Explore Panama City
What is Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best?
This award is our highest recognition and is presented annually to those businesses that are the Best of the Best on Tripadvisor, those that earn excellent reviews from travellers and are ranked in the top 1% of properties worldwide.
Learn morePanama City
Panama City
Panama City TourismPanama City HotelsPanama City Bed and BreakfastPanama City Vacation RentalsFlights to Panama CityPanama City RestaurantsPanama City AttractionsPanama City Travel ForumPanama City PhotosPanama City Map
HotelsAll Panama City HotelsPanama City Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Panama CityBy Hotel Type
Things to DoRestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental CarsMorePanama City MotelsPanama City CampsitesPanama City HostelsPanama City Beach HotelsPanama City Green HotelsPanama City ResortsBusiness Hotels Panama CityPanama City Family HotelsPanama City Luxury HotelsRomantic Hotels Panama CityPanama City CasinosSpa Resorts Panama City
By Hotel ClassBy Hotel BrandRadisson Hotels in Panama CityWyndham Hotels in Panama CityHilton Hotels in Panama CityMarriott Hotels in Panama CityAccor Hotels in Panama CityCrowne Plaza Hotels in Panama CityHoliday Inns in Panama CityCourtyard Hotels in Panama CityRamada Hotels in Panama CityWestin Hotels in Panama CityBest Western Hotels in Panama CityInterContinental (IHG) Hotels in Panama City
Popular AmenitiesPopular NeighbourhoodsPopular Panama City CategoriesCheap Accommodations in Panama CityHotels with Balconies in Panama CityPanama City City Center HotelsBoutique Hotels in Panama CityAll Inclusive Hotels in Panama CityPanama City Cruise Port HotelsSpa Resorts in Panama CityPanama City Hotels with GymPanama City Hotels with Tennis CourtsPanama City Hotels with Swim-up Bar
More Panama City CategoriesNear LandmarksHotels near Panama CanalHotels near Casco ViejoHotels near Miraflores Visitor CenterHotels near Amador Causeway (Calzada de Amador)Hotels near Avenida BalboaHotels near Panama La ViejaHotels near Panama MetroHotels near Museo del Canal Interoceánico de PanamáHotels near Cinta CosteraHotels near Bridge of the Americas
Near AirportsHotels near Tocumen Intl Airport (PTY)Hotels near Paitilla Airport (PAC)Hotels near Panama Pacifico Intl Airport (BLB)Motels near Paitilla Airport (PAC)Motels near Panama Pacifico Intl Airport (BLB)Motels near Tocumen Intl Airport (PTY)
Popular Hotel CategoriesPlan Your Trip to Panama City: Best of Panama City Tourism
About Panama City
A diverse multicultural city of almost 1.3 million, Panama City offers a lot more than an up-close view of the Canal. Shantytowns slink up alongside shiny high-rise condos. The Old City is an atmospheric labyrinth of churches, plazas and palaces. Fifteen miles from downtown Panama City, Soberania National Park is an excellent destination for hiking and birding. For a fascinating look at the canal, take a taxi or local bus to Miraflores Locks Visitor Center and look down on the traffic below.
Essential Panama City
The best rooftop bars and restaurants in Casco Viejo
Panama City’s Casco Viejo, or Old Town, is its most captivating neighbourhood. I can’t get enough of strolling down the cobblestoned streets and looking up at the wrought-iron balconies. But more than anything, I love parking myself at one of the surprising number of bars and restaurants that are hidden on the rooftops in this historic quarter. Here are my favourite sky-high venues in Casco Viejo.
Rosie Bell, Panama City, Panama
- Tantalo Hotel / Kitchen / Roofbar849Though it opened back in 2012, Tantalo is still the trendiest of the rooftop bars in Casco Viejo. Sitting on top of a 10-room boutique hotel, this spot hung with strings of lights serves up delicious dishes, expertly mixed cocktails, and views of the skyscrapers of “New Panama.” A rite of passage for newcomers to Panama, this was the first rooftop I experienced. I return regularly to inspect the constantly evolving lobby murals.
- Lazotea Jorge Rausch - Restaurant & Rooftop1,830I always have a splashing good time at Lazotea, the first Casco Viejo rooftop with its own plunge pool. This bar and restaurant is fabulous for early evening gatherings with friends because the music doesn’t get painfully loud until things really get going. There’s an elevated section that’s perfect for dancing with the wind in your hair. You can reserve it—as I have done for several birthdays, farewells, and reunions—for private parties.
- CasaCasco2,629On the southern edge of Plaza Herrera, this beautifully restored building houses restaurants on its three first floors, a pumping nightclub on the fourth, and—the pinnacle—a 360-degree terrace on the rooftop. I love that as soon as I arrive I’m asked whether I prefer a city skyline or bay view, as both are utterly promising options. Time your arrival for just before sunset and dress to impress for mingling with the glamourous crowd.
- Tacos la neta Casco Antiguo307Perched on top of the Selina Casco Viejo, Tacos La Neta is where the cool children lounge by the pool and devour oozing tacos during the day. After the sun goes down, this rooftop space is transformed into one of the city’s best places to boogie to music from top DJs. Great for solo travellers, it attracts a mix of locals, backpackers, and digital nomads who use the hotel’s coworking facilities.
- Vista Corona Panamá35You don’t have to be a beer aficionado to love Vista Corona Panamá, as this palm-shaded space also serves elevated cocktails like the passion fruit-flavoured margaritas and the lychee-infused Bunny Fizz. If you do love a cold beer, the bartenders hand out free bottles of Corona at sunset to help you toast in style. Lit by strings of lights, this spacious spot is known for its gorgeous views over the rooftops of Casco Viejo.
- El Faro del Casco Antiguo1,109There has been debate among my friends for years as to whether El Faro del Casco Antiguo’s 360-degree rooftop has the best views in Panama City. Here’s what we agree on: This 28th-floor terrace crowning a residential building is the quintessential spot to crack open a chilled beer and soak in two sides of the city. That’s because it’s located right on the border of Casco Viejo and the skyscraper-filled downtown.