Orient Yourself to Casco Viejo

Oficina de Casco Antigua offers free guided tours of Casco Viejo (1hr), meets Fridays and Saturdays at 10am at the Plaza Catedral. Fridays in English, Saturdays in Spanish.

Walking the area: The best way to start your experience here in Casco Viejo is to do the walk-about. If you start from the Presidential Palace, head towards Plaza Bolivar, continue to the tip of Plaza de Francia which provides great views of the city skyline and the ships waiting to enter the canal, as well as a variety of artesanry vendors. You can continue around, going where your interest takes you, and you will usually run into the Plaza de Independencia and the Cathedral Metropolitano. To continue the walk, you can follow Avenida Central up past the Cathedral to the Santa Ana area where you will find a more modern section of the city, with restaurants (Café Coca-Cola is highly recommended for a cheap bite), ATM’s and banks, supermarkets and many other stores and vendors. If feeling motivated you can follow this all the way to Plaza Cinco de Mayo where you will find access to the city bus system and a large artesanry market.

Stores: You will find two mini-supermarkets. Here you will find the basics such as pasta, rice, meat, milk, beer, liquor and soda as well as a few veggies and other extras, and they are usually open until 10pm – 11pm. The larger supermarket Machetazo is located about 10 min walk down Ave. Central, and has everything from fresh produce, meats and cereals to clothing and electronics. There is one store known to sell alcohol until midnight, and is located along the parque de Santa Ana near the Machetazo on Ave. Central. There are also many cheap shops and variety stores along Ave. Central if you want to do a bit of shopping.
• Artesanry Shops: There are serveral Artesanry shops near the Plaza de Francia at the tip of Casco Viejo, and you will also find many street vendors there as well. If you are looking for something bigger, check out the Artisan Market (Mercado de Artesanias) in Plaza Cinco de Mayo at the end of Ave. Central.

Restaurants: There are many restaurants in Casco Viejo, but the majority are a bit pricey for the backpacker budget. We recommend taking a trip to one of the local Fondas around the corner, or try Café Coca-Cola for a tasty Panamanian fare for just a couple bucks, checking out the 4 course meal lunch specials at Rene Café right off the Plaza de Independencia, or walking down to the Plaza de Francia to watch the sunset and grabbing a pizza at Café Per Due for a couple dollars well spent. If you are looking to splurge you might consider Las Bovedas on the Plaza de Francia, or Casa Blanca on Plaza Bolivar. For cheaper options check out any of the local cafeterias or fondas located along Ave. B and Ave. Central, where you can get a plate of rice, beans and chicken for about $1.50. We also highly recommend going to Super G, where you can find healthy (and delicious) sandwiches, salads, snacks and drinks.  Super G is located on Avienda A.

Bars: There are more and more nightlife options sprouting up in Casco Viejo. Relic is the new bar on the block and is a EyeOnPanama.com favoriate. Bar options also include, Café Mojito, Indigo, La Casona de las Brujas. Other options include Havana, a laid back cuban bar just down the street and Platea, which is known for it’s Jazz and Salsa on Thursdays and Fridays. If neither of these strike your fancy, you might want to head to Calle Uruguay or Zona Viva for a more varied club and bar scene.

ATM’s and Banks – There are a couple ATM’s and banks in Casco Viejo, with the closest located across from the near the Presidencia or the Teatro Nacional. More ATM’s and banks can be found lining Ave. Central starting at the Plaza Santa Ana. To change travelers checks or foreign currency, you have to take a taxi to Banco Nacional on Via Espana or Scotiabank on Ave. Frederico Boyd. You can also change foreign currency at Panacambios on Via Espana.
Post: The closest Post Office to Casco Viejo is either a long walk or a short taxi ride away. Located along Ave. Central in Calidonia, the Oficina de Correo is across the street from the Don Bosco church. We have been told that this office is only for mailing letters or buying stamps, but is not for sending packages. To send a package internationally, you can either got to a local Fedex or Mailboxes etc. (located in most malls) or you can walk 4 blocks past the post office to another shipping center. You need to have your box ready to mail before showing up, as they do not have boxes or packaging for sale.

Things to be aware of in our area: Keep in mind that Casco Viejo is still a developing area, and there are certain areas where you should pay particular attention. We encourage you to not walk much farther west than the Plaza Herrera or on the north side, or much farther west than the Parque de Santa Ana. On our side of town, if you walk out the door and turn left down the ramp, you will realize you are in a much more run-down area and we urge you to walk with caution at night in this area. During the day it should be fine, but it is good to be aware of your surroundings. At the end of this strip is the fish market (where you can buy the catch of the day or a cheap cup of tasty ceviche) and the connection with Ave. Balboa if you are looking to walk into town and should be fine during daylight hours.
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