The Old Town, or Casco Antiguo, is the colonial district of Panama City. Its literal translation is “old town” and is known for its colorful buildings built by the Spanish and French in the late 17th century in our article today, we’ll tell you what places you can not miss when you’re in Panama are.
The story behind the Old Town
In 1904, when the United States began to break the ground in the Panama Canal, the Old Town was the only city in Panama. Finally, being abandoned due to the expansion of the modern city, the Old Town became a very dangerous slum. Today, Old Town is undergoing into a transformation, becoming a very good option to live and certainly a walk highly preferred by many tourists.
Having been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, many low-income residents were forced out of the buildings on the outskirts of the city. The Government, in order to preserve the colonial appearance of the city, has set severe restrictions on conservation efforts, which means that if a new owner comes in, not allowed to make the existing structure of any building, be more higher than it already is.
Places to visit in the Old Town – Gogetit Highlights
* The Old Town is home to many historic places, such as ancient churches and monasteries. The National Theater of Panama is also a good place to visit.
* The House of the President of Panama is located in the Old Town. The presence of the police and security is very high, as this is considered as a most dangerous part of Panama City.
* The restaurants have variety of foods, with restaurants offering all kinds of menus: You can get local food, Peruvian, Italian, French, Japanese food, among many others. In addition to this, it has many options of bars and places to enjoy the night.
In a review made by the world famous news portal The Huffington Post, the Old Town is the first place to be visited in Panama, due to all that it offers. Within the Old Town, you can find the Panama Canal Museum, which costs $2 to enter and $4 for an audio tour in English.
Churches and cathedrals, are imposed between the simple but picturesque buildings that characterize the helmet. The Church of St. Joseph, the Basilica of Santa Maria la Antigua (also known as the Metropolitan Cathedral), Church of the Merced, among others, are some that can photograph your visit to the Old Town. We also find the Arco Chato, which is still preserved from the colonial era. All these places, no doubt, make the Old Town one of the 11 places to visit when traveling to Panama.
In addition to all the churches, cathedrals and squares, the Old Town is a highly sought after place to live if you are looking for a quiet pleasant area and walkable. In fact, it is in the Top 5 most sought after areas in the metropolitan area of Panama.
If you are looking for houses or apartments in this area, be sure to enter in www.gogetit.com.pa, the fastest, most reliable and social way to find your property in Panama.
Gogetit Content Manager. Author of important reviews for Gogetit News, “The #1 Source for real estate news in Panama.”
Specialized in the search and analysis of the most important news about real estate in Panama.