Panama City
Monograms provides travelers access to a Local Host®, so you will have someone on hand to answer those vacation questions pertaining to Panama City, Panama. No waiting in line at the concierge desk or trying to ask your waitress at breakfast directions to the shopping district. Simply ask your Local Host about Panama City and you'll be on your way in no time. Plus, your Local Host will share local Panama City insights and share suggestions for getting off the beaten path, leaving you more time to create lasting vacation memories that are yours alone.
Meet Robert, a Local Host® in Panama City, Panama
I have worked as a guide for over 8 years and my focus is on historical and ecological tours in Panama. I love guiding new people as they experience Panama for the first time. I am fluent in Spanish and English and particularly skilled at tours involving Panama’s colonial history, the Panama Canal, Miraflores, and Gatun Locks, as well as the Chagres River and Embera villages.
Ride a Bike or Stroll along the Amador Causeway
Dazzling views of Panama City's skyline and of the Panama Canal make the Amador Causeway a scenic must. The stretch unites four small islands. It also serves a functional purpose as a breakwater to the entrance of the Canal. Swept by sea breezes, there are bike paths, restaurants, shops, a cruise port, and a yacht marina. You can glimpse the Panama Canal and ships passing under the Bridge of the Americas, once the only strip that connected North and South America.
Ancon Hill & the Metropolitan Park
There's no better way to see Panama's past, present and future than to take a hike up Ancon Hill where you'll have a bird’s-eye view of Casco Viejo, modern Panama City and the Panama Canal. The path is lined by thriving rainforest. It’s best to explore it in the morning to avoid afternoon heat and rain showers. It takes about 2 hours to get to the top, but you can get there by taxi if you choose.
Panama Viejó
Journey to the first inhabited section of Panama City, Panama Viejó, to find the ruins of the oldest capital in the Americas. Originally the site of an indigenous village, Panama Viejó was occupied by the Spanish in 1519 and was named the first city in the Americas by the King of Spain in 1521. In 1671, the city was plundered by pirates and burned to the ground. Explore the ancient ruins and take in beautiful views of Modern Panama from here.
Jewelry & Handicrafts
Panama’s native handicrafts rival Mexico’s and most other Latin countries in beauty and creativity. Make sure to take time to shop and bring back an item or two that can’t be mistaken for anything other than authentic Panamanian art!
Baha’i Temple
If you can manage to get outside the city for an afternoon, the serenity and the incomparable views at this peaceful temple are well worth a little jaunt. From the city, it looks like an egg on top of the hill, but when you get up there, you can see the impressive views of green and the wilderness of Panama, as well as views of the city out to the coast.