Perhaps it’s ironic that the oldest European settlement on the entire Pacific coast of the Americas went on to spawn the most modern and cosmopolitan metropolis in Central America, Panama City. But perhaps it isn’t, given the importance of the city’s (and country’s) location in both old and new worlds.

Established in 1675, after a fire destroyed the original settlement of Panamá Viejo (founded 1519), Panama City’s Casco Viejo (Old Town) was listed as a World Heritage site in 2003. Since then, the historic quarter has undergone, and continues to undergo, a significant make over.