CERRO ANCÓN
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The green hill that dominates Panama City is ideal for a first approach to the city. It is accessible to the visitor who accepts to walk about twenty minutes in the tropical humidity. This walk is really worth it, for the fauna that you can meet there but especially for the panoramic view on the Casco Viejo and the skyscrapers that can be seen from the top, at 199 m of altitude. It is best to leave early to see animals and not suffer too much from the heat.
Cerro Ancon has always been a very popular public place for the inhabitants of Casco Viejo, who used to come here to walk and to draw water. In 1882, one of the first seismographs in America was installed there, as well as a hospital for the engineers and workers of the canal construction. In 1904, the hill became part of the American Canal Zone and access to it was restricted to Panamanians. During the Second World War, the American army dug a huge bunker: 200 meters long, 40 rooms, galleries that go up and down. " The Tunnel was used as an anti-atomic base and as a spy center for the Southern Command. The Cerro became Panamanian property again in 1979, following the signing of the Canal Zone retrocession treaty. A huge Panamanian flag (the size of a basketball court!) has been flying at the top ever since.
Mi Pueblito, at the bottom of the hill, on the Martyrs Avenue side, is a picturesque reconstruction of the different ways of life and traditional habitats of the country. Numerous handicraft stands.
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