With 1600 species, Panama City's butterfly garden is a worthy stop for nature lovers. Fifteen-minute guided tours explain the life cycle of butterflies and point out their favorite plants. Panama itself is home to 30 native butterfly species. Note that the butterflies themselves are most active on hot and sunny days.
Mariposario Metropolitano
Panama City
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
3.74 MILES
Celebrating Panama as the land bridge that has permitted astonishing biodiversity in the region, this world-class museum is a visual feast. Exhibits tell…
1.8 MILES
This wonderful privately owned museum features the best collection of Panamanian art anywhere, an excellent collection of works on paper by Latin American…
3.1 MILES
The easiest way to visit the Panama Canal is to head to the Miraflores Visitors Center, just outside Panama City. This modern center features a four-floor…
3.8 MILES
Founded on August 15, 1519, by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias de Ávila, the city of Panamá was the first European settlement along the Pacific. For 150…
Panama Rainforest Discovery Center
15.72 MILES
Geared toward ecotourism and environmental education, this is an excellent facility for birdwatchers and nature-lovers. Since you are probably here to…
2.72 MILES
At the tip of the southern point of Casco Viejo, this beautiful plaza pays homage to the French role in the construction of the canal. Its large stone…
10.95 MILES
This 195-sq-km national park is one of the most accessible tropical rainforests in Panama. It extends much of the way across the isthmus, from Limón on…
2.51 MILES
This Casco Viejo church protects the famous Altar de Oro (Golden Altar), the sole relic salvaged after privateer Henry Morgan sacked Panamá Viejo.
Nearby Panama City attractions
1. Parque Natural Metropolitano
0.3 MILES
On a hill north of downtown, this 265-hectare park protects vast expanses of tropical semideciduous forest within the city limits, and serves as an…
2. Museo de Ciencias Naturales
1.47 MILES
Museo de Ciencias Naturales has sections on geology, paleontology, entomology and marine biology, as well as an impressive display of taxidermy.
1.62 MILES
Sculpted by Miguel Blan and Mariano Benlliure, the Balboa statue overlooks the Bahía de Panamá and was inaugurated in 1924, a gift from Spain.
1.69 MILES
The small Afro-Antillean museum has exhibits on the history of Panama’s West Indian community, particularly their work building the railroad and later the…
5. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
1.8 MILES
This wonderful privately owned museum features the best collection of Panamanian art anywhere, an excellent collection of works on paper by Latin American…
1.89 MILES
The story of the monumental effort to build the Panama Canal is powerfully depicted in murals by notable artist William B Van Ingen of New York. The…
1.9 MILES
Located within the financial district, these two towers were built in 1996.
2.38 MILES
The Palacio de las Garzas is named after the great garzas blancas (white herons) that reside here. The president of Panama lives on the upper floor.