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All 88 Panama City Attractions »

The Old City (Casco Viejo)

Avenida Central, Panama
As featured in 3 days in Panama City
Ranked #11 of 42 attractions in Panama City
4.0 of 5 stars 508 Reviews
Type: Historic Walking Areas, Historic Sites, Neighbourhoods
Activities: City walk sightseeing, Walking
Fee: No
Description: This charming old community’s churches, pedestrian walkways and historical plazas and palaces make it a must-see on any tour.
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508 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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Date Rating
Bromsgrove, United Kingdom
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 May 2012 NEW

Currently under considerable renovation and therefore difficult to visit, difficult to park, difficult to navigate and nothing obvious to see as building are covered in scaffold for renovation. Just timing; I'm sure others will visit post renovation and comment accordingly. More

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Olympia
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 May 2012 NEW

I rate this place as a must-see site for people who are either avid historians or just want to learn about historical events. I recommend seeing Casco Viejo during the week, because then you may go into San Jose church and see its beautiful gold altar and artifacts, and also you can see the full interaction with the local people... More

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Orlando, FL
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 May 2012 NEW

Although you can see it's lovely bones, the old city certainly shows its wear. There is MUCH construction going on to restore its beauty - and in 5 years or more, this city will stand next to other lovely colonial old cities in Latin America. Unfortunately, the area entering the old town is a slum and crime area - not... More

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Warren, Massachusetts
Top Contributor
524 reviews 524 reviews
Reviews in 180 cities Reviews in 180 cities
1,582 helpful votes 1,582 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 May 2012 NEW

I visited only a small portion of the Old City of Panama while on a Collette Vacations tour, but found the area interesting and worthy of a visit. Our group was dropped off with our guide at Plaza Herrera, a small park with flowering trees surrounding a bronze equestrian statue. It was Sunday and a few people were spending time... More

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Birmingham
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 May 2012 NEW

I loved the old Spanish buildings, and quality gift shops and street markets. Very different to downtown in architecture.Unfortunately, much of it was under construction when I was there. More

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calgary,alberta
Top Contributor
57 reviews 57 reviews
Reviews in 30 cities Reviews in 30 cities
23 helpful votes 23 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 May 2012 NEW

nice to spend an afternoon walking around lots of old buildings undergoing renovations also the Presidents residence and office. Nicknamed the white house. Great restaurants and lots of parks and rest areas More

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Malaysia
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 May 2012 NEW

I like the architecture, clobbered street and history. I dislike all the rennovations and construction going on. It is taking a toll on the beauty of the place and the business of the residents. More

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Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 May 2012
1
person found this review helpful

what a great afternoon. Started at the iner oceanic museum in the heart of casco viejo and then ventured out on foot to explore the great little streets surrounding the main square.As we left the museum we Fell into a great little beer and pizza spot of all things just to the right down a small street. Nice size pizza... More

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Dallas, Texas
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Went to Panama Viejo to see the ruins. It's right outside a poor section of Panama City, and not too safe. There are placards outside some of the larger structures, but no guides, no visitor center, curio shops. Seems like they could do a lot more with a tourist attraction More

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San Antonio, Texas
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This is a beautiful area to go at sunset. It is a great place to walk around, but I would advise against it at night. We had a driver that would always drive us around town. He took us down one evening, we walked around a bit, but he stayed very close to ensure our safety. It a very seedy... More

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