Panama City, Panama — Activities
Panama City Culture
Panama’s love affair with America is also evident on the culture stage. Indeed, the preferred cultural outing for most urbanites is the latest Hollywood blockbuster. With that said, there are a few theaters in the city that are fighting to preserve the traditional arts.
Panama City’s most famous theater is the Teatro Nacional (tel: 262 1329; website: www.teatronacionaldepanama.com), a stunning colonial showpiece located in the historic Casco Viejo district. Today, the national theater stages various performance including dances, operas, ballets and concerts.
There are numerous other theaters around the city, among them the Teatro Anita Villalaz (tel: 211 4017) in the historic Plaza de la Francia and the Teatro En Círculo (tel: 261 5375) in the downtown area.
Mainstream films are shown at Cinemark (tel: 212 5225) in Albrook Mall while independent and Spanish-language films are shown at the Alhambra (tel: 213 9234) in the downtown area.
Panama City Tours
In Panama, there is only one name in tours, and it’s Ancon Expeditions of Panama (tel: 269 9415; website: www.anconexpeditions.com). Created by Ancon, the country’s largest private conservation organization, the company offers the winning formula of professionalism, natural expertise and a commitment to preserving the natural heritage of Panama.
Ancon offers custom-tailored trips in the capital, the Canal Zone and to the farthest flung corners of the country. If you’re an avid birder, one particularly popular tour is a guided birding trip to the famous Pipeline Road in nearby Parque Nacional Soberanía. However, it is recommended that you book your trip in advance as all of Ancon’s offerings are extremely popular and do fill up quickly.
