When we arrived by plane to the capital of the country (Panama City) the only thing we had decided was that the first 3 days would be dedicated to exploring this city.
As we did in Madrid, Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, Liverpool, Barcelona, Paris, etc., we also opted to do a bike tour here on the first day of our stay.
As soon as the plane landed, it was night, we booked a bike tour for the early hours of the next day.
It was great decision, because it was with the collaboration of “Go Panama Bike Tours” guides that we got to know an important part of the city and also the history of Panama. Also they gave us was a lot of great collaboration to planning the remaining days.
Located in front of the Pacific Ocean, Panama City harmoniously combines the modern and the classic.
In front of the whole city, as if it were the border between land and sea, is the Cinta Costera, a large green park with cycle paths, playgrounds, bars and restaurants.
It’s a leisure space, which connects the most modern part of the city, Paitilla, and the oldest part, Casco Viejo.
Casco Viejo, built in colonial style, with small houses, all very colorful and well preserved, with wonderful balconies decorated with all kinds of flowers, is a neighborhood that reminds me of Havana, the famous Cuban capital.
It’s an area with a lot of “glamour”, pleasant for walking, shopping, having a beer, for lunch, dinner and dancing. Here all commercial spaces and hotels have a very careful design and decoration. All corners has something beautiful to find.
Paitilla, at the other end of the Cinta Costera, is reminiscent of Miami. It’s a modern neighborhood, with huge and beautiful towers.
The bike tour, with “Go Panama Bike Tours”, was in fact an excellent “welcome card”. In addition to having cycled an important part of the Cinta Costera, we had the opportunity to cross almost all Casco Viejo streets and squares, where the whole history of the city and country was explained to us and information was given about the best places to visit.
After this tour (+/- 3.5 hours), we rented 2 bikes and started exploring the rest of the city on our own.
In addition to going back, at a slower pace, to places where we had already been, we went also to Paitilla and Amador.
Designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry, the Biomuseum was also worth a visit. The quality of the architecture and the content of the exhibition, which brilliantly explains the origin and importance of Panama, make this museum a place of choice.
Influenced by the visit to this museum, we went to visit Gamboa, a “Rain Forest”
About 25 km away, inside which there is a huge lake that serves as a passage for the ships that cross the famous Panama Canal every day.
For about 2.5 hours we sailed gently along the various branches of the lake, always surrounded by century-old trees. To the sound of the water, the breeze and the birds singing, we observed the first crocodiles, monkeys and iguanas of this trip on the lake shores, where our guide made short strategic stops.
Gamboa was without a doubt the first major impact with the size of existing biodiversity in Panama.
No trip to this country could be complete without a visit to one of the greatest works of engineering. For that reason, on the way back from our unforgettable boat trip, we stopped by Miraflores to see how huge ships cross the locks of the Panama Canal.
This small film there is a small recording of the 3 days by bicycle in Panama City.
Enjoy!
