Casco Antiguo, Panamá Viejo y Amador

Panama La Vieja is the historical and monumental complex of the first Spanish city founded on the Pacific coast, by Pedro Arias de Ávila on August 15, 1519. Due to its location, Panama la Vieja was the starting point of the expeditions that conquered the Inca Empire of Peru in 1532, and the stopover of one of the most important trade routes on the American continent, to Nombre de Dios and Portobelo, through which passed most of the gold and silver the Spanish exploited in America. The Historic District preserves an intact network of streets and a substantial number of old domestic buildings, exceptional testimony of this early settlement. The Casco Antiguo was built after the first settlement in Panama la Vieja was destroyed by diseases and pirate attacks, the last and most remembered being that of Henry Morgan. The city was moved to a rocky peninsula that was healthier and easier to defend, and in 1673 what is now officially called the Casco Antiguo was founded. The rich mix of architecture is a large part of its charm: with the earliest buildings dating from the 1700s, styles include Spanish and French Colonial, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau and Mid-Century Modern. Due to their history and their architectural and archaeological recovery, UNESCO declared both cities Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Also, the modern city of Panama: a vibrant and cosmopolitan urban center in the middle of the tropics, with towering skyscrapers surrounded by stunning nature.