- 10:00am Start the day with brunch at Mentiritas Blancas, where coffee is serious business and you can choose to savour it with home-made local pastries or empanadas.
- 11:00am Head to Parque Andres Bello for a leisurely stroll or a workout. The park is a hub of activity on weekends, with yoga and zumba classes and walking, running and tai-chi clubs, a jogging loop and free outdoor workout equipment. The park also hosts festivals, fairs and dance performances, complete with food vendors and handicrafts for sale.
- 1:00pm Chez Titi Tea Room serves up delicious salmon crepes and other healthy lunch options (gluten free too), as well as freshly squeezed juices and indulgent French pastries.
- 3:00pm Explore the local art scene at the Weil Art Gallery (a 20 minute walk towards Casco Viejo), which showcases a range of remarkable paintings and sculptures, as well as handicraft, including contemporary pieces crafted by the indigenous Wounaan, Embera and Guna tribes of Panama. Or walk to A Priori Art Gallery (a 12 minute walk), which houses a rich collection of photographs, paintings and sculptures, as well as a permanent collection of masterpieces principally from Panama and Latin America.
- 5:00pm Head to La Rana Dorada to sample some microbrews on the terrace (a great people watching spot), or the Istmo Brew Pub, another beer-lover’s dream: the first microbrewery in the country with 4 beers on tap, all named after Panamanian provinces (choose your own adventure between the Colon’s strong malty taste, refreshing hints of caramel in the Chiriqui, the dark bitter, coffee-like flavors of the Cocle or the coppery Veraguas).
- 7:00pm Dinner at Tsugoi, one of Panama’s best sushi spots.
- 9:00pm For live music, check out El Pavo Real, a real El Cangrejo establishment with a dizzying line-up of rock concerts, or The Wine Bar, which pairs live jazz with an award-winning selection of over 200 wines selected by Chef Willy Diggelmann in a beautifully designed space.
This article is part of our Ultimate Guide to El Cangrejo. Download the complete guide by clicking here.