A very sparse list provides the choice of children’s activities for Panama City, suggesting that this is perhaps not the best destination at which to take a family holiday. If you’re happy to spend every day on the beach then the vast stretch of visitor-friendly coastline available to the city might be enough to keep the kids from getting bored.

Beaches
Make the effort to drive just a short distance from downtown Panama City and you will be rewarded with the benefits of some 80kms of sandy beaches stretching from Punta Chame as far as Farallon. Kids can enjoy all the regular beach activities including swimming and paddling in the sea, playing Frisbee, building sandcastles, digging holes and collecting shells and old sea debris.

Hotel Kids Clubs
If your little ones are just not into the whole sightseeing thing then you might be wise to choose a hotel that offers kid’s club amenities. Typically a kid’s club allows parents to drop of their young ones for a morning or afternoon, while they head out for a spot of sightseeing or some relaxation by the pool; safe in the knowledge that their offspring are being entertained in a variety of ways by trained hotel staff.

Parque Metropolitano
Located within the limits of Panama City, Parque Metropolitano is the ideal place to take children who have an interest in wildlife; both of animal and vegetable origin. A total of five trails can be explored within the park, each offering a diverse range of flora and fauna. Kids will certainly enjoy catching sights of tropical birds such as trogons, parakeets, orioles and toucans and creatures such as sloths, Titi monkeys and agoutis.

Panama City is something of a dream come true for those with cultural and historic interests, offering an impressive selection of dedicated culture centres as well as buildings that have become of interest simply by virtue of their age and their previous purposes. The old city or Casco Viejo is perhaps the best place to head to get an unspoilt idea about Panama City’s history, while the large selection of museums on offer collectively offer a comprehensive insight into its cultural heritage.

Afro-Antillian Museum
Housed in the restored Christian Old Mission Building, the Afro-Antillian Museum is home to a collection of artefacts including photographs, artworks and domestic objects from the Afro-Antillians who were partly responsible for the construction of the Panama Canal.

Casco Viejo
Panama’s Casco Viejo was once the original city (established in 1519) prior to its sacking by pirates in 1671. Ruins of old buildings comprise the main sights and offer some great photo opportunities while giving visitors a real sense of what a typical Central American city looked like in the Middle Ages. A nominal charge is made to enter the city, every day except Sunday.

National Institute of Culture
Based in a fairly grand white colonial building, the National Institute of Culture is an agency whose primary job is to help preserve Casco Viejo and to operate the new city’s museums. At their headquarters is a modest collection of artworks by local artists.

Panama Contemporary Art Museum
This is a modestly-sized facility with a proportionate collection which is based in three rooms; one of which is used for permanent exhibits, with the other two displaying temporary exhibitions from both national and international artists.

Panama History Museum
Based in City Hall in the new city, the Panama History Museum is the first port of call for visitors with an active interest in the Panama’s colourful past. A modest collection of artefacts are on display spread among four rooms and covering the colonial, union with Colombia and Republican periods. A selection of artworks from famous Panamanian painters is also on display.

Reina Torres de Arauz Museum
Archaeology is the central theme of the Reina Torres de Arauz Museum; a facility which comprises four separate rooms among which are a variety of artefacts related to this theme and to the general theme of the city’s cultural heritage also.

Religious Colonial Art Museum
Based in the 18th century Church of Santo Domingo, the Religious Colonial Art Museum is home to an impressive collection of artworks among which are paintings created on media such as leather and cloth and poly-chromed carvings originating from Latin America. Religious artefacts made from bone and silver also feature in the collection, as does the church’s beautiful gold altar. The museum is housed in one of the church’s chapels and after visiting it, the remainder of the building can be explored with sights such as the cloister, interior patio and 'arm chato', among the more notable.

Dining options in Panama City are extensive with a large variety of restaurants offering traditionally Panamanian food as well as Spanish, French, Asian and American options. Panamanian cuisine is similar to some Caribbean cuisines with hot and spicy dishes taking precedence. Among the dishes that are popular in Panama City and the country as a whole, are ceviche, a dish of fish in a marinade of lime, peppers and onions; Patacones de plátano, which is fried plantain; Sancocho, which is a stew comprising chicken, vegetables and some fiery spices and herbs and empanadas, which are pastries filled with chicken, other meats or cheese. Eating out can be as cheap or as expensive an experience as you opt for with small establishments that the locals frequent at the lower end and classy hotel restaurants at the other.

Panama City has no shortage of places to empty your wallet or max out your credit card, be it on souvenirs or designers clothing. A variety of malls are on hand offering local retailers and those of international status also. Los Pueblos is perhaps the best place to visit in terms of variety available, offering everything from department stores, to grocery retailers plus a movie theatre, a casino and a branch of the American chain eatery TGI Fridays. For a slightly cheaper and less up-market range of products, head for San Miguelito, it’s a taxi ride away from downtown but well worth a visit. For a typical busy Panamanian high street, try Avenida Central, where you’ll find a varied selection of retail outlets.

Panama City sits amid a lush tropical environment that literally begs to be explored or exploited for its outdoor activity possibilities. Visitors can either answer the call of the wild or look at bit closer to home by making use of sporting and leisure facilities on offer at the city’s big hotels and resorts.

Birdwatching
Ornithologists will find plenty of opportunity to indulge their passions in the tropical forests located in and around the city. Pipeline Road is perhaps the best location within close proximity of the city centre; here if you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of species such as the king vulture, the harpy eagle, the three-wattled bellbird and the magnificent quetzal. There are private companies and organisations based in Panama City that can help facilitate visitor’s birdwatching plans; however anyone with a decent set of binoculars, a map and a sense of adventure can manage unaided.

Golf
Fine tune your putting green skills or practice your swing at a number of venues located in and around Panama City. The Cielo Paraiso Resort offers an 18-hole course as well as a large selection of other sporting facilities, as do the Coronado Golf and Beach Resort, the Costa Blanca Golf and Villas, the Mantaray Golf Course-Pacific Coast, the Summit Golf and Resort and the Vista Mar Golf and Resort Community. Some of these courses may require you to be a resident at the resort in order to make use of them while others will permit all players on payment of the required fee (traditional course dress required).

Tennis
The big resorts offer excellent selections of outdoor sporting facilities among which there are invariably tennis courts available. Residents of these resorts can generally play for free while outsiders will need to book and pay for the courts. The Cielo Paraiso Resort, the Costa Blanca Resort and the Red Frog Beach Resort are among those offering these facilities.

Water sports
Head for the beaches just outside of the city and you’ll find the gamut of water sports options available. Local companies provide the equipment and the know-how for those wanting to make scuba-diving or snorkelling excursions as well as for sailing, jet skiing and traditional skiing. Those with their own equipment can take on the local surf or do a spot of body or wake boarding.

Sea-fishing
If angling is your passion then be sure to book a day’s fishing trip with a local operator who will take you out to some of the best spots off the coastal areas close to Panama City. Rods and bait are provided although you are welcome to bring your own and may get a reduced trip price if you do.