where should I stay in Panama City, Panama? my husband and I prefer cafe culture to club culture and want to make sure we end up in the right area. Thanks!
Question
Posted on Jun 19, 2012
4 Answers
We (myself, husband, two kids) live in Panama City. If you prefer cafe culture - you should stay in Casco Viejo, the old part of the city. There are no proper hotels that I know of - but this business rents out small apartments for travellers: http://www.loscuatrotulipanes.com
Otherwise, nearby on Ancon Hill is a lovely B&B that is great and close to lots, while being nestled in jungle: http://www.bedandbreakfastpanama.com/
Hope this helps!
Posted Jun 20, 2012
Add a commentThank you!
Posted on Jun 29, 2012
Hi Margaret, you'd probably want to stay in Casco Viejo. It's the old, gritty part of the city with lots of art cafes, galleries, and funky stores (think Havana). I just got back and stayed at Casa Antigua (www.casaantiguapanama.com). They've got good middle of the line apartments and the staff is great. What's your budget? Here are some sites with more resources on the area:
http://cascoviejo.com/
http://www.cascoviejo.org
The fish and public food market is an easy stroll from the neighborhood, as well as the festive Avenida Central. I recommend exploring Panama City by hiring a driver for the day (about $50) and have them bring you for a private tour. There are also lots of jungle lodges just outside the city if you're looking for a different experience.
Posted Jun 20, 2012
Add a commentThanks Lara, I ended up booking a room based on your recommendation. much appreciated.
Posted on Jun 29, 2012
Hope you have a great time! The staff was really helpful in showing us around, giving us maps and setting us up with a driver. Not sure when you're going, but a lot of the neighborhood is under construction as part of the revitalization project. Many of the stores and cafes are still open, but don't be surprised if there's some scaffolding over some of the buildings. Some interesting, nearby cafes are Los Del Patio and Tantolo. Karavan offers some great locally-made gifts, many that are made from used molas and go towards helping women cooperatives. There's also some nice hiking trails and overlooks in Parque Metropolitano, a huge forested park in the city where it's easy to spot wildlife, monkeys and birds.
Posted on Jun 30, 2012
While we were in Panama City we stayed in an area called Casco Viejo – it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the old quarter of the city. We stayed at two hotels there. Both are owned by the same people and both are really wonderful:
Las Clementinas has great apartment style rooms with a fabulous roof deck. They are beautiful and have little balconies that overlook the square.
Their sister property is the Canal House, which is also gorgeous. They only have 3 rooms and the smallest room is not their best. Not bad, but for the money I’d stay at the Las Clementinas if you can’t get one of the larger rooms. They have a wonderful breakfast (included) in the morning in the main parlor (in which they also have rums to sip in the evening.)
They are both really great about giving you lots of advice about local places to eat and things to see and do. They both feel like the “old” Panama that you might read about in Graham Greene novels. Really, really lovely. They are also both walk-ups. Las Clementinas had just opened when we were there so I'll be curious if they raised their prices a lot since then, but both were in the neighborhood of $150 a night, if I remember.
Posted Jun 29, 2012
Add a commentthank you! we have heard that parts of Casco Viejo are not safe. is this true?
Posted on Jun 29, 2012
We did not find that to be true. It's still a mixed area in that while they are developing it there are still ruins, etc., but I never felt unsafe. As long as you're walking within the peopled areas, etc., which would be true of the places where the restaurants and cafes are.
Posted on Jun 29, 2012
I agree with all the comments suggesting to you recommending Casco Viejo. In February, my husband and I and another couple stayed in Casa del Horno. It is a boutique hotel recently opened in what was an old bakery. The exposed brick walls and beautiful wood trim design were overseen by sophisticated Italian designers. Breakfast is brought to the room and served in front of the balcony doors. Important tip: request a room in the back of the building, away from the street. There was jackhammer construction on the street when we were there and it got noisy during the day for rooms overlooking the street.
Posted Jul 01, 2012
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