24 Hours in Panama City
While 24 hours is never enough time anywhere, sometimes you have to take what you can get.
After doing some research before we left home, we realized we were not going to be able to do everything! So we chose a couple different things that we decided were “have to’s” from our list.
Metropolitan Natural Park:
This park is in the heart of Panama City! There are several hiking trails that take you from the city into nature. The trails range from very easy and flat, to more difficult and fairly steep. I was surprised at how quickly you feel like you are out of the city. We hiked all the trails and enjoyed the diversity that this park offers. At the highest point on the hike you come to a viewpoint that overlooks Panama City. It’s pretty incredible to be in a nature park and have such sweeping views of a large city!
Wildlife
Since we didn’t have a lot of time, we were not very hopeful that we would see many animals. However just minutes into the hike we arrived at a pond that was full of turtles! There were too many to count, and they ranged in sizes from little tiny babies, to larger adults. Down the trail not much farther we heard some rustling in the bushes and then out popped a Coati. He gave us a little show by hopping up on some rocks and posing for the camera. We were also entertained several times on the trail by leaf cutter ants busy hauling their leaf pieces back to their nest, or clearing the trail for the other worker ants. These are pretty incredible little insects! There were many different birds that we don’t have the knowledge to identify, but they were beautiful. At one point we also saw an armadillo on the side of the trail, but he was too stealthy for us to get a picture.
Animal Surprise
Towards the end of our hike we were enjoying the views when all of a sudden my husband stopped dead in his tracks and pointed up into the sky. Hanging upside down from a large leafless tree was the only animal our daughter hoped to see on our entire trip, a sloth. We couldn’t believe it! We had been looking for one since we entered the park, and had resigned ourselves to the fact that not many people see them. The coolest thing about this encounter was later that night when we were looking over the photos we realized that we weren’t looking at just one sloth, but she was carrying a baby on her chest! Needless to say we had a great time in the park and saw so many animals that it kept everyone entertained! The entrance fee was only a few dollars per person and it made for a great few hours in the city.
Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal
If you are planning a trip to Panama, or just passing through, try to carve out an hour or so to visit the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal. Adult tickets are $20 and kids (6-12) $12.00. This includes admission to the Canal museum, a 45 minute documentary on the canal, and access to the viewing decks that overlook the locks. We arrived at 5:15pm and sped through the museum, didn’t have time for the movie, and stayed on the viewing deck until someone escorted us out because they were closing. We arrived just before sunset, and we were able to watch a couple different ships pass through the locks. It was so entertaining and fun for all of us! We typically don’t like to spend money on museums or these types of things, but it was totally worth it. We all loved it! Check out this website for more info. Panama Canal
After a day full of new impressions, it’s time to relax, so nothing better than enjoying a happy hour in Casco Viejo. Sit at the terrace of La Rana Dorada and try out their selection of home-brewed beers. When it comes to eating, whether you are looking for Spanish tapas ( Santa Rita ), a fine-dining experience ( Ochoymedio ), or a Japanese fusion restaurant ( Nacionsushi ), the little neighbourhood has got you covered. Have one last drink on the rooftop of Tantalo, one of the city’s famous hotels, and enjoy the view from above as your day in Panama City comes to an end.
We will have to add these places to our list for next time we visit.