So you’ve booked your tickets to Panama City and decided to opt for a short stopover before continuing on elsewhere.

No worries, that’s what most people do and my girlfriend and I were no different on this last trip. It was a bit overwhelming at first.

The city is HUGE and a lot of our stress was stemming from the inevitable decision of where to base out of in order to see and do the most. But have no fear - the 48 hours guide is here!

Where to stay:

The simple answer: Casco Viejo.

There’s a lot of information on the internet about neighborhoods to avoid in Panama City, and if you look on a map, Casco Viejo appears to be flanked by many, most notably El Chorillo and Calidonia. Many people prefer to stay in the “more secure” financial district, and that’s perfectly fine.

We chose Casco Viejo for a few reasons. To start with, it was easy to get around. There were only a couple of things that we wanted to do across town (Panama Viejo and Miraflores Locks), and those were just a short 20 minute Uber ride away. Everything else was in close proximity to the old town and our average Uber fare was $2.

The second reason was that it gave us the historical experience. Panama City is full of high rises but, by staying in Casco Viejo, we surrounded ourselves with the rich history of how Panama City came to be.

Some people warn that the area is far too touristy. That may be the case during the day, but at night it comes alive as the neighborhood of choice for Panamanians to grab dinner and drinks.

Now that you know where to stay, here are the top 7 things to cram into your 48 hours in Panama City!