Plaza de la Independencia (Independence Square), Panama City

Panama declared its independence from Colombia on 3 November 1903 in what is now known as Independence Square, also called Plaza Mayor or Cathedral Plaza. This space has long functioned as the civic, religious, and symbolic center of the Old Town. As you move across the square today, cafes, small shops, and artisan stalls line the edges.

Along the western side of the square stands the Metropolitan Cathedral of Panama, its white twin bell towers rising above the plaza and forming its most dominant visual landmark. On the northern side, two major museums sit side by side. To the left, the Panama Canal Museum occupies a grand former hotel building. Immediately beside it, to the right, the Panama History Museum offers a broader narrative of the country’s past.

The southern side of the plaza is enclosed by additional colonial-era buildings that once served residential and administrative purposes. Scattered within the plaza are several statues and commemorative monuments, including figures associated with independence and national memory. These sculptures add another layer to the space, reminding visitors that Independence Square is not only defined by the buildings around it, but also by the events and people it continues to honor.