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Cluster · Panama City

Panamá Viejo

Morning cluster: the ruins of the first city, open and shadeless; a tower climb and a small museum.

Key facts

28″ bags
forbidden
Time budget
half
Rescue coverage
91% ≤7′
max p90 7′
Places
1
Panamá Viejo
Panamá ViejoPhoto: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 4.0
Rules in force · 9Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4) giv…Street taxis often quote a tourist price and do not use m…
  • Central America ↗Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4) give one shared entry allowance, usually 90 days in total; leaving for Belize, Costa Rica or Mexico and coming back does not always reset it — check with immigration before a long stay.
  • Central America ↗Cross land borders in daylight and early in the day; many posts close or empty of transport by late afternoon, and the approaches are where robberies happen.
  • Central America ↗Several borders charge entry, exit or municipal fees in US dollars (Belize exit, Nicaragua entry and exit, Honduras entry); carry small, clean US notes and ask for a receipt.
  • Panama ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Panama's National Migration Service or a Panamanian consulate; proof of onward travel and funds may be asked for.
  • Panama ↗Do not travel independently in the Darién; the UK and other governments warn against parts of it, and there is no road crossing to Colombia.
  • Panama ↗Guna Yala (San Blas) is governed by the Guna people: visitor fees apply, and photography of people usually needs permission and payment. Book through Guna-run or licensed operators.
  • Panama City and the Canal ↗Check the Canal Authority's daily ship schedule before you plan the locks: the visit is worth most when a ship is due.
  • Panama City ↗Street taxis often quote a tourist price and do not use meters: book through a ride-hailing app or the airport taxi counter, and agree the fare before you get in.
  • Panama City ↗May to November brings heavy afternoon rain: plan outdoor stops for the morning and keep the afternoon for indoor stops.
More
Map to the centre
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Directions
From where I am

Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.

Walking weather, next 5 days

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Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Plan

How the ground walks, and what is here

Bound and physics

The archaeological site and its visitor centre on the bay east of downtown.

Slope
flat
Stairs
Tower has a narrow stair
Shade
low
Surface
grass, stone, gravel paths
Sleep here or visit
visit

A walking route that works

Early morning before the sun is high

  1. Visitor centre

    Map, exhibit and toilets.

  2. Cathedral tower

    The tallest ruin; view over the bay.

  3. Site paths

    Walk the ruins in loop; shade is rare.

On the ground

Where to rest, how to leave, where to sleep nearby

Rescue anchors

5 places to rest · checked on a 40 m (130 ft) grid

A rescue anchor is a spot where you can stop and recover if the walk goes wrong: a bench, a café, a toilet. Every letter on the map is one anchor, and each has a card below. We check that any point in the cluster is within about 7 minutes’ walk of one, so you are never far from somewhere to sit down.

ABCDE
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Lettered circles: rescue anchors (green works in any conditions, amber only on hot days). Dashed outline: the cluster. Red dots: spots more than 7 min from any anchor (none if you see no red). North is up; not for navigation.

Visitor centre hall (AC, WC)

Toilet · ac · Place to sit · works in any conditions

Cathedral tower base shade

Place to sit · Shelter from rain · works in any conditions

Bay-side path benches

Place to sit · works in any conditions

Site entrance café

Place to sit · Food & drink · works in any conditions

Main road bus shelter

Shelter from rain · works in any conditions

91% of the cluster is within 7 min of an anchor in any conditions (slowest walker, worst cell 10 min) · 91% on hot days

Nodes in this cluster

  1. Panamá Viejo ruins

    The ruins of the first city on the Pacific, with a cathedral tower: 75 minutes, in the early morning, hat on.

Edges out

directed
ToHowp50Climb
Casco ViejoCar west~20 minflat

Deep dive

Around this cluster

Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.