Description: Latin America's coastal cities always have a seawall
malecón bordered by a popular promenade. Panamá City's is more of a necessity and reference point than an attraction, but there are numerous things worth mentioning; especially for travelers staying anywhere in
La Exposición.
The Avenue is the surest stretch to keep bearings within the confounding maze of streets. Taxis and buses heavily ply the only midtown artery with traffic running in both directions, but walking is just as pleasant. Day or night, the malecón stays active with bikers and joggers. Despite precautionary warnings, safety shouldn't be a cause for concern though awareness should rise after dark.
Balboa Statue and Park commands center of attention with a circular drive that takes on a carnival atmosphere at night. Sidewalk vendors hawk treats and flowers for lovers congregating on scattered benches. Actually, there's something dreamy about the malecón after dark; especially with how mosaic blue tiles of the seawall enliven like tidal waves off headlight reflections.
Heading north from the statue, inland side of the Avenue is lined with numerous parks, which were quite active of an evening with families. The larger drive-in esplanade along the waterfront had a vagrant contingency by day, and suspicious feel by night. Walking anywhere towards Punta Paitilla's luxury towers, this is the only place to likely avoid.
The
Panamá Yacht Club, just north of Balboa Park, may hold the all-time
Best Hidden Opportunity of the country! Other travelers reported sailing the Canal for free. Yachts are required to take-on additional crew. Hang around, and wait to get signed for the following day. Apparently, there's more eating and drinking involved than actual work. Drop-off is in Colón, for returning by public transportation.
South from Balboa Park heads towards downtown, with impressive views of distant Casco Viejo hooking-out into the bay. Across the street,
Restaurante Boulevard Balboa (off Calle 31), and
El Rincón Tableño (off Calle 27), were highly recommended for their inexpensive
local specialties. Unfortunately they were closed during the holidays. These offer full-service, rather than a cafeteria, and are places easy to pin-point.
The Avenue forks at Calle 24, and you'll readily smell the
Japanese Fish Markets along the waterfront. Numerous seafood restaurants are scattered around the complex. Unless planning to dine, there's little to see worth coming here for, including a newer version of
The Local Market.
These cinder-block halls had a sterile feel with individual boothes lined side-by-side. The place is clean, well-lit, and sectioned-out with goods like aisles of a supermarket. With abundance of munchables found everywhere else, only the curiously bored would actually plan to come here, as nothing souvenir-related was available.
-- These markets have replaced the older wooden structures surrounding
Muelle 10, included on Lonely Planet's Casco Viejo Walking Tour. The piers are decayed, and area fairly seedy but there's no denying the old place still harbors the ambience.
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