Panama City
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Panama City is the modern, thriving capital of Panama. It stretches along the Pacific coast, from the remains of Panamá Viejo, to the Panama Canal, 10 km (6 miles) to the west. Panama City's oldest and most interesting part is the old district of San Felipe, which is also known as Casco Antiguo or Casco Viejo (Old Town), which juts into the sea on the southwestern side of the city. It is an area of decaying grandeur and there are countless, somewhat neglected colonial buildings.
Some of the sights include the 17th-century Metropolitan Church, the Interoceanic Canal Museum of Panama, the Plaza de Bolívar, the presidential palace, the History Museum of Panama and the sea wall that was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century.
The banking district of Via España is modern and boasts glass and steel high-rise, as well as modern shopping malls and entertainment. The area is the complete opposite of the Old Town.
On the city's western edge lies the famous Panama Canal, while the ruins of 16th-century Panamá Viejo are situated on the city's eastern fringe. Other interesting sights on Panama City's outskirts include the Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo, the tropical rain forest of the Parque Nacional Sobreranía and the Parque Nacional Metropolitana, a 265-hectare (655-acre) wildlife reserve.
There are numerous hotels and restaurants in Panama City.