A canal-centered capital

Panama City's skyscraper-packed skyline would stick out anywhere, but it's especially striking in this part of the world: In terms of height, Panama's photogenic capital includes the top 50-plus buildings in Central America. The city's long-ongoing construction boom owes mostly to its position at the Pacific end of the globally important Panama Canal, making it a hub of world finance and shipping logistics. Since 1999, when the Panamanian government assumed full control of the Canal Zone, Panama City has also become a top tourism destination. Hundreds of luxury hotels dot the metropolis—many with infinity pools like this one capitalizing on the capital's stunning sea-meets-mountains setting.