What do you think of when you hear Casco Viejo? For those of you in the know, Panama City, UNESCO, Spanish history, and interesting architecture may come to mind. Those are all true of Casco Viejo. As we learned, there is much more to discover in this historical Panamanian city.
Join us as we stroll the streets of historic Casco Viejo!
Casco Viejo’s history is rich and colorful.
Origins of this historic gem date back to 1671 with Pirate Henry Morgan. History says he attacked, looted and destroyed the Old City, Panama Viejo. Residents needed a location that was easier to defend. That search resulted in the beautiful walled city Casco Viejo.
Whether you refer to Casco Viejo as Casco Antiguo, San Felipe, or El Casco, the result is the same. Casco Viejo is a melting pot of culture, UNESCO-worthy sites, and vibrant social activity.
Let me set the record straight. When Papa Joe and I decided to visit Panama City, we had reserved a room in a name-brand hotel overlooking the Panama Canal. Once I started researching Panama, I quickly decided our time would be better spent in Casco Viejo.
Bye-bye big-name hotel. Hello Casa Antigua!
What made Casa Antigua Hotel special?
There are so many things. Let’s start with a quote from Casa Antigua themselves:
Casa Antigua blends the rich history of this UNESCO World Heritage Site with the modern comforts and conveniences expected by today’s sophisticated travelers.
Ultra-private yet located just minutes from the city’s most celebrated attractions, this intimate, European-style hotel is a favorite of frequent travelers to Panama’s capital city.
Casa Antigua Hotel
I wholeheartedly agree with their description.
What was important to us though, was how the location enhanced our Casco Viejo experience. I don’t want to go on and on about a hotel. There are some important Casco Viejo details that Casa Antigua plays a part in.
My first Casco Viejo tidbit.
Casco Viejo is a historic city. Those of you who routinely visit European and Caribbean historic cities understand the implications of that statement.
For those of you who don’t, it means narrow, often one-way streets. It means cobbled or brick-paved streets. Above all, it means crowded traffic. Traffic jams were pretty common in Panama City and Casco Viejo.
Casa Antigua’s significance is their location at the entry-point for Casco Viejo. Traffic further into the city, even the next block was often at a stand-still. This was obvious to us every time we left the hotel.
Not only did we not have to fight traffic at the end of the day. But we also had the perfect vantage from our hotel balcony to watch the traffic-induced entertainment each evening.
One thing Casco Viejo establishments had in common was rooftop evening entertainment. Casa Antigua’s establishment was a destination for locals and tourists alike.
Lastly, our patio seats offered the perfect location to watch Panama City’s fireworks displays. It was also a great spot to listen to music floating from other rooftop establishments.
In short – this modest hotel with an old-city European architecture epitomized the soul of Casco Viejo. Casa Antigua succeeded in blending the historic and modern aspects of Casco Viejo perfectly. It was a great home base for our Panama City experience.
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Did you know there are 1121 UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the world? Panama is home to 5 of those sites. Just in case you wanted to know.
UNESCO officially lists Casco Viejo as the “Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá”. That’s a nice way to describe architecture.
Both the crumbling kind and architecture that has been revitalized.
I’m just sayin’.
Before we dive in…
While Casco Viejo is a suburb of Panama City, the architecture in Casco Viejo was much different.
From a tourist perspective, the architecture in Panama City varied from disheveled hovels to bright, shining skyscrapers.
While Casco Viejo has some areas with crumbling architecture, much of the area has been revitalized.
Are you ready for Casco Viejo’s architecture and UNESCO sites?
I don’t believe a visit to Casco Viejo is complete without exploring the historical UNESCO sites scattered throughout the city.
So we did.
We spent hour upon hour roaming the city streets. Historical sites in the city are well marked. I am sharing several photos – there are too many to share every historical site.
Are you ready?
First, a map of Casco Viejo’s historical sites will be helpful.
We spent several days exploring the area.
Unfortunately, we were unable to visit all 32 sites identified on this map. There is just that much to see in Casco Viejo.
Are you ready to dive in?
Historical Architecture feature #1.
Why do I consider this beautiful old building to be my historic architectural feature? Holy cow.
This architectural gem is #1 because it was right across the street from our hotel balcony.
We spent each night watching activities here. Different nation’s flags are being flown each day. Armed guards coming in and out. Christmas decorations appear on the beautiful exterior. Exotic cars pulling up and departing.
It was just plain intriguing.
Being right across the street from us, it was our first site each morning as we set out to explore the city.
This view is actually taken from a vantage point on the Cinco Costera.
The Cinco Costera is located at the edge of Casco Viejo. Cinco Costera is the park and promenade along the Panama Canal, enjoyed by many residents.
