To help inspire or plan your trip to Panama, some of its major attractions
for travellers are shown below, including some of the best natural, historical, cultural and adventure sites in the country.
These include all of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for Panama which represent the best
of the world's cultural and natural heritage.
Click on the icons below to focus on specific types of features
(click again to return to all).
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| Natural | History | Wildlife | Trekking | Cities | Religious Monument | Boat Journey | Rail Journey | Diving | Cultural | Adrenaline | UNESCO WHS |
Cities of interest in Panama
| Panama City | |
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The settlement at Panama City was founded in 1519 by the conquistador Pedrarías Dávila, the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. It served as a conduit for the gold and silver plundered by the Spanish in Peru to be transferred by land across the isthmus before being shipped to Europe. The oldest part of town is Panama Viejo, destroyed by fire in 1672, and now a public park with impressive ruins of the cathedral, town hall and various churches and houses. Its replacement, the Historic District of Panama, is an impressive and atmospheric Spanish colonial city with pastel coloured houses, mansions, the plaza and the ramparts which afford views of the 'Bridge of the Americas' and the skyscrapers of the modern town. A site of note is the Salón Bolívar, the venue for the unsuccessful attempt made by Simon Bolivar in 1826 to establish a multinational continental congress.  UNESCO World Heritage Site: Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá | |