As of August 15, Panama City is officially 500 years old. This means that this gorgeous city stood through 2 World Wars, Newton’s revolution in physics and the moon landing. And, once you take into account the times that the city has seen, you will appreciate it’s beauty even more once you visit it. So, to honor half of the millennium of Panama City’s existence, let us take a closer look at both its history and current lifestyle.
What you should know about Panama City
The city of Panama is both the capital and the largest city of Panama. There are about 890,000 living in the urban area of Panama City, while the metropolitan area makes up about 1.5 million. The most distinctive trait of Panama is the Panama Canal. This artificial waterway connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and is considered as one of the seven wonders of the modern world by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Pedro Arias Dávila founded Panama City on August 15, 1519. Throughout its history, Panama has experienced turbulent events whose remnants can be seen both on the streets in Panama and in museums. The Spanish crown ruled Panama for almost 300 years. It served as an important link in the trade path between the southern Spanish domains in America and the rest of Europe. The notorious British pirate, Henry Morgan, almost destroyed Panama in 1671 by starting a huge fire. After the fire has settled down, the residents of Panama decided to rebuild the city at a new location 10km southwest. The old city is currently known as Casco Viejo or Casco Antiguo.
One of the better moments in Panama history was the construction of the Panama Canal. The residents of Panama experienced a high increase in sanitation and health. So much so that the doctors eradicated yellow fever by 1905, and drastically reduced malaria infections.
Panama City today
As if it was motivated by its 500th birthday, Panama experienced a true rebirth. UNESCO declared it a “Creative City in Gastronomy”, thereby connecting it with other 180 cities worldwide. UNESCO gives this declaration to cities that stand out with creativity in folk arts, music, gastronomy, design, digital art, and literature. This should give you a good enough picture to understand how nicely Panama City is developing.
Today Panama is a multicultural city with people from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia all making it their home. All of these people brought with them their own ideas of food and gastronomy which mixed well with the local fruits and vegetables. This mixture of foreign-inspired ideas and local flora and fauna is what made Panama such a vibrant and exciting place. The goal now is to continue this development of Panama for the next 500 years and make it into the beauty that it deserves to be.
Making Panama City your home
So, we mentioned we wouldn’t be surprised if you decided to make Panama City your new home. After all, a lot of people visit Panama and fall in love with its vibe and lifestyle. But, before you purchase a home in Panama and move here, there are some pieces of advice that we would like to give you.
Moving preparations
A lot of people struggle with moving to Panama, as they fail to prepare themselves properly for a long-distance relocation. So, if you want to do yourself a huge favor, read up on packing and organizing your belongings. Long-distance relocations are quite unforgiving, which is why you need to make sure that your belongings are prepared properly.
Transportation
Once you have your belongings properly prepared, you will need to find a way to transport them to Panama. Now, if you only need to use moving trucks to transport your items, this will be relatively easy. But, if you need to transport your possessions overseas, you will need to do some extra planning. Time and time again we see people ruin their belongings by not picking the right way to transport them. Not to mention that some of them ignore getting moving insurance. Trying to send electronic devices overseas without picking the right way to do so and getting insurance is a sure way to never use them again. So, make sure to do your research before you transport.
Finding movers
Without capable Panama movers, none of the former things will matter. Don’t get us wrong, properly preparing for your relocation and doing research is important. But, without experienced Panama movers, there is a slim chance that you’ll be able to move there successfully. So, start looking for movers as soon as you start looking for a home. Organizing a long-distance relocation will take time, especially if it is overseas. And, the more time you can give your movers, the better they will be able to move you to Panama. Not to mention that you can save a lot of money by picking the right time to move. So, make your relocation both cost-efficient and effective. Start looking for reliable Panama movers as soon as possible.
Getting a beach house
Finding a house in Panama is not difficult. There are a lot of options for a lot of price ranges. This is why house hunting in Panama is often a breeze. But, the one thing we would advise you to do is to carefully consider what kind of home you are looking for. A lot of people rush into getting a beach home in Panama since living next to the beach sounds like a dream. But, unfortunately, having a beach home is not for everyone. They come with their own set of pros and cons, and you need to be aware of them before you make any purchase.