Tourist information

Panama means "the place of abundant fish," but people like to say that everything is found in abundance here. And it's true, as visitors will quickly discover for themselves that Panama is "the country of abundance" You'll find an abundance of wildlife in Pana-ma's many national parks, an abundance of white sand beaches, hundreds of islands, more banks and shops than you would have dreamed possible, the Panama Canal and, of course, a fantastic quantity of fresh seafood, including fish.

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Culture

After your arrival at the airport do not miss the rest of the cosmopolitan Panama City. Yet it is somehow always fascinating to see the working of one of mankind's greatest engineering feats: the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Panama Canal. At the Miraflores Locks on the Pacific side and the Gatun Locks on the Atlantic you can watch a gigantic cruise ship is being towed into position for its descent to the Pacific Ocean. Visit the Panama Inter-oceanic Canal Museum, in the Casco Viejo and watch the memorabilia from colonial Spanish times. During the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in South America, vast quantities of gold were shipped to Spain from the Pacific Ocean via (Old) Panama. The gold was unloaded from ships at Old Panama, carried overland and reloaded on ships at Portobelo, nearby Colon on the Atlantic coast. Not surprisingly, the enormous quantities of gold attracted pirates like sharks to Panama's waters. When pirate Henry Morgan robbed the city in 1671, Panama's governor ordered the powder magazine burned and the whole city went up in flames. The capital was moved 3 kilometres to the west, and present-day Panama City was founded (1673).

In the Old Panama (Panama La Vieja), founded in 1519, you can see the ruins and fragments of walls and arches stand in an open park, recalling the splendour of the Spaniard's first settlement on the Pacific Ocean. The most impressive structures remaining are the cathedral and the Bishop's House. In front of the ruins, alongside the ocean, is an artisan's market, full of native crafts and there's a fine view out to a bay where Spanish galleons and pirate ships once lifted sail. Casco Viejo or Colonial Panama, is the historic center of today's capital. It is a quiet, charming district of narrow streets overlooked by the flower bedecked balconies of two and three-story houses. Excellent things to see are the Museum of National History and the old cathedral. Nearby is a small museum dedicated to religious art in the old Santo Domingo monastery, where see the famous Flat Arch, which reportedly helped convince engineers that Panama was earth-quake-proof. Make sure you'll see the beautiful Gold Altar at the San Jose Cathedral and the Presidential House. Visit French Park, a monument to the French builders who began the Panama Canal, and the lovely French Embassy.

From there you'll have a nice view of the Bridge of the Americas and of Panama City's skyscraper skyline to the east, which can be seen from far out in the Pacific Ocean. Two famous shopping districts are the Via España and the Avenida Central. Many hotels offer light gambling in casinos and the city is famed for its lively nightlife of discotheques and shows.With nothing less than a 100 miles of Caribbean and Pacific coastline, and 100 of picturesque islands, Panama is a beach lover's true paradise. You can go snorkelling, diving, fishing, windsurfing or golfing or just sunbathing. The 220 Pearl Islands, discovered by Balboa in 1514, are located about 50 miles from Panama City in the Pacific Ocean. Here the Spaniards found the famed, 31-carat pearl known as "La Peregrina" that was given to the Queen of Spain. Visit islands like Contadora Island (the fifth-largest one of the Pearl Islands).