The Shaping of Panama to Colon
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Port
Colon, Panama
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$109.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 7 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Panama is a country whose name is utterly inseparable from the image of the canal that changed the world — considered by many to be the Eighth Wonder of the World. Yet the 'other' Panama is just as interesting, with a fantastic history of glory and tragedy that has shaped this country, once known as the Pearl of the Pacific.
A 90-minute drive brings you to the YMCA Craft Market, where you will have some time on your own to shop in the many crafts stalls featuring items from all over Panama.
Continue through the streets of the old French Quarter of Panama City, founded in 1673 by French colonists. You'll hear tales of the extraordinary gallantry and shocking piracy that kept the inhabitants in a state of constant high alert in Colonial Panama, known as Casco Antiguo.
Visit the beautiful vaulted promenade of Las Bovedas and the French Plaza, which pays homage to those who built the Panama Canal. A number of old houses and other senescent monuments can be found in the downtown district. Appreciate the unique architecture, influenced by a wonderful blend of French, Spanish and Italian styles.
After a buffet lunch, reboard your motorcoach for a drive past the ruins of Old Panama, which was founded in 1519 and destroyed by the infamous Welsh Captain Henry Morgan in 1671. You will see the ruins of the churches and convents, colonial palaces, bridges and military buildings that attest to the grandiose past of Old Panama.
Notes:
Total driving time is approximately four hours. Tour requires walking approximately a half-mile. There may be a delay waiting for the coach at the end of the visit to the French Plaza. Entrance to Old Panama is not included; it is a panoramic drive-by only.