Word: casco
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Nowhere does it stretch further than in the Casco Viejo, Panama City's quaint, compact, colonial-era Old Town. Dating from the early-16th century and surrounded on three sides by the Pacific, the Casco - as it is affectionately known by locals - was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 and served as the backdrop for much of the action in the latest James Bond film Quantum of Solace. The Casco's appeal is clear: grand cathedrals, fountain-filled plazas, timeworn cobblestone streets, even a bullet-scarred Presidential palace, which was attacked during the 1989 U.S. invasion...
While most of the development is still to get under way, a clutch of Casco cafés, hotels and cultural sites have already had their makeovers. The most eye-catching is the Canal House Hotel (www.canalhousepanama.com), an elegantly renovated late 19th century mansion where actor Daniel Craig stayed during the three-month Bond shoot. The hotel's three guest rooms are named after the Canal's massive locks - Miraflores, Pedro Miguel and Gatun - and each has a wrought-iron balcony with views of the Casco's Cathedral Plaza and surrounding red-tiled roofs and cobblestone alleyways...
...heart of the Casco are three squares: Plazas Bolivar, Herrera and Independencia, the site of the city's dramatic 17th century cathedral. Moments away you'll find numerous Casco newcomers - places like Indigo (www.indigopanama.com), a North African?inspired restaurant and lounge, and Ego Café, tel: (507) 262 2045, with its adventurous Panamanian-Mediterranean menu. You can sample rich ice creams and sorbets - from basil to Earl Grey - at Granclement, tel: (507) 228 0737; browse through intricately carved wooden crafts at Karavan Gallery, tel: (507) 228 5161; and take home one-of-a-kind pieces by local artists from Casa...
...Turkolimano (grilled jumbo prawns, tomato and feta with lemon-ouzo vinaigrette) and squid risotto in a broth of octopus and roasted red pepper, all served in a pale-wood dining room and accompanied by an ambitious wine list. After dinner, it's just a short drive back to the Casco Viejo and its many historic glories...