Don’t Settle for Less—Book Your Trip to a Place That Has It All

The Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo offers guests easy access to the old streets of Casco Viejo, where beautiful squares mingle with colorful buildings that now house shops and restaurants.

Panama City’s colorful buildings create picture-perfect backdrops for memorable photos.

While shopping, look for traditional molas textiles crafted by Panama’s indigenous groups.

The hotel presents a luxurious stay and modern amenities within Panama City’s historic old quarter.

Grab the secret password for the hotel’s hidden speakeasy, Arcano, to sip rum-tinged cocktails.

Panama City’s old district offers incredible views of the new modern downtown with a setting on the waterfront.

The Sofitel’s infinity pool is a welcome respite for relaxing by the water.

Embark on a day trip excursion with El Trip De Jenny to see gems like the Chagres River.

Minutes after landIng in Panama City, Panama, we’re whizzing past downtown’s glimmering skyscrapers for Casco Viejo, a historic quarter that’s a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site dating back to 1673. The city’s modern skyline soon gives way to the old district’s brick-paved streets, colorful buildings with flowers tumbling over balconies, and a sprinkling of crumbling ruins and centuries-old churches.

We’re staying at the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, a waterfront hotel with French Colonial good looks that vaunts its own storied past—once a 1900s social club that hosted Albert Einstein and Queen Elizabeth II. Those glory days still prevail thanks to a chic staff donning Panama hats, butlers who’ll unpack guests’ luggage and draw warm bubble baths, and design accents that call to the country’s heritage and gems like the Panama Canal.

While planted in the humming historic quarter, the Sofitel feels like a secluded resort, with a lush terrace and an infinity pool that hovers above the Pacific Ocean. We started each morning with coffee on our wrought iron balcony that surveys the water and downtown’s skyscrapers. And after a walking tour in the Old Quarter with Trips Panama—listening to bygone accounts of pirate attacks and fires, and making stops at ruins, churches, and the Museo de la Mola to view the traditional molas textiles crafted by indigenous groups—we looked forward to relaxing on the pool’s submerged chairs, listening to the ocean waves, and massages at the spa.

Every evening, couples dressed in traditional Panamanian attire perform a beautiful dance showcase in the lobby. It’s the perfect prelude to dinner at Caleta, where local ingredients and fresh seafood, like croaker cooked in clay and kampachi marinated in passion fruit, are stars of the menu. Late-night, we hunted down the hotel’s hidden speakeasy, Arcano, to sip rum-tinged cocktails.

Coffee is king in Panama, and while coffee shops like Sisu Coffee Studio dot the district, the coffee ritual at Vera Café offers the chance to indulge in the prized Geisha coffee paired with exquisite bites. The quarter is also ripe with gastronomic experiences, but don’t miss dinner at Maito, a steady on Latin America’s “50 Best” list that mingles Panamanian ingredients with Asian flare. We feasted on fresh ceviche, comforting chicken soup, wonton shrimp dumplings, and sea bass bathed in curry sauce.

While visiting the Panama Canal is a must—we suggest a VIP tour with a local guide to see the lock system in action—one day should be dedicated to experiencing Panama’s natural beauty. We booked a customized day excursion with El Trip de Jenny, a locally owned company that focuses on nature and cultural experiences. We soared through the treetops of the Gamboa rainforest on a cable car, hunted for sloths and monkeys, and wished we had booked other day trips to visit the indigenous Emberá Village, or swimming and snorkeling in the San Blas Islands. More reasons to return to Panama, a direct, four-hour flight from Atlanta. sofitel-legend-panama.com