Neither of us is accustomed to the short mincing steps required by Casco Viejo’s narrow sidewalks and cobbled streets. We appreciated the chance to stretch our legs on Cinco Costera.
Time for more history and architecture.
Let’s start at Cathedral Plaza, and numbers 17-20 on our map.
Cathedral Plaza has several names. You will find it referenced as Cathedral Plaza, Main Plaza, and Independence Plaza.
Regardless of which name you choose, this plaza is a gathering place for local residents.
The plaza is surrounded by landmarks. Visitors will find the Panama Canal Museum and the Municipal Palace circling the plaza.
The featured highlight of the plaza is the Cathedral Basilica. While the exterior is impressive, I think the interior is more beautiful.
What do you think?
Exploring more of Casco Viejo.
The unassuming exterior of San Felipe de Neri held no clue to the magnificent interior (number 5 on our map).
We almost walked by it.
Statues are common in many European-style plazas. Plaza Herrera (number 14) was no different.
We checked out the National Theater, Saint Francis of Assisi Church, Bolivar Palace, and Bolivar Plaza (numbers 1-4).
Unfortunately, there just isn’t room for every picture in one post.
Drumroll please – my favorite Casco Viejo site!
Iglesia San Jose – Saint Joseph Church (number 15), was easily my favorite. You may think it was my favorite because of Papa Joe. Nope, Iglesia San Jose earned that rank all on its own.
First, there was the amazing interior structure, with an ornately decorated ceiling and altar.
But, that was nothing compared to this sanctuary’s other treasures.
We followed an open door past the altar. What we found, was an amazing room.
In this room, Saint Joseph Church featured an homage to Christ’s birth, with a room-size diorama depicting Jerusalem.
The same room featured life-sized statues of Christ’s disciples.
This was an incredible surprise, amazingly beautiful, and spiritually moving feature.
We explored everything on the UNESCO map, except for the far-south peninsula, numbers 27-32.
Wear your walking shoes. Carry plenty of water. There is an abundance of history to explore in Panama City!
How does Casco Viejo blend history with modern features?
We found this was a touchy question.
The city’s residents appreciate the significance of this treasure-trove they live in. However, residents resent outsiders renovating building facades without touching the interior of the buildings.
We saw several examples where this occurred. Beautifully plastered painted exteriors, with empty shells behind the walls.
On the converse side, we also saw crumbling building walls with tree growth taller than the buildings.
I found an odd beauty in those crumbling buildings.
One of the modern concessions is the variety of restaurants and shopping available. Internet and cell phone access were easily available and reliable.
It was common to find tour companies intermingled with shopping and restaurants.
The colors of Casco Viejo.
Panama is a colorful country. I came to a ” brilliant” conclusion while visiting Panama. The multi-colored environment around them inspires Panama’s residents.
Panamanian street art and building colors were living examples of this.
The photo below was my favorite piece of street art. We found this conveniently located in Casco Viejo.
Here are some of my favorite buildings.
A few of these are on the UNESCO map and have historic architecture.
I was more inspired by their architectural beauty than by history. That says a lot because I’m a bit of a history nut.
Cultural aspects of Casco Viejo – people and food!
Ah. We are almost ready to talk about my favorite subject – food! But not quite. Casco Viejo is an interesting cultural hodgepodge.
It seemed like everyone we met was from somewhere else. The lady who sold our anniversary gift to us was from Peru. Our waiter in the Argentinian restaurant was from Paraguay. San Lorenzo tour guides were from Canada.
And so on, and so on. Absolutely nobody we asked was from Panama.
Why is that significant? Regardless of your nationality (unless you are American), tourists fit in. Each of these newcomers has brought a piece of their culture to Panama.
Music, language, and food all contributed to the rich traditional Panamanian culture. This has resulted in an incredibly diverse environment that is easy for tourists to enjoy.
What was my favorite piece of culture?
Guna Yala is one of the six indigenous groups protected by the Panamanian government. The government supports the preservation of traditional dress, language, and other important cultural aspects of life.
That includes the preservation of the Guna Yala’s customs.
It was not unusual to see Guna Yala women dressed in brightly colored garb getting off public transportation. We encountered several Guna Yala selling wares along Cinco Costera and the Esteban Huertas Promenade.
Caught in a rainstorm one afternoon, we took sanctuary on the Esteban Huertas Promenade. While we waited out the storm, we bought several items from this lovely woman.
She wouldn’t agree to have her photo taken until we had spent $20. The souvenirs were great, but I especially enjoy this $20 photo.
American influence in Panama’s culture and history.
