Exploring Casco Viejo -The Old City of Panama

A district of Panama City known as Casco Viejo, Casco Antiguo or San Felipe, is full of beautifully restored colonial buildings, crumbling ruins, restaurants and bars, museums, churches and tourists rubbing elbows with locals as they navigate the narrow streets.

In 1998, UNESCO declared the area a World Heritage Site, and the restoration effort began in what had previously been a dangerous and poverty-ridden slum. The President of Panama moved his official residence to the Casco district, and brought with him a large force of National Police. The presence of the armed Policia Nacional, in their red berets, can be disquieting at times, but it cannnot be denied that the Casco is now considered a very safe place to visit (at least in most of the district).

People watching...

Balconies festooned with laundry are a common sight.

La Plaza de La Catedral. The Cathedral is lovely and peaceful inside.

 The Kuna people sell their moles and other handicrafts on the streets of Casco, and they all seem to have radiant smiles!

The cathedral at Plaza Simon Bolivar, one of the prettiest squares in the Casco, and a busy meeting place at night with bars and restaurants all around.

Viejo Havana...this unassuming-looking place serves the world's best Mojitos, AND plays the best Cuban music!

It's amazing what can be done with bananas. These fried plantanos, served with a fancy dipping sauce known as ketchup, were crispy and delicious. We recommend you visit the Diablicos Restaurant if you find yourself in these parts..fantastic service and wonderful food.

Our first Panamanian meal consisted of Ceviche de Corvina (served in little cups made out of mashed bananas) for an appetizer, followed by the dish shown below...Ropas Viejas (literally translates to "old clothes" - sure doesn't taste like it!) with rice and beans, and these little "cakes" made of......you guessed it -
bananas!

Here's the Policia Nacional guardsman that has to stand outside of Viejo Havana and watch the people inside having drinks and fun. He seemed pretty bored out there, and I felt like being a pal and bringing him a Balboa beer. But they carry machine guns, so I decided against it.

Tom and I found ourselves drawn to Casco Viejo, and spent a lot of time there while in the city. There is a patina of warmth and history that blankets this district. When you go, you will see restored buildings with every detail lovingly wrought, next to dilapidated building. Often these ruins consist of just a facade. If you purchase that ruin/facade, keep in mind that when you rebuild it to open your chic bed and breakfast, you will need to keep that facade and building footprint as part of the new structure! Even with the restrictions, the Casco is a hub of construction activity and it seems like it will be more and more lovely on each subsequent visit we make.