Following our Chocolate Making Class, my wife and I decided to walk back to our hotel from Casco Viejo. It was evening, just before sunset, and I figured if things looked sketchy at Cinta Costera Park, we could always order an Uber. My concerns, however, were completely unjustified.
Passing the Mercado Publico del Marisco (Fish Market), we entered Cinta Costera Park. The park is a thin strip of land between a blue seawall and the Pan-American Highway. Our hotel was less than a ten-minute walk from the park’s eastern end, making it a leisurely hour-long walk from Casco Viejo.
Although it was sunset, the park was bustling with people. Fitness was the theme as runners and cyclists sped past, enjoying the park’s well-maintained paths and fitness equipment. Even with the sun setting over the Pacific, the park felt safe and lively.
Vendors lined the walkways, offering street foods, gifts, and local crafts. While many were packing up for the night, there were still plenty of stalls open as we strolled through the park.
We stopped along the seawall to snap photos of Casco Viejo and downtown Panama City. Locals were feeding cats and raccoons living within the concrete erosion jacks along the beach. My first impression? I’d never seen a cat eat a cheese puff before!
I did wonder about the health implications of feeding junk food to cats and raccoons. There were no signs forbidding it, but it still didn’t seem like a great idea. I took a few photos of the animals but kept my distance, knowing raccoons can carry diseases. They looked healthy, but I didn’t want to tempt fate.
As darkness settled across the city, we finished our stroll through the park. A pedestrian walkway allowed us to cross safely over to our hotel across the Pan-American Highway.
The park is free, appeared safe, and was quite popular. I would definitely recommend a visit. Plus, you can snap a photo at the iconic Panama sign located within the park!
Overview of our three-day trip to Panama!