Here’s an interesting nugget about Panama: though the Central American country of 4.5 million people is largely surrounded by water, it almost never experiences hurricanes. In fact, the only time in recorded history that a tropical cyclone has touched down in the long, narrow nation was Hurricane Martha back in 1969. There have been heavy rainfalls since, but because its location is so near to the equator, where ferocious winds can’t properly spin, the lush land has been spared from the worst.
Naturally, Panama has flourished as a result. The country is dotted with thick rainforests and mountains. Bananas and melons grow here. More than 1,000 bird species call the country home. And if you like beaches, Panama has so many, some on the Pacific Ocean side and more along the Caribbean Sea.
Its capital, Panama City, is a thriving metropolis largely powered by industries stemming from the Panama Canal, like banking and maritime services. But the city isn’t all work; it has a warm, laid-back energy, too. It often feels like it has one foot in Miami and another in Cuba.
No matter if you’re in town for business or a break, though, there’s always plenty to see and sample. Follow along to this itinerary and you’ll get the best of both over 48 hours.
Day One
Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, an architectural wonder with quite the history, is where you’ll call home during your stay. The former Club Unión, a social space once frequented by the likes of Albert Einstein and Queen Elizabeth II, was converted to the first Sofitel Legend in North America in 2023. In a nod to the nearby Panama Canal, the hotel’s nautical touches (like a yellow engine telegraph and black-and-white construction photos) flow well with the original French colonial design, giving the place a real sense of historical elegance.
Most of the 159 rooms and suites at the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended property offer stunning looks onto Panama Bay or courtyard fountains from the balcony. Inside, the view is nearly as remarkable. With a plush blue couch and dark-wood furniture, the designers’ aim at a classic feel done with a contemporary flair is well executed. Bathrooms with marble tops, brass undertones and Diptyque toiletries also help deliver the message.
As badly as you’ll want to plop onto the four-poster bed, fight the urge by heading back downstairs — admire the citrusy Essence de Sofitel signature scent wafting about the hallways along the way — for a bit of sightseeing.
Sofitel Legend sits in Casco Viejo, Panama City’s original colonial center that’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the surroundings on your own or arrange an outing with a company like Tomi Tours. Whichever route you go, you’ll undoubtedly spot beautiful churches, Panama hat shops and indigenous Guna women selling hand-sewn bags along your journey.
You’ll eventually come across Plaza de Francia, a horseshoe-shaped square erected in 1921 as a tribute to the French engineers and thousands of workers from places like Jamaica and Barbados who gave their lives during the canal’s construction. The area around the plaza is great to reflect and take in views of the bay. The colorful, odd-shaped building you’ll notice off in the distance is Biomuseo, a Frank Gehry-designed museum celebrating Panama’s biological and cultural diversity.
Once you’re done walking around the neighborhood, make your way back to the hotel for your spa appointment. Nothing erases the toll of 12,000 steps quite like a 60-minute Herbal Bliss healing journey. Beyond muscle-relieving massages, Sofitel Spa offers holistic facials and banana leaf wraps as well.
The six Sofitel Legend properties around the globe make it a point that their buildings tell a story. That explains why, every day at 6 p.m., someone from the hotel leads a Legends Tour that discusses the structure’s former life and its role with the canal. The experience concludes with a performance from dancers in traditional garb and a candle lighting signifying the union between Panamanian and French cultures (Sofitel’s homeland).
After the ceremony, head to dinner at either hotel restaurant, Ammi Skybar & Grill or Caleta. The former sits high above the bay’s crashing waves, making for quite the romantic spot to partake in a Sour Sky (bourbon, gin and orange sour) and a premium New York strip. The heralded Caleta is a touch more formal, but celebrated chef Lorenzo di Gravio ensures all guests are welcomed with delicious coastal offerings (the flavor-packed octopus tamale) and fun moments (cracking a cocoa shell to get to your chocolate dessert).
Day Two
After enjoying room service or a croissant at the onsite Cafe Vera, take a car you’ve pre-arranged with your Sofitel butler to the Panama Canal about 30 minutes away. One of mankind’s most astonishing engineering feats, the canal has served as the connecting point between Pacific and Atlantic travel since 1914. Even in these tech-centric times we live in now, ingenuity from 100-plus years ago still baffles the mind.
To fully appreciate what designers and workers endured over the canal’s 30-plus years of construction, start your visit with some snacks and Panama Canal: A Land Divided, A World United, an exclusive IMAX movie narrated by Morgan Freeman. During the 45-minute showing, you’ll learn all about the tragedies and triumphs behind the man-made wonder. Once it concludes, make your way out to the observation deck to watch the lifting-and-lowering technology in person as roughly 35 vessels, some as small as solo sailboats or as massive as a cruise liner, pass through every day.
Your canal visit will last a couple of hours, leaving you ample time to get back to your room to relax and freshen up before dinner. As you coordinate your outfit, you may want to pay extra attention to your footwear because dancing might be on the menu later.
Calle Dragones Miami is a Cuban-Asian fusion restaurant doubling as a concert venue that cooks up fun on a nightly basis. As you enjoy soy-glazed mushrooms, arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) and sips of El Nacional (white rum, lemon, pineapple juice, apricot liquor and sugar), live singers and musicians get the party going with high-energy Cuban tunes. If you feel so inclined, scoot your table over and hit a two-step with your partner.
Should you have any energy left after all that excitement, nicely ask someone back at Sofitel Legend to point you in the direction of the Arcano speakeasy. When you get inside, you’ll uncover a dark, smartly decorated space pouring rum and playing salsa and Michael Jackson hits. If there’s a better way to celebrate a weekend in Panama City than with cocktails and “Smooth Criminal,” we know nothing about it.
