Casco Antiguo, also known as Casco Viejo, or the “old quarter” of Panama City
We arrived at Shelter Bay Marina in Colon at 1pm last Thursday, but we couldn’t complete Customs and Immigration there as the office had closed at 12 noon – Maundy Thursday is a big holiday here.
Fortunately, we had an Agent who was on his way to Panama City and en route took us to Colon so we could complete our paperwork. We decided to seize the opportunity and go all the way to Panama City with him as Mike and his mates were still there for one more night.
We threw some things in a bag, and we were off. Driving through Colon was a bit of an eye opener, some parts were extremely poor and very dirty and it’s not a place I think we will spend any time. The drive to Panama City is about 1 ½ hours and very pleasant, a good road and quite beautiful countryside with glimpses of the Canal.
Founded in August 1519 by Spanish Conquistador Pedro Arias de Avila, the city of Panama was the first European settlement along the Pacific. For the next 150 years it profited mainly from Spain’s famed bullion pipeline which ran from Peru’s gold and silver mines to Europe via Panama.
In 1617 1200 men led by the pirate, Henry Morgan, sailed up the Chagres River to the city which they plundered and reduced to ruins. For the next three centuries the abandoned city served as a convenient source of building materials! By the time the government declared the ruins a protected site in 1976 (followed by UNESCO in 1997) most of the old city had been dismantled and overrun. Today, its infrastructure has been recovered and restored into restaurants, bars, theatres museums and churches and is a joy to behold.
We arrived in the old town and met up with Mike and the boys at the Selina Roof Top bar – a great start to our evening. As in Colombia, the space on top of buildings has been put to good effect with open air bars, great seating, palm trees and good music. After a gin and tonic, we thought we better go and look for somewhere to stay for the night. What a beautiful old town to walk around and how lucky were we to happen upon a boutique hotel called La Concordia, located right in the heart of Casco Viejo, the historic district of Panama. Owned by a Spanish family, it has only 10 rooms, each one is individually decorated, and no detail has been ignored. Beautiful, tiled floors, artwork and soft furnishings, a delightful bed with downy pillows and a bathroom to die for – and so appreciated after 5 nights at sea, taking it in turn on the watches and sleeping in a lifejacket on the bench settee in the saloon!
The boys had secured a booking at Lo Que Hay, one of Panama’s best restaurants and we were lucky enough to snag a table in the outside courtyard – another delicious dinner followed, and it was a bonus for Geoff to see Mike again before he departed the following day.
Next morning Geoff and I had a wonderful breakfast at Mahalo Cocina and wandered around the old town, bumping into the boys waiting for their Uber! We absolutely loved it and as we needed to get back to Shelter Bay to the boat that afternoon, decided to book back into La Concordia for Easter Saturday night so we could be there for Easter Sunday processions and celebrations. We also took the opportunity to book another restaurant in advance – Casacaso located right in the centre of Plaza Herrera, named after Tomas Herrera, a Central and South American Statesman.
Saturday 16 April – We were welcomed back to La Concordia and had another splendid room. A beautiful sunny afternoon, we walked all-round the Old Town. We checked out the churches in preparation for the Easter Sunday celebrations, all very ornate with even the statues clothed in beautifully embroidered vestments, the golden altar in the Church of San Jose was stunning as was the iconic stone archway at El Arco Chato, which is all that remains of a church built by Dominican Friars. It was such a nice evening that we went to Casacaso early for a drink on their rooftop bar – our luck was in, and we snagged a table overlooking Plaza Herrera, the main square in the old town. It was great to have our cocktails and watch the sunset over the Square as well as an elaborate wedding taking place on another rooftop terrace! We were offered the chance to have a table on the Square for our dinner and because it was Easter and a celebratory night, there was great live music and people watching for us, matched with the most delicious dinner. There is a great gastronomy scene in the old town with delicious smells wafting through the streets – and a famous nightlife scene here too – Panamanians love to party!
Easter Sunday we were up early to watch and walk alongside the procession which ended at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Panama in Plaza Mayor. What a spectacle it was and how fortunate were we that we could be part of it. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time!
The Old Town of Panama is historical, charming and vibrant with beautiful architecture and
Colonial mansions – we have absolutely loved our time here!