Bovédas

From the grass-carpeted triangle of Plaza Francia, it seems impossible to imagine that the peaceful place has ever seen sad days… But from Plaza Francia, you don't have to look far for the proof. The series of archways running along one long side of the plaza were used to jail prisoners throughout the colonial era who were sometimes simply left to drown in the rising tide. In the 1980s, the tourist board of Panama dreamt up a new purpose for the chambers behind each arch and renovated the entire strip. Two cells now hold an art gallery of Panamanian and Latin American art managed by the Instituto National de Cultura, and two cells are occupied by a French restaurant called Las Bovédas with a third devoted to its bar, Las Piratas. Patrons of any of these businesses enjoy the atmosphere of original stonework and undeniably spooky history.