My Short But Sweet Trip to Panama – 3

The following day we headed back to David for our flight back to Panama City. Upon our arrival we were taken to the Miraflores Lock of the Panama Canal. Here you can watch how the locks work and visit their museum about the building of the canal.

From the canal we went to Old City Panama which is a collection of very old ruins from the 1800’s or even earlier, restored houses with some still needing repair. It’s quite a varied scene, but it all works together to make a charming area to visit and walk around.

We visited a very chic small hotel in the Old City, the Canal House. It’s very small, with 3 rooms only but the ONLY hotel in the Old City. The last unit (Master Suite) is the one you want to book as there’s a large terrace offering great views. Canal House is undergoing a complete restoration. It is becoming a very charming part of town, full of restaurants and little boutiques to shop at. It’s a far more attractive location than downtown (where the Intercontinental, Sheraton, Crowne Plaze hotels are). This is the first “”hotel like”” property to open in this area – more to come.

You can reserve the whole property for a group or family for the very reasonable price of $800 per night. There’s a housekeeper on stuff, and a manager. Canal House is not for everyone, but for the ones who enjoy history and the ambiance of a bygone era. It would be a great stop for 2 or 3 nights.

Breakfast is served in the dining room in the morning. A small kitchen is available for cooking or private catering. A cozy separate living room area is also great to watch TV, read a book, or sip on a cocktail.

I will go back to Panama and to Boquete when I go there to explore the Caribbean side, Bocas del Toro and San Blas islands. It’s a fascinating country with warm and friendly people.I encourage everyone to visit there at least once. You will want to go back.

Linda Lewis