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Flights to Panama City
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Panama City is the vibrant capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama in Central America. Best known for the Panama Canal, Panama City has plenty more than this important waterway to offer visitors!
Panama City has two airports though all international flights to Panama City will arrive at the Tocumen International Airport (airport code: PTY), located 15 miles (24km) east of the city, and easily accessible. Travellers flying to Panama City from the UK will need to take indirect flights with one or two connections. Airlines such as Iberia, Air France, Continental Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and Delta Air Lines offer flights to Panama City from the UK via one connection.
Although the Panama Canal spans the distance from one coast to the other, one of the most accessible places to get close to it, and the most popular, is here in Panama City. Panama City actually sits at the mouth of the Panama Canal on the Pacific coast side of the country.
You can visit the canal’s Miraflores Locks as you get great views of the huge ships coming through the locks from here. There is also a museum t visit, and you can get here from the city easily by taxi, on an organised boat trip, or take the train that runs parallel to the canal.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Panama City benefits from two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Old Panama, and Historic Panama. You may wonder what is the difference between these two places; well Old Panama is where the city once stood many hundreds of years ago, whereas historic Panama is the older part of the current city!
Old Panama (Panama Viejo)
The archaeological site at Old Panama is the site at which the Spanish first established a Pacific Coast city in the year 1519. Following disease and a fire, the result of an attack by pirates, this settlement was abandoned and the newer city was built about 5 miles away. The Old Panama site now has ruins of the old city and a museum.
Panama City Old Quarter
The Old Quarter of the newer Panama City is also a very popular attraction for tourists. Known by several names, which include Casco Viejo and Casco Antiguo, the Old Quarter features some lovely old buildings, streets and squares from different periods in history, and hence different architectural styles. Amongst the highlights is the cathedral on Plaza de la Catedral. There is the National Theatre (Teatro Nacional) where you may catch a performance in the newly renovated auditorium. Also see Heron’s Palace (Palacio de las Garzas) which was the presidential palace.
The Old Quarter is the second most popular tourist destination in Panama City after the Panama Canal, because in addition to the sites there are also many excellent restaurants here and a popular promenade that juts out into the Pacific Ocean, lovely for a daytime or evening stroll.
Amador Causeway
To the east of the Panama Canal is the Amador Causeway. Although a popular area anyway, the Amador Causeway is being more heavily developed into a tourist destination. The Causeway is a stretch of land that connects three islands to the mainland and is an excellent place to go for views of the Panama City skyline.
Panama City has two airports though all international flights to Panama City will arrive at the Tocumen International Airport (airport code: PTY), located 15 miles (24km) east of the city, and easily accessible. Travellers flying to Panama City from the UK will need to take indirect flights with one or two connections. Airlines such as Iberia, Air France, Continental Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and Delta Air Lines offer flights to Panama City from the UK via one connection.
Panama City Tourist Attractions
The Panama CanalAlthough the Panama Canal spans the distance from one coast to the other, one of the most accessible places to get close to it, and the most popular, is here in Panama City. Panama City actually sits at the mouth of the Panama Canal on the Pacific coast side of the country.
You can visit the canal’s Miraflores Locks as you get great views of the huge ships coming through the locks from here. There is also a museum t visit, and you can get here from the city easily by taxi, on an organised boat trip, or take the train that runs parallel to the canal.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Panama City benefits from two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Old Panama, and Historic Panama. You may wonder what is the difference between these two places; well Old Panama is where the city once stood many hundreds of years ago, whereas historic Panama is the older part of the current city!
Old Panama (Panama Viejo)
The archaeological site at Old Panama is the site at which the Spanish first established a Pacific Coast city in the year 1519. Following disease and a fire, the result of an attack by pirates, this settlement was abandoned and the newer city was built about 5 miles away. The Old Panama site now has ruins of the old city and a museum.
Panama City Old Quarter
The Old Quarter of the newer Panama City is also a very popular attraction for tourists. Known by several names, which include Casco Viejo and Casco Antiguo, the Old Quarter features some lovely old buildings, streets and squares from different periods in history, and hence different architectural styles. Amongst the highlights is the cathedral on Plaza de la Catedral. There is the National Theatre (Teatro Nacional) where you may catch a performance in the newly renovated auditorium. Also see Heron’s Palace (Palacio de las Garzas) which was the presidential palace.
The Old Quarter is the second most popular tourist destination in Panama City after the Panama Canal, because in addition to the sites there are also many excellent restaurants here and a popular promenade that juts out into the Pacific Ocean, lovely for a daytime or evening stroll.
Amador Causeway
To the east of the Panama Canal is the Amador Causeway. Although a popular area anyway, the Amador Causeway is being more heavily developed into a tourist destination. The Causeway is a stretch of land that connects three islands to the mainland and is an excellent place to go for views of the Panama City skyline.