A place to relax, exercise and have a good time, Parque Omar.
Find out what's on and what you can do in Panama City's most famous recreational park.
In the middle of Panama City, there is a park with more than 50 hectares of green areas, with soccer fields, baseball, volleyball, tennis and others. It is literally one of the largest land spaces in the entire city, Recreative and cultural, Parque Omar.
In the park you can do sports activities such as running , cycling,, or practice a sport in some of the available courts. The bike path is about 3.5 km long, a very long asphalt road available for walking, rollerblading or biking. Simply an ideal place to exercise and very centrally located in the city.
Another activity that can be done inside the park is reading , well, the park has a library inside, it is not just any library, it is the Ernesto Castillero National Library , and it is the main library responsible for keeping the registry of all the works registered within the national territory. Yes, to register a book written by you, you must register it here, in this library. The library inside the Parque Recreativo y Cultural Omar has spaces for light reading, a multipurpose room, a newspaper library, an audiovisual center and study cubicles. There is also a conference room on level two with an exhibition of famous works by Panamanian authors.
To make use of the library, you must request an access card, and with it you will be able to request loans, access articles, use the reading area within the library, etc. If you want to know how to apply for this card, please contact the library administration.
Another facility of interest is the pool area, which is located inside the park in the northeast area, has its own parking lot, and is reserved for visitors who carry an access card, this access card has a set of requirements which you must present when requesting it, and this card also has a cost (currently 3 balboas). If you are interested in swimming in this pool you can see the schedules and contact information here , but remember, the pool is closed on Mondays for maintenance
On my tour of the park I saw this squirrel and others roaming through different areas of the park. This park is large, I would not be surprised to find another group of animals in the early morning hours or perhaps at nightfall.
There is also an outdoor gym , available for those who running or cycling is not their main interest. Or maybe you prefer to practice a less demanding sport such as table tennis , there are tables to play (although being outdoors it could be challenging because of the wind), I think in that case you should bring your rackets and ball, as I didn't see any available.
Spacious gardens, an area for the little ones, decorations, cultural events, are some of the attractions offered by this public park for visitors all year round. It is a good place to practice yoga or meditation.
It is worth mentioning that the park has a somewhat strict regulation, so if you want to do some particular activities, you must request permission from the administration and some activities are payable, for more information here. Important things to mention, you should not abuse the use of free parking, parking lots are for the exclusive use of those who visit the park, otherwise your vehicle could be removed with a tow truck. You must not leave garbage or waste, you must not extract seeds or flowers, harvest fruits; you must not drink alcoholic beverages or smoke, among other prohibitions established in the regulations. You may bring your pet (dog or cat), but restrictions may apply depending on the size or weight of the animal.
El parque lleva el nombre del ex general Omar Torrijos, debido a que fue éste quien realizó las gestiones necesarias para reservar el terreno para la población panameña en forma de un parque público.
El parque cuenta con un horario de 4 AM hasta las 10 PM todos los días. Recuerda llevar protección solar para las horas del día y agua para mantenerte hidratado (no recuerdo haber visto alguna fuente de agua para tomar). Los días de semana es muy cómodo visitar este parque debido a que hay mucho menos visitantes que los fines de semana.
