Panama City is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal. It is the political, administrative and cultural centre of the country. Recently, Panama City has become one of the most important financial centres in Central America, with more than 104 banks, and has become a hub for high-rise buildings (eight of the ten tallest skyscrapers in Latin American are either in Panama City or in the process of being built). The city enjoys five large multilevel malls and many five-star hotels.

Tourist Offices
There is a tourist information desk at the airport and there is also an office on Vía Israel.

Sightseeing
Of particular interest to tourists are various sites located in the Casco Viejo, including Las Bóvedas, a waterfront promenade jutting out into the Pacific. Also the Teatro Nacional, a recently renovated performance centre, with outstanding natural acoustics, it provides an intimate performance environment, seating about 800 guests.

Further south-west one can climb Ancon Hill for an overview of the city, and beyond that is the fairly well-known bridge that spans the Panama Canal, the Bridge of the Americas. Another new bridge over the Panama Canal, the Centennial Bridge, is also becoming an attraction. The area immediately east of the Pacific entrance of the canal, known as the Amador Causeway, is currently being developed as a major tourist centre with many North-American style malls, hotels, nightclubs, and restaurants. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute operates a station and a small museum open to the public on Culebra Island, just off the island of Naos. The noted American architect Frank Gehry, known for the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum and the Disney Concert Centre in Los Angeles, has designed a structure which will be built in this area. The structure, called "The Bridge of Life Museum" is scheduled to be completed in 2007.

Unfortunately, the waters along the coastline of the city are polluted, and bathing in them is not allowed. However, there are beaches available nearby. The closest is the Playa Bonita Complex, right next to the city, crossing the Bridge of the Americas. There are also many more beaches, in the Pacific and Caribbean side.

Getting there
Panama City's international airport is Tocumen International Airport located on the eastern outskirts of the city. This airport serves domestic flights to the interior of Panama and the Pearl Islands in the Pacific. There are also buses arriving here from most major cities.