There are plenty of restaurants competing for your dollars, but a more budget-friendly option is to grab a cup of ceviche and an icy beer from one of the outdoor stands. Inside, there’s an amazing array of seafood for sale – head to the upper level for a bird’s-eye view of the action. Get there early, and you’ll spot pelicans divebombing the boats as fishermen unload their catch. Enjoy a fishy feast at the Mercado de MariscosĪ Panama City institution – Mercado de Mariscos is a required stop. With around 200 molas on display, you’ll learn how they’re made and how the designs evolved from geometric patterns to symbols of the natural world and pop culture icons.ĭig into a fresh ceviche dish at Panama's fish market © John Coletti / Getty Images 11. This small – just five rooms – but perfectly curated (and free) museum in Casco Viejo celebrates the mola, colorful appliquéd textiles handcrafted by Indigenous Guna women from the San Blas Archipelago. Enjoy Guna Yala art at the Museo de la Mola And don’t miss the beautiful biodiversity gardens with a zone on native plant species. The museum’s eight galleries explore the country’s fascinating geology, natural history and diverse cultures through a host of interactive displays. Discover Panama’s incredible biodiversity at the BioMuseoĭesigned by starchitect Frank Gehry, the BioMuseo, with its multicolored origami-like canopies, is quite a spectacle – inside and out. The world-class museum, located on the Amador Causeway, showcases how the skinny isthmus of Panama changed the planet. Learn about Panama's fascinating biodiversity at the BioMuseo © Mark Pitt Images / Shutterstock 6. The marine museum is filled with educational displays and exhibits detailing the lives of the three-toed sloth or the strawberry poison dart frog. Later, indulge in some hearty Panamanian fare under a palapa at Mi Ranchito. This skinny sliver of land jutting into the bay was created from earth leftover from the construction of the Panama Canal. Originally a breakwater and a land bridge to the diminutive islands of Perico, Naos and Flamenco, the Amador Causeway is a recreation hub and favorite of both residents and tourists.īest explored on two wheels – try Bicicletas Moses – head to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's family-friendly Centro Natural Punta Culebra. Prices for a cup of Geisha range between USD$10 to $15. Sample it in Casco at the industrial-chic, vegan-friendly Sisu Coffee Studio, which serves varieties from the owner’s estates. Originating in Ethiopia, the beans made their way to Panama and today are cultivated on the lofty volcanic slopes of the Chiriquí Highlands and Volcán Barú near Boquete. Its complex flavors and distinct aroma make it one of the world’s finest – and most expensive – cups of joe. Sip a cup of Geisha, the champagne of coffeeįor coffee lovers, Geisha is the stuff of legends. Geisha coffee is one of the most expensive cups of coffee in the world © Juan Jose Rodriguez / AFP via Getty Images 4.

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