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District · Panama City

Panamá Viejo

East by car; open and hot.

see

Key facts

Suits
The ruins of the first city
Sights here
1

What it's like

Feels:
Open ruins beside the city
Suits:
The ruins of the first city
Best time:
At opening
Watch out for:
Midday.
In short:
East by car; open and hot.

About these names

Walk inside Casco Viejo; use ride-hailing or licensed taxis between areas, and do not walk the edges of the old town at night.

Casco Viejo is a small peninsula on the south-east side of the bay, with the cathedral square in the middle and the sea wall at the tip. North of it are Santa Ana and Avenida Central, and beyond them the modern towers of Bella Vista, Punta Paitilla and Costa del Este. The Amador Causeway runs south-west into the bay, the Miraflores Locks are 30 minutes north-west, and Panamá Viejo is 20 to 30 minutes east.

Where exactly

This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.

Panamá Viejo on the Panama City mapTap an area for what it is like and who it suits. Shapes follow this guide’s walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Bella Vista and Avenida… · $$$Casco Viejo · $$PTY · 21 km · 45–75 min

Panamá ViejoPanamá Viejo

see

East by car; open and hot.

Suits: The ruins of the first city

On the map: Panamá Viejo ruins

District guideWalk: Panamá ViejoIn the districts table

Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Costa del Este and Punta Paitilla. See the table above.

Where’s what, as a list:

  • Casco Viejo (Casco Antiguo): Cobbles and heat; the edges are unsafe at night. Suits: Old streets, plazas and restaurants. Price band $$.
  • Bella Vista and Avenida Balboa (Bella Vista): Towers and traffic. Suits: Modern hotels and a shorter ride to the business districts. Price band $$$.
  • Amador Causeway (Calzada de Amador): Open and shadeless at midday. Suits: The Biomuseo and a flat seaside path.
  • Miraflores Locks (Esclusas de Miraflores): North-west by car; go early. Suits: Ships in the Canal.
  • Panamá Viejo (Panamá Viejo): East by car; open and hot. Suits: The ruins of the first city.
  • Costa del Este and Punta Paitilla (Costa del Este): A car city. Suits: Malls and modern towers.
  • Sleep area Bella Vista and Avenida Balboa: suits Modern hotels and a shorter ride to the business districts, price band $$$.
  • Sleep area Casco Viejo: suits Old streets, plazas and restaurants, price band $$.
  • Tocumen International Airport (PTY), about 21 km from the centre, 45–75 min by the usual route.

Stay here?

Not a base in this guide

No sleep area here has scores. The best-placed bases are Casco Viejo, Bella Vista and Avenida Balboa.

See

Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.

  • Panamá Viejo ruinsBook a time

    The ruins of the first city on the Pacific, with a cathedral tower: 75 minutes, in the early morning, hat on.

    Hours:
    09:00–17:00(check)
    Entry:
    about US$10 to 15 for foreign adults (2026 estimate; check)

Open now in this district

Checking the time in Panama City…

Getting there and around

Where to get off

  • Panamá Viejo visitor centre, by car from the city · for Panamá Viejo ruins

On to the next area

Nearest arrival point: Tocumen International Airport (PTY): about 15 km in a straight line; the usual ride to the centre takes 45–75 min.

Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.

Half-day walk

The Panamá Viejo route, about a half day. Best: Early morning before the sun is high.

  1. Visitor centre — Map, exhibit and toilets.
  2. Cathedral tower — The tallest ruin; view over the bay.
  3. Site paths — Walk the ruins in loop; shade is rare.

Safety at night and noise

  • Panamá Viejoday: oknight: caution

    Go by day; the surrounding streets are not for walking.

Nearby districts

Built from this guide’s Panama City districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.