Elmer, our guide, was... - Elmer, our guide, was excellent. Very knowledgeable aboout old town. Wonderful walking tour. Would do this trip again

Wonderful time at Casco Viejo - My husband and I had a private tour with Elmer who was a great tour guide. Casco Viejo was beautiful and we learned it is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

a Gem of a Local Neighborhood Bar in Casco Viejo, Panama City - In February 2026 we spent the 1st night of our trip to Panama in the historic district of Casco Viejo, Panama City, at the lovely La Concordia Boutique Hotel, near the (highly recommended) Cafe Coca Cola. Walking back from dinner, we stopped at the Mini Super Santa Ana convenience store on Calle 12 Oeste to get some things for the morning and saw the Aurora Cantina directly across the street. Having researched "Dive bars within walking distance of La Concordia Boutique Hotel" ahead of time (iykyk) I was aware of the general location of the Aurora but hadn't been able to find any reviews online. We decided to walk over and have a cerveza, and after thoroughly enjoying the Aurora Cantina, I decided it was time someone wrote a review. This review is not meant for those looking for a 'cruise ship in port for an afternoon' version of a local bar. Nor is it meant to be anything short of glowing and sincere (in fact, we had such a fantastic 1st day and night eating, drinking, sleeping, and exploring Casco Viejo on foot that when our trip home was delayed by 3 days due to a canceled flight, we opted to scrap our planned airport hotel prior to departure and instead return to the Old Town, and to the Aurora). The Aurora Cantina is a colorful neighborhood staple, a community gathering place and a well-run no-frills bar steeped in local history. It is partially open-air, and dimly lit. There is table and bar seating in the front room with restrooms (for customers) in the back, and room enough for dancing in between. The well-stocked bar with coolers of beer, seltzers, sodas, and juices runs the length of the cantina space. The juke box is always playing, and the tv above the end of the bar is always on. The cantina is open most days, all day; if the gate is up and the swinging doors are open, so is the Aurora. The outside is decorated in pretty murals of local scenes, and the original artwork continues on the inside of the bar. Many walls in the time worn gem feature vibrant 1970s psychedelic art of animals and powerful nudes in various exotic locations and positions. The Aurora is staffed by the most welcoming, gracious, entertaining bartenders who without a shared language still kept the conversation going and the cold cervezas coming. They introduced us to Panamanian Telenovelas while we returned the favor with games of dice (purchased per die from a big plastic bin at the Mini Super across the street)! The drinks are strong and are priced well below other area bars that cater to a more typical tourist crowd. Although we were visitors in the Cantina, we were greeted like old friends from the neighborhood every time we walked in. Some of my favorite memories of Panama are of time spent together in the Aurora Cantina. Highly recommended.

Solo tour with Ricardo - I ended up on a private tour with Ricardo. He was very knowledgeable about Casco Viejo and Panama City as a whole, and we alternated between English and Spanish so we could both practice our skills. I highly recommend this tour if you're at all interested in Panamanian culture!

Casco Viejo - We had such a great experience at Casco Viejo with a wonderful tour withElmer. He was full of knowledge and experience at Casco Viejo. Panama is full of history that we enjoy so much.

Alex is one of the best tour guides we’ve had, he cares about his company and wants to have the best to all guests. - Alex as a great tour guide and he had a lot of information about the area. Alex is very educated about is craft.

Julio adapted our tour to our requests! - Julio adapted our walking tour to fit our wants and needs. We went to the Geisha coffee experience and learned about cultural aspects of Panama life. He’s a great guide and I would definitely recommend him!! Well worth it!

Great experience - Perfect experience to learn about Casco

Elmer our guide was very... - Elmer our guide was very knowledgeable. He went above and beyond what was expected and gave great suggestions of other things to see an do. Highly recommend this tour with Elmer.

Interesting to see the... - Interesting to see the old town. But the tour guide seemed to be frustrated that UNESCO is funding the updating of the buildings so very negative.