News

The fabled New York Times named Panama City “among the unsung cosmopolitan capitals of the Americas” in a glowing travel feature this week. The newspaper gave the capital the “36 Hours in…” treatment, looking at all the fun things you can do in the city in three days.

Panama City gets a lot of this type of attention from travel writers, but it’s always a little special when it’s the New York Times. And writer Freda Moon is clearly a fan of the city she calls the “perpetually flowering capital of Panama.”

In many ways, her short introduction captures elements of the real Panama City, which is often described by writers who can’t really put their impressions into words. “Flashy highrises and an eclectic culinary landscape — which includes neighborhood canteens, dim sum palaces, French bistros, and kosher supermarkets — reflect the city’s international character,” Moon writes. “Panama City is also where you can feel history under your feet.”

She sums up that international character with a nice phrase, noting that Panama City is a “place that manages to be very much itself, while also a bit of everywhere else.” 

For her 36 hours in the city, she highlighted an eclectic mix of restaurants and destinations, ranging from tourist spots to nice off-the-beaten-path finds. The list includes Amador Causeway, wildlife at the Punta Culebra Nature Center, distinctive textile art at Museo de la Mola, and tasty local cuisine at Fonda Lo Que Hay, “a sultry and perpetually bustling restaurant in Casco Viejo.”

You can find the full article here.