I visited both components of the site in December 2022 while on a layover in Panama City. I will agree with the previous reviewers that Casco Viejo (or Casco Antiguo - both names apparently can be used) is not exactly exceptional in the absolute sense, and probably lacking in OUV, but being a visual person, I liked it more than I liked the Panama Viejo archaeological component. On the negative side, some streets remain clogged with cars and a non-trivial percentage of buildings is in a less-than-perfect state. On the positive side, fine details abound, and the overall ensemble of architectural styles is pleasing to the eye. That is in no small part due to the various balconies that adorn upper floors - Casco Viejo is sometimes rightly called "the city of a thousand balconies".

And the occasional juxtaposition of ruins or otherwise abandoned buildings with well-maintained colonial houses actually adds a measure of interest. You can see that at Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, at Arco Chato, and throughout the neighborhood.

As befits a predominantly-Catholic country, churches are the most impressive sights. La Merced, with its timber roof, thin support columns, and exuberance chapels is one. Saint Joseph is home to the incredible Baroque Golden Altar and no less incredible Nativity Scene in its treasury, the most elaborate I've ever seen. The Metropolitan Cathedral is as close to an architectural standout as anything else, with its gleaming-white towers flanking the weathered-stone faςade; its colorful marble altar is worth admiring as well. Saint Francis offers a bit of contrast with its fairly contemporary interior decorative elements. (Salon/Palacio Bolivar is right next to the church of Saint Francis, on the corner of the eponymous square.)

Key historic buildings are quite well signposted throughout Casco Viejo. You can make it a self-guided tour if you pay enough attention to the plaques.

Conversely, the ruins of Panama Viejo are mostly just that - ruins. Only a couple of structures remain in a shape that does not strain your imagination in order to recognize their original function. Most of the visual impact of Panama Viejo comes from the views that combine the remnants of the ancient town with the distant modern residential towers of the present-day city. The standout preserved monuments, the church of the Convent of La Concepción and the tower of the erstwhile cathedral, are both worth exploring. You can climb to the top of the tower for nice views.

The on-premises museum of Panama Viejo is, in a sense, the most illuminating part of the archaeological site, providing plenty of information about the prehistory, founding, expansion, day-to-day functioning, and ultimate demise of the town at the hands of Henry Morgan and his pirate fleet. The model of Panama Viejo in its heyday and a good collection of religious and domestic artifacts are on display.

Overall, the two components of the WH site certainly do not rise to the mark of "incredible", but they are definitely a worthwhile combination that charts the history of the region. If all you do is walk around and visit churches, you can see all of Casco Viejo in about two hours. Roughly the same is needed to see the archaeological site including the museum (the foreigner cost was $10 at the time of my visit). Uber is widely used and inexpensive throughout Panama City, and may be the best approach to traveling between sites, except the traffic in the city is occasionally insane, and a few kilometers may take half an hour to navigate.