CINTA COSTERA

To cope with the saturation of Balboa Avenue, which ran alongside Panamá Bay, it was decided to build a new road complex by reclaiming land from the sea. The Cinta Costera was inaugurated in 2009 and has transformed the coastal landscape, extending over 26 hectares into the sea. To get a sense of this development, look for the twin towers of the Miramar Hotel: they were once right on the ocean's edge. The Cinta Costera is a series of traffic lanes (4 lanes in one direction and 6 in the other, including the former avenue Balboa), bordered by a vast coastal promenade. The Cinta Costera has made traffic flow more smoothly, but above all, pedestrians and sports enthusiasts have finally been catered for in a city that had previously totally ignored them! Vast green spaces, sports fields and pedestrian and cycle paths have enabled residents to make the seafront their own. Here you'll find the monument to Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, the discoverer of the "Southern Sea" (the Pacific Ocean) in 1513. The Cinta Costera is invaded early in the morning by joggers and cyclists, and in the late afternoon and evening by families and groups of friends playing soccer or basketball, and rollerblading. During the day, there's not much going on, and it's easy to see why: it's just too hot! The view of Casco Viejo on one side and the Paitilla skyscrapers on the other is superb. There are no guinguettes, but a few soda and raspa'o vendors.

In 2014, the Cinta Costera was extended with the much-maligned construction of a viaduct around Casco Viejo, the Cinta Costera III. Most Casco Viejo residents, as well as UNESCO, were against the project, but President Martinelli ignored the protests. He committed the irreparable act of bypassing the old town to link the modern center with the Chorrillo. The colonial quarter lost its beautiful skyline. On the other hand, if you come from the fish market, you can stroll along it on foot, for a beautiful view of Casco Viejo. On the other side of the Casco, the promenade runs along the less-frequented Chorrillo district to the entrance to the Causeway (the promenade is well secured). You can eat right on the seafront, at the small "Sabores del Chorrillo" restaurant complex next to the Maracaná stadium; a great place for a ceviche or grilled fish break! From here, you can reach the Biomuseo and continue your walk to the end of Calzada de Amador.