At the tip of Casco Viejo in Panama City is French Park, a monument to the French builders that began the Panama Canal and the over 200,000 that lost their lives building the Panama Canal. The monument is a tall obelisk with a rooster at the top and is located in Las Bovedas fortress.
Rooster Monument at Blue Hour
A boat makes it way from Casco Viejo towards the impressive skyscrapers of Panama City in Panama
Boat to the City
A colorful view of the Panama City Skyline from Casco Viejo
A Colorful View of Panama City
Not only is there enough to do during the day in Casco Viejo, but Panama City’s old town lights up at night with restaurants, music, clubs and beautifully lighted buildings and monuments.
Casco Viejo Lighted Tower
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
Photos by Ravi 