Cinta Costera 3 in Panama City is ideal for running: a scenic, wide and well conditioned 3.5 kilometer course above Pacific Ocean’s waters which offers views of the Casco Viejo and the tall, new skyscrappers. And to finish the run, nothing better than run in the narrow cobbled streets of the old city.
TLDR; “Too long, didn’t read”
- I just want to run! Take me to RUN.
- I have 1 minute. Take me to USEFUL INFORMATION.
- Running is my excuse for travelling. Take me to TRIP.
- Running is my excuse for eating. Take me to CARBOLOADING.
- I want to know what to read in the plane. Take me to ONE BOOK.
🌍 The trip 📷: what to see in Panamá in one day
Panama is known worldwide for its Canal, and the Canal must be visited, that is for sure.
But we realised that Panama has much more than that to offer, and we decided we would come back in the future to explore also its tropical forests and discover the colourful streets of the capital or any of its picturesque towns.
Panama’s Canal
We started our visit in the Miraflores Visitor Centre. The centre is very popular: we were surrounded by tourists who, not deterred by the scorching sun, were taking pictures of the ships passing the Canal.
We saw a great 3D film about the Canal, which we enjoyed. The film is narrated by Morgan Freeman and our only criticism is the exacerbated protagonism of this fact: in the poster, Freeman appears as big as the canal itself 😊
The film explained about the history of the land where the Panama Canal is, the sad attempts by Frenchman Ferninand de Lesseps (the Suez guy, whose name we are familiar with due to Barcelona’s square 😉) to build a Canal and how, years later, the American succeeded.
Later we could admire some sailing boats and a big cargo shipping passing by the Miraflores locks and check in person the great engineering work of art the Canal is!
Gamboa Sloth Sanctuary
After the Panama Canal we visited the Gamboa Sloth Sanctuary because the Sloths are just too cute! And I wanted to get a taste of what Panama’s natural life can offer.
The sanctuary is worth a visit. You see some sloths and learn a lot of interesting facts about them, like the fact that they can sleep up to 18 hours a day.
What I was not suspecting is that they are common in Panama’s towns and cities. People need to learn how to help them cross the streets, for instance! Because otherwise, many of them are killed, ran over by cars ☹
We also saw a Butterfly’s Garden with amazing specimens, of bright colours, while we learnt about them as well.
The guide showed us how butterflies use their colours and patterns in their wings to disguish and avoid predators. Look at this one, for example:
Casco Viejo
We visited Casco Viejo at night, while it was raining. Which is something very common in here, so we didn’t let it stop us!
However, we enjoyed the landmarks better the day after when we went for a run, like I will explain in the next section.
Still, I recommend going to see Plaza de la Independencia at night, because the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Consejo Municipal are illuminated and look strikingly beautiful: specially the Consejo, which is illuminated with Panama’s colours 😊
We saw restaurants playing loud music and took a few pictures in Plaza Herrera.
🏃♀️ The run🏃♂️
Cinta Costera
We decided the route after reading that “Cinta Costera number 3” (translated to “Coast Belt”) is suitable for running.
We left our hotel very early, before 6am. Our hotel was located in “Casco Viejo”, the old town, and in the same street there was still music super, super loud playing and a few youngsters drinking and chatting outside.
But as we step outside of the Casco Viejo and got to the “Cinta Costera”, the ‘party world’ turned into ‘fit world’.
There were some runners and many bikers, both local and probably ex pats (heard a lot of “biz talk” in English).
In the background, the early mist was covering the high skyscrapers: with the palm trees in front, it was a very cool sight.
The “Cinta Costera” is ideal for bikers and runners. The distance has beein painted in the ground: 3.5 kms, and there were fountains.
The path is wide and well paved, and super beautiful: there are plants and flowers in the middle lane, and even decks to admire the views!
El Chorillo
After completing the 3.5kms, surrounded by more and more runners, we aimed to finish our run in Casco Viejo. It was our opportunity to do some “touristic running”, aka: sightseeing while running.
When we entered “El Chorillo” neighbourhood, I experienced one of those moments of joy combined with awe and surprised. I was, suddenly, very aware that what I was living was unique. We entered a completely different world:
The streets were decrepit and dirty. Rests of all-night long parties were scattered everywhere. Groups of people were still chatting quietly. The buildings looked so ruinous that one could believe that nobody was living there, but one light or one glimpse of drinks inside made me realise the area was very much inhabited.
This was a very, very different Panama city than the one we had experienced so far: the touristic Casco Viejo, renovated, colourful, bright and… full of police.
Casco Viejo
And it was only a few meters away.
Because we run a little bit more and we were again in a territory highly guarded by police and the military, and we could enjoy Panama’s historical landmarks like they had been built recently 😊
I particularly liked the Plaza de Francia, because it was empty and peaceful, and we ran over a bed of red petals falling into a patch of water.
It was extremely beautiful, and I hope the pictures capture such a magic place at that time of the day.
Finally we ran past the The Metropolitan Archcathedral Basilica of Santa María la Antigua, which looked beatiful at daylight.
We also passed by the Ruins of the Society of Jesus – read here a super good article of the legacy of the Society of Jesus in the city – to finish our run at 5kms.
🍜 Carboloading and Protein Recovery 🍝: What to eat if you are a runner
We found a restaurant specializing in “Comida panameña” very close to the Cathedral: “El Nacional”.
Normally places which are so close to a touristic landmark are overrated, but we really enjoyed this one.
We ate three traditional and super tasty Panameñas dishes, which I recommend! Hojaldre to start with, and Ropa Vieja and Pollo Guisa’o which are meat-based, so ideal for protein recovery.
Other local dishes are: Arroz con Guandú (translated to Rice and Beans) is a classic Panamanian dish which is both good for carbolading before running, and protein recovery afterwards. It combines rice with pigeon peas (guandú) and often includes coconut milk for added flavor. It’s typically served alongside protein sources such as chicken, beef, or seafood.
Similarly, Tamal de Olla is a traditional Panamanian dish made with masa (corn dough). It is stuffed with a variety of fillings, such as chicken, pork, or beef, then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed
Useful information
🏆 5k Run around “Cinta Costera 3” (Coast belt), El Chorillo and Casco Viejo in Panama City, Panama – South America.
👟 Urban: bring shoes for asphalt.
✅ In the belt, super good track, meant for runners: no traffic, wide and with water fountains.
✅ Scenic views and in Casco Viejo, the possiblity of seeing some very nice landmarks, like the Metropolitan Cathedral.
❌ The heat, obviously. And during rainy season, which lasts from April to December, the likehood of rain. It’s the Caribbean, after all!
Map
One book
“The poet’s rebellion”, by Juan David Morgan.
A funny, well written book about a curious dystopia: what if there was a rebellion centered around culture?
I enjoyed this clever satire, Morgan’s prose and his accute view on what makes Latin America unique. Also because the book describes Panama’s society in a way that really makes you think.
Plot Summary: Antonio Solana, the new director of Culture and Fine Arts, intends to bring to fruition the poetic tour that will rescue lost values among young people.
The good intentions of Solana, Proverbio González, the deputy director, and the poets of the program “De vuelta al Parnaso” are trapped in the networks of politicians and corruption. The only way out is to rebel in order to be heard through a cultural coup de etat.
