World Heritage Sites in Panama

Founded in 1519, Panamá Viejo was the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. It was abandoned in the mid-17th century and replaced by today's Historic District, which has preserved its original street plan, architecture, and an unusual mixture of architectural styles.

Coiba Island, the largest in Central America, lies off the western coast of Panama in the Pacific Ocean. Coiba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, protects Coiba Island, 38 smaller islands, and the surrounding marine areas within the Gulf of Chiriqui.

Darién National Park and Biosphere Reserve is the largest protected area in Panama and a World Heritage Site containing an exceptional variety of habitats: sandy beaches, rocky coasts, mangroves, and swamps, as well as lowland and upland tropical forests containing remarkable wildlife.

The Fortifications on the Caribbean side of Panamá: Portobelo-San Lorenzo are located along the coast of the Province of Colón. These Panamanian forts on the Caribbean coast form part of the defense system built by the Spanish Crown to protect transatlantic trade.

La Amistad International Park is a Transboundary Protected Area that extends along the border between Costa Rica and Panama, which, along with the surrounding Biosphere Reserves, preserves a significant tract of tropical forest known for its extraordinary biodiversity and endemism.