The rich historic district known
as Casco Antiguo is located in the southwest of the city on a small
peninsula. The neighborhood is included on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Built around 1673 by the Spanish Garrison, the Catholic Church, and other settlers to relocate the city destroyed by the Welsh buccaneer Henry Morgan, who had sacked the original site of Panama City, then known as “Panama Viejo”. The Casco Viejo was surrounded by walls to provide protection from pirates. Some remnants of the Spanish fortifications can still be seen, including Las Bovedas (the Vaults), a sea wall containing dungeons. Later, the area housed French officials as they undertook the initial construction of the Panama Canal. What they left behind was a unique and culturally diverse neighborhood with an interesting mix of architectural elements of both Spanish Colonial and French Provincial roots that features several notable buildings such as the colonial Catholic cathedral built in 1673, the Presidential Palace, the Golden Altar of the Church of San José (made of pure gold), and the National Theater.
Regaining its vitality recently after decades of slumber, today’s Casco Antiguo is home to intrepid residents, including such well-known persons as Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro and entertainer Ruben Blades, who are proud homeowners of beautifully restored mansions in the old quarter. In this most exciting center of Panama’s history, new attractions (to include the Panama Canal Museum, art galleries, indigenous boutiques, trendy restaurants with world renowned chefs, intimate sidewalk cafes, and popular nightspots) have opened their doors to enhance Panama’s ongoing cultural legacy.