Your vacation to Panamá City for The Day After Festival is in just a few days and what better way to learn about the Republic than to explore the many museums, historical monuments, and art exhibits located conveniently around the country’s capital. One of the best things about Panamá is that you can explore the region to the fullest extent without breaking the bank. The Day After Festival starts at 6:00 PM each day, so that gives you plenty of time to explore Panamá City during the day and then head off to Plaza Figali at night.
Here a some popular spots to check out during your stay – all entry fees are no more than $5.00 or free.
Centro de Exhibiciones Marinas
Panamá City’s Centro de Exhibiciones Marinas is operated by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. This marine museum features two small aquariums and a nature trail through a patch of dry forest containing sloths and iguanas.
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, located in Panamá City, is a privately owned museum that features the best collection of Panamanian art anywhere. You can also find a collection of works on paper by Latin American artists and the museum hosts the occasional exhibition by foreign or national artists.
Panamá Canal Murals
New York artist William B. Van Ingen depicted the story of the canal’s construction. Mounted in the rotunda of the Panamá Canal Administration Building, the paintings hold the honor of being “the largest group of murals by an American artist on display outside the United States.”
Panamá Viejo Ruins
Panamá Viejo is the remaining part of the old Panamá City and former capital of the country. Here you’ll find many buildings that tell Panamá’s history like the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, which is the best-preserved building of the ruins, Casa Alarcón, the town’s best-preserved and largest known private residence, and the Puente del Rey (Bridge of the King), which may be the oldest standing bridge in the Americas.
Parque Natural Metropolitano
The Parque Natural Metropolitano, located north of downtown Panamá City, is a tropical semideciduous forest within the city limits where you can have the pleasure of escaping city life. There are two main walking trails that join to form one long loop, a lookout that offers panoramic views of the city, and a countless variety of mammals in the park and living in the Río Curundú.
Plaza de Francia
This plaza, located at the tip of the southern point of Casco Viejo, pays tribute to the role of the French during the construction of the canal. The large stone tablets and statues are dedicated to the 22,000 workers who lost their life trying to finish the project.
The Panamá Canal
You can’t miss one of the seven wonders of the world during your visit. The Canal de Panamá is a 50-mile waterway that transports ships from sea level to 85 feet using a series of gravity-powered locks. The shortcut greatly reduced the amount of time taken for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
