In Panama City, Panama, a historic city core juxtaposes with modernity in the most intriguing ways. The Central American destination has a skyscraper-studded skyline, almost reminiscent of Miami’s Brickell neighborhood, yet uniquely its own.

But step foot on the cobblestone streets of Casco Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by neoclassical architecture and elegant French Colonial structures, with wrought-iron balconies fronting sherbet-colored buildings that draw comparisons to New Orleans’ French Quarter.