Panama's love affair with America is also evident on the culture stage. Indeed, the preferred cultural outing for most urbanites is the latest Hollywood blockbuster. With that said, there are a few theatres in the city that are fighting to preserve the traditional arts.

Panama City's most famous theatre is the Teatro Nacional (tel: 262 1329; website: www.teatronacionaldepanama.com), a stunning colonial showpiece located in the historic Casco Viejo district. Today, the national theatre stages various performance including dances, operas, ballets and concerts.

There are numerous other theatres around the city, among them the Teatro Anita Villalaz (tel: 211 4017) in the historic Plaza de la Francia and the Teatro En Círculo (tel: 261 5375) in the downtown area.

Mainstream films are shown at Cinemark (tel: 212 5225) in Albrook Mall while independent and Spanish-language films are shown at the Alhambra (tel: 213 9234) in the downtown area.