The Cinta Costera

The Cinta Costera was built on land reclaimed from Panama Bay through the 2000s and 2010s, a strip of park, cycle path and sports courts running several kilometres along the water from the financial district round to Casco Viejo, with the final section carried on a viaduct out over the sea because building across the old town's setting was not acceptable. It has become the city's outdoor room: joggers and cyclists at dawn and dusk, families at weekends, and the best view of the skyline, which from here reads as a wall of towers rising straight out of the Pacific with ships waiting beyond.

Highlights

• The skyline - the tower wall of the financial district from across the water.
• The sea viaduct - the final stretch carried out over the bay.
• Casco Viejo at the end - the old city where the walk finishes.
• The evening crowd - the city out walking, running and cycling.

When to go

December to April is the dry season. Dawn and dusk are when it is used; the middle of the day is too hot and fully exposed. Sundays close some lanes to traffic. The light on the skyline is best in the hour before sunset.

What to expect

The bay water is polluted and smells at low tide along parts of the route, which the park does not fix. There is almost no shade. The viaduct extension drew serious criticism from UNESCO over its effect on the Casco Viejo setting. Cycling lanes are shared and crowded at peak times.

Nearby

Casco Viejo is at the western end; the fish market is where they meet.