Casco Viejo, Panama City is full of contradictions. One can walk the streets and not only see well-renovated colorful buildings, historic monuments, parks, restaurants, cafes, modern ambiance, but also signs of dilapidated structures and traditional living.
Outdoor Drying
When one hears about Panama hats, you think that these hats are from that country. However, these hats were originally from Ecuador. Since there wasn’t a lot of demand for them in Ecuador, some entrepreneurs decided to sell these hats in Panama due to the traffic of the Canal.
These strong, lightweight, attractive, straw hats were perfect for deflecting the tropical sun of Panama, and also ideal for those who were crossing the Canal to spend outdoors in sunny California during the Gold Rush.
Ecuador’s most famous export is called a “Panama” hat. People in Ecuador hate that.
Panama Hats
Colorful handicrafts for sale on the side walks of Casco Viejo, Panama City.
Casco Viejo Handicrafts
A strikingly designed old-style building in Casco Viejo, Panama City
A Sharp Building
In olden times, a narrow lane like this, with quaint buildings, was a pathway to the ocean from Casco Viejo’s town center.
A Lane to the Ocean
In addition to the Golden Altar at Iglesia San Jose (the Church of San Jose) in Casco Viejo, Panama City, it also has some very nice stained glass windows.
This one is dedicated to Saint Rita of Cascia, the Patron Saint of Lost Causes.
and this one to Saint Augustine of Hippo.
The massive Golden Altar of Iglesia San Jose is remarkable. The towering structure isn’t actually solid gold–it’s carved mahogany that has been covered in gold leaf (and paint). but looks opulent
Perhaps the most remarkable is the story about why it’s still around to see. It survived the pirate Henry Morgan’s looting of Panama Viejo in 1671. Legend has it that a priest disguised it by painting it black and then convinced Morgan that it had already been stolen. After Panama Viejo was abandoned in the wake of Morgan’s raid, the altar was later moved to its present location in Iglesia San Jose, one of Casco Viejo’s many churches.
Iglesia de San Jose
A colorful mural on the street of Casco Viejo, Panama City is an ideal photo spot for a couple
Street Art Photo Spot
The contrasts in Caso Vijeo, the old town in Panama City are striking – beautifully restored buildings and historic ruins are nestled together with facades that are dilapidated …
Peeling Away
The Casco Viejo area of Panama City is undergoing restoration to bring back the glory of its historic past. Beautifully restored buildings sit next to historic remnants that are waiting to be restored.
Casco Viejo Ruins
Casco Viejo Relic
Iglesia de la Compania de Jesús
Walking the brick lined streets of Casco Viejo, Panama City surrounded by colorful buildings of Spanish and French architecture …..
Walking the Streets
Welcoming and advertising signs for a street cafe – Caribbean Chocolate Company in Casco Viejo, Panama City
Old Town Cafe
Walking around Casco Viejo in Panama City one can see glimpses of colorful street art and graffiti ….
Old Town Tire Art
Old Town Graffitti
Casco Viejo in Panama City has many restaurants and cafes including Caffe Americano, a small place for coffee and desserts.
An Americano in Panama
The French stayed in Casco Viejo when they made their attempt to build the Panama Canal in 1881 so naturally there is French architecture with balconies reminiscent of the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Old Town Balconies
A Stylish Balcony
A building in Casco Viejo decorated with Panama colors on occasion of the country’s independence.
Decorated with Panama Colors
Casco Viejo’s (Panama City) buildings feature an unusual blend of architectural styles, most notably rows of ornate Spanish and French colonial houses but also a smattering of art deco and neoclassical buildings.
Old Town Architecture
Casco Viejo, also known as Casco Antiguo or San Felipe, is the historic district of Panama City.
Founded in 1673, after the former capital Panama Viejo burnt down and was looted during a pirate attack, Casco Viejo was once the hub of Panamanian culture and civilization. Jutting out into the sea on a peninsula (a site chosen to guard against the next pirate assault) Casco was later abandoned when modern Panama City sprouted its skyscrapers across the bay.
But after many years of neglect, Casco is experiencing a renaissance. In 1997 the UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site and gave financial incentives for restoration projects. And while the historic district is still somewhat of a work in progress, that’s exactly what makes it exciting. Walking the streets in this quarter is a schizophrenic experience: burned-out shells of old, dilapidated, cracked buildings inhabited by squatters stand side-by-side with chic new coffee houses, gourmet restaurants, boutique hotels, and some of Panama’s hottest clubs and bars.
Casco Viejo Panama City
Cat Posing
The dusk at the ocean is as calm as the dawn with only gentle ripples in the water
Dusk at the Ocean
A view from the Panama beach of the islands in the horizon
Islands on the Horizon
A peaceful morning at the ocean in Panama …
Morning at the Ocean