Our Tour of Panama Viejo

As a couple exploring potential retirement destinations on a modest budget, Panama’s affordability factor was a major draw. We were also intrigued by Panama Viejo’s UNESCO World Heritage status and its rich history. So, we decided to kick off our multi-month-long exploration of Panama with a visit to this historical site.

In this blog post, we’ll share our experience at Panama Viejo, from the informative museum exhibits to navigating the sprawling ruins – all while keeping a budget-conscious traveler in mind. We hope to give you a sense of what it’s like to explore this fascinating place and help you decide if your adding it to your Panama itinerary.

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What we learned about Panama Viejo’s History

Founded in 1519 by conquistador Pedrarías Dávila, Panama Viejo is famous for being the oldest European settlement on all of the Pacific coast. It played a significant role for the Spanish Empire, growing into a bustling city with a population of around 10,000 at its peak. And unlike most settlements of the time, it was built on a grid system (imagine a giant checkerboard). This organized structure demonstrates how Europeans brought their urban planning concepts across the ocean.

I had seen a couple of ‘How we spent our time in Panama City’ videos that touched on Panama Viejo but none really gave a sense of the scale of the ruin or the depth of history available in the museum.

Inside the Panama Viejo Museo (Museum)

I was pleasantly surprised to find the museum is large and well thought out. We spent an hour just going through the exhibits inside the museum.

Visitors can interact with the museum’s detailed 17th-century diorama of Panama Viejo by using the ‘locator’ feature for important buildings – you press a button on the side of the display and LED’s will illuminate to indicate the building location.

The exhibits also outline the development of the settlement over time as more buildings were added to accommodate the growing population.

A good deal of time is dedicated to telling the story of the pirate Henry Morgan sacking the city in 1671 and how the defenders responded. No spoilers here but they DID get creative.

Exploring Panama City Ruins

We spent a total of 3 hours on-site and wandered through most of the ruins. There are two significant cathedrals on the site, the one nearest the museum building is the largest and allows a great view of the old city as well as present-day Panama City once you climb the stairs to what is basically the sixth story. 

Panama Viejo was home to both monastery and convent as well as a contingent of soldiers and a civilian population including merchants and traders. It was subject to a couple of catastrophic fires prior to being mostly destroyed by an intentionally set fire when it was sacked in 1671. That attack was really the death blow for the city and the ‘new city’ – modern day Casco Viejo – was established in 1673.

Tips for Visitors

• Don’t let the entrance fool you! When we arrived at the designated entrance, we were somewhat perplexed because what wasn’t explained to us at the time we purchased our tickets was what to do next. Turns out that after you purchase your ticket you can walk or catch a trolley down the one kilometer path down past the ruins to museo (museum) at the far end. If was hot and muggy when we where there so choose to catch the trolley. (We latter learned that the two building at the entrance are the Visitor Center and the Crafts Market and we suspect that they were closed due to staff shortages during the protest in Panama.)
• Pre-booking not required: It’s not necessary to purchase your tickets in advance nor to make reservations but if you want a guided tour you must schedule it in advance via email. Note: The Museo is not set up to process tickets online, and even more so for visitors from outside Panama as you need to process your payment though a local bank.
• Accessibility: We noticed that while most of the Mueso is wheelchair friendly with lifts to the exhibits on the second floor, the grounds of the ruins could be problematic given the paths are gravel and terrain is uneven.
• Bring an Umbrella! And wear a hat, comfortable clothing and appropriate shoes or sneakers for walking on dirt and limestone. I was very happy to have my umbrella along as the sun was near blistering even though the temperature was a moderate 29C (84F) and partly cloudy on arrival. There are a few shaded spots along the way but the shaded seating areas I found were all relatively near to the museum. It appears that they are adding another building about midway down the ruins and it is shaped like a snackbar / restroom sort of thing.
• Bring Water! It’s hot and there is not much shade. There is a snack bar outside the museum if you didn’t bring enough water (guilty) or if you want to have a coffee or snack.
• Recommended Walking Route – Spanning a long, narrow strip of land the site has two main paths wind through the ruins: one closer to the ocean and another slightly inland. There are also ruins further out from the museum that I missed because I didn’t look closely enough at the site layout before I started wandering. Maybe don’t make my mistake. If I had it to do over again I would have gone down the path to Casa Reales (Royal Houses) and Casa de los Genovesese (House of the Genoese), when leaving the museum rather than heading straight out to the Cathedral y mirador de la Torre.

Getting There

Panama Viejo is about 5.8 kilometers from downtown Panama City. Parking is limited and driving through Panama City is not for the faint of heart so we recommend to get there via taxi or a rideshare like Uber or Bolt. Address is Panama Viejo, Vía Cincuentenario, Panama. Though public transport is another option; the Coco Bay-I is the bus stop closest to the entrance.

Panama Viejo: A Budget-Friendly Must-See

We felt that Panama Viejo was well worth visiting and should be included in any visitors must see list! At US$10 per person I feel like it was a good value for the experience.

Want to see Panama Viejo come alive? Check out our YouTube video for a visual tour of the ruins! You’ll get a feel for the site’s scale and the atmosphere you can expect during your visit.

Our goal isn’t to replace your trip, but to spark your wanderlust. We want you to say “That’s cool, I have to add Panama Viejo to my travel list!”

Happy and safe travels!

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