Panamá Viejo

Panama City was the oldest capital in all the Americas, founded in 1519, and prosperous until a pirate force led by Henry Morgan sacked the settlement in 1671, setting fire to the remains before leaving. Afterwards, survivors moved to the present-day location of Casco Viejo to recover and rebuild, and the development that sprawled outwards didn't reach the Panamá Viejo area again until about 1950. The ruins were declared a protected site in 1976, and have been developed as an idyllic walking ground marked by informative signs printed in English and Spanish. Colonial structures in various states of renovation are linked by paths running through lawns and under shade trees, so that the area feels like a tranquil park. This rustic and ruinous ensemble shelters myriad ramshackle edifices - like the still-soaring Panama Cathedral, Casa de los Genoveses and the crumbling Convent of Conception - which whisper tales and secrets of the city’s foregone times. Duly designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this timeworn expanse is one of the most priceless historic treasures of Panama.