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Panama Viejo or Old Panama is the ruins of the first European city on the Pacific Ocean. Panama Viejo was founded in 1519 and in 1671 with a population of 10,000 it was sacked and burned by Morgan the pirate. The remaining ruins of Panama Viejo are part of a World Heritage Site.

Panama Tourism Opportunities

Panama offers many opportunities for tourism from world class sport fishing to eco and cultural tourism in its indigenous areas or comarcas. Panama was a Spanish colony from shortly after Columbus until 1821. An interesting activity in Panama City for history buffs is to see Panama Viejo followed by San Felipe.

Panama Viejo

Panama Viejo is the remaining part of the old Panama City and former capital of the country. It is located in the suburbs of the modern city it is part of a World Heritage Site.

Panama Viejo was founded 15 August 1519 with hundred inhabitants just 27 years after Columbus’ first voyage. It was the first permanent European settlement in the Pacific Ocean. After a hundred years by 1610 the city reached a population of about 5000. At that time there were roughly 500 houses, convents and chapels as well as a hospital and a cathedral. In 1670, sixty years later, the city had grown to 10,000. On 28 January 1671, The English pirate Henry Morgan attacked the city with 1400 men marching from the Caribbean coast across the jungle. Morgan defeated Panama Viejo’s defenders and sacked and burned the city.

Two years later in 1673 Panama City was rebuilt on a peninsula a few miles away and that rebuilt city remains as San Felipe or Casco Viejo (The old helmet) which is now an old neighborhood in the modern, million person city.

A Suggested Panama Historic Tour

For those interested in a historic tour Panama Viejo is a great start. You can get to and from there by taxi from downtown Panama City. There are many ruins including an old tower and on the grounds there is an artisan’s shop with many authentic Panama arts and crafts.

The next stop, by taxi, on your historic tour would be San Felipe. This second Panama City, now part of modern Panama City, became quite run down and is in the midst of a renaissance. Many original Spanish Colonial buildings remain side by side with restorations in the same motif making a walking tour very interesting. Those interested in Panama real estate investment would be well served to look into development opportunities in San Felipe.

If you have enough time in Panama the third historic tour stop would be Porto Belo. This is across the Isthmus of Panama from Panama City and is probably best to see on an official tour. Porto Belo was the site of an annual trade fair in the days of the Spanish Main when armadas came from Spain with trade goods and returned with gold and silver mined in Peru which as sailed up the coast in armed convoys and carried by mule across the Isthmus of Panama.

Again, for those interested in Panama real estate investment the area around Porto Belo is likely to do very well in coming years as Panama’s road improvement campaign makes the trip from Panama City to Colon province easier.

The last part of a historic tour after looking at the sites of Panama Viejo, San Felipe, and Porto Belo is a visit to the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal near Panama City. The construction of the Panama Canal is still considered a historic engineering triumph and is well described at the museum at Miraflores. Besides, at Miraflores you can sit and watch giant container ships pass through the locks on their eight hour passage through the Panama Canal.

We hope you are able to visit Panama and enjoy sites such as Panama Viejo and San Felipe. If along the way you find an interest in real estate or investment in places like San Felipe, or Porto Belo, Panama come to see us at ABPanama. We do business throughout Panama and have over 23 years experience managing real estate portfolios.