Panama City

Panama City spreads along the Pacific coast of the Central American isthmus, on both sides of the southern entrance to the Panama Canal. Its metropolitan area is home to some 2,016,000 inhabitants, concentrating nearly half the country's population. The skyline of towers over Panama Bay — more than 40 buildings exceeding 150 metres — stands in sharp contrast to the Casco Viejo, the colonial quarter declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 alongside the ruins of Panama Viejo.

Founded on 15 August 1519 by Pedro Arias Dávila, it was the first permanent European settlement on the American Pacific coast. The original city flourished as a transit point for the gold and silver sent to Spain until its destruction by the Welsh pirate Henry Morgan in 1671. In 1673 it was re-established on a small peninsula 8 km to the southwest, the present-day Casco Antiguo. The construction of the Panama Canal, inaugurated on 15 August 1914 after a decade of works and nearly 5,600 deaths during the American phase, transformed the city into a global logistics and financial hub, with more than 67 banks from 32 countries now operating in its banking centre.

Panama has given the world two major sporting figures: Roberto Durán, Manos de Piedra, world boxing champion in four weight categories and considered one of the greatest fighters in history, and Mariano Rivera, closer for the New York Yankees and the only player elected unanimously to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Rommel Fernández Stadium, with a capacity of 32,000, was inaugurated in 1970 for the XI Central American and Caribbean Games and serves as the home of the national football team. The Cinta Costera, a 7-km seafront promenade along Panama Bay, offers running and cycling paths, open-air exercise stations and Sunday closures for recreational use. The Panama International Marathon, described as the oldest in Central and South America, traces its course from Balboa Avenue to the Pedro Miguel Locks along the Canal.

Panama City is part of the ACES Activa network with 12 registered events, reflecting a recent integration that is expected to grow as Panamanian participation in continental campaigns consolidates.