Are American tourists welcome in Panama? Kinda. Our reception there was downright weird.
Some people were open and friendly, while others were very aloof.
One of our tour guides educated us that Americans are generally not well accepted in Panama. The older generation especially views America as having “invaded” Panama to build the Panama Canal.
American textbooks don’t describe our participation in building the Panama Canal the same way.
It was interesting to learn a different perspective. I suspect the truth is likely somewhere in the middle of each version.
Regardless, our experience in Casco Viejo and Panama City was pleasant. Papa Joe and I were openly welcomed.
Tourists who don’t respect local cultures may not have the same experience.
Time to talk about food and culture!
Food is always my favorite aspect. So much a favorite that I wrote an entire blog post about food, Travel for Foodies. Several of our Panama and Casco Viejo photos are featured in that post.
Let’s start with the general food environment. We ate at several restaurants and local pubs while in Casco Viejo and Panama City.
Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to eat at a Fonda. Fonda’s are where you eat like a local, at a local’s wages. We simply ran out of time.
Because of the multitude of influences, Casco Viejo’s cuisine represents several cultures. From seafood at the Mercado de Mariscos, the local fish market along Cinco Costera. Argentinian at Marzola was a favorite. Peruvian cuisine at Nazca 21 was an interesting experience.
Tantalo and Lazotea both blend Panamanian cuisine with global influences. Pips at Casa Antigua was great for a down-home meal.
I recommend every one of these restaurants. Hands down.
More on my favorites, Marzola and Mercado de Mariscos. Why are they my favorites? Read on.
First, Marzola.
First, let’s set the stage.
Marzola is located across the street from Plaza Bolivar. It is housed in a charming, historically significant, and architecturally interesting building. I was impressed before even entering the door!
Marzola is an experience for all of your senses. Imagine the explosion of color and sizzling aroma of grilled food greeting you at the door.
Tasty fried cheeses, grilled meats, and vegetables, this place has it all.
The menus are printed on wine bottles.
Diners entertain themselves with old-school rotary phones at each table.
Do you even know what a rotary phone is?
I’m serious, the ambiance in this restaurant was just plain fun!
As magnificent as the food was, I was most impressed by the restaurant manager.
He was perfectly in character for the restaurant. It was the crowning touch for me.
From his black beret to his cowboy boots, all the way to his charming accent. This man just fits the Argentinian atmosphere.
The food was just as extraordinary as the ambiance!
Next – Mercado de Mariscos.
If you thought Marzola was an experience, you are in for something special at the Mercado!
Let me set the stage.
Walking along Panama City’s Cinco Costera in the early afternoon, we could see fishing boats coming in for the day. They were loaded down with the catch of the day. We could hear jovial ribbing as boats were unloaded at the dock.
Our greeter for the Mercado guided us through the Mercado. See him in the black shirt below? What a guide he was!
Inside the Mercado, we passed totes full of every type of fish imaginable. Plus shrimp and lobster. Lobster caught my eye for dinner.
This poor lobster was a goner. Shortly after these photos, he was roasting over an open fire.
Soon he was cooked up with onion and garlic for us. Our lobster meal was completed with rice and a cold Cerveza.
Tres yummy!
How often do you get to select your lobster while he’s still squirming?
Shoppers can choose to have their selection cooked for them. Or take their treat home to prepare. We chose to have ours prepared by a local chef.
Before visiting Panama I researched Panama City and Casco Viejo thoroughly. Every source recommended a meal at Mercado de Mariscos.
They were right.
Did Casco Viejo live up to its reputation?
Remember. The question here is how Casco Viejo mixes history and architecture with modern society. With a UNESCO designation and centuries-old infrastructure does the city succeed?
Casco Viejo fits into the modern world well.
After all, city features include evening entertainment available on multiple rooftop establishments, top-notch restaurants, and reliable technology infrastructure. It sounds modern to me.
The charm is how well Casco Viejo succeeds in blending modern with ancient architecture and history.
Sure, there are areas of the city that may not be safe after dark. Yeah, rumor has it that police corruption runs rampant.
Safety and police corruption are common concerns when traveling. But the nod to modern safety measures is obvious here too.
Did you know Casco Viejo has a police force dedicated to tourist safety? Just look for the armbands that say Policia Turismo.
Because of the police presence, we never felt unsafe exploring the UNESCO historic architecture.
My bucket list contains lots of places full of history. Many of those places are also UNESCO sites. Visiting Casco Viejo helped me check a couple of items off that bucket list.
Does touching history, visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites, architecture, and experiencing culture appeal to you?
If so, then Panama City’s Casco Viejo may just be calling you!
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