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Panama la Vieja - or "Old Panama", is located north-east of downtown Panama City. The city was founded by Pedrarias Davila in August of 1519, and is the oldest Spanish settlement on the Pacific. Panama la Vieja was a thriving city of 10 000 in it's peak - benefiting from the trade route from Peru to Spain. The gold and silver recovered from South America landed in this city before it left for Portobello and Europe.
In 1671, the pirate Henry Morgan invaded Panama, and the city was destroyed. It was never rebuilt. Declared a historic site in 1976 the ruins are now protected. and visitors can enjoy the historic sites which is located only 4.8 miles from downtown Panama City.
Panama la Vieja is worth a visit for anyone with just a few hours to spend. There are public buses that pass the ruins, or taxis charge about $1.50 - $2.00 from the city. It costs $2.00 to enter and see the ruins, except for Sunday's when no fee is charged.
The new Panama Viejo Museum, is situated east of the ruins. The Museum is open from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 7 days a week and costs $2.00 to enter;this includes the ticket to the ruins.The museum is small but has several nice artifacts, paintings, and photos of the area that made up Old Panama. Guides are provided at no additional cost, with English and Spanish spoken. Audio tapes in Italian, French, Portuguese and other languages are also available.
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