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Public bathrooms and a gift shop. The best way to get there is by taxi, $8 one way.
Latin Trade, Feb, 2004
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
