Description

Panama La Vieja is the historical and monumental complex of the first Spanish city founded on the Pacific coast by Pedro Arias de Ávila on August 15, 1519. Its archaeological remains almost perfectly revive the exciting history of the conquest. Due to its location, nama la Vieja was the beginning of the expeditions that conquered the Inca Empire of Peru in 1532. It was also the stopover for one of the most important trade routes on the American continent to Nombre de Dios and Portobelo, through which most of the gold and silver that the Spanish exploited in America.
The Historic District preserves an intact network of streets, along with a substantial number of old domestic buildings, which are exceptional testimony to the nature of this early settlement. The Casco Antiguo was built after the first settlement in Panama la Vieja was destroyed by diseases and pirate attacks, of which the last and most remembered is that of Henry Morgan. The city was moved to a rocky peninsula that was more salubrious and easier to defend.
In 1673 they founded what is now officially called the Casco Antiguo. The rich mix of architecture is a large part of its charm.
With the earliest buildings dating from the 1700s, architectural styles include Spanish and French Colonial, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, and Mid-Century Modern. Due to its legendary history and architectural and archaeological recovery, UNESCO declared both cities Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The modern city of Panama. This vibrant and dynamic urban center is a truly cosmopolitan city in the middle of the tropics, so be prepared to see towering skyscrapers surrounded by stunning nature.