Itineraries / The Panama Canal
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A trip to Panama would not be complete without visiting the Panama Canal. Nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World,” it is indisputably Panama's most fascinating and popular attraction. The 80-kilometer-long canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, allowing ships to sail "through" the Continental Divide. Today, the canal employs 9000 workers and operates daily, year-round.
Arrive in Colon… like Christopher Columbus!
A beautiful excursion with a variety of options- swim in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean in the same morning, kayak through the little-known Lake Alajuela, partake in the Black Christ festival-there is plenty to do here!
Colon, Portobello
The fascinating little city where Christopher Columbus arrived in 1502. Now a sleepy fishing village, Portobello used to be one of the wealthiest places on earth—at least until Spanish ships (perhaps pirates) arrived to transport the gold and silver taken from the indigenous peoples back to Europe.
The ruins of numerous forts can be explored throughout the town and are well worth a visit. Cannons still point out to sea, though the ammunitions depots have long since been empty, and the only permanent inhabitants of the fort are countless crabs.
The forts were erected between 1601 and around 1739. Their construction occurred over such a long period because a pirate attack would expose a defensive weakness, which the next fort would attempt to correct. Fort Fuerte Santiago offers a splendid panoramic view of the towns and forts.
Lago Gatun
LAGO GATUN is a 166 square mile freshwater lake providing the 52 million gallons of water necessary to operate the locks every time a ship passes through the canal. During a tour through the lake expect to see snail kites, flycatchers, anhingas moneys & sloths. The lake is popular for water skiing as well as scuba diving, although the expanding population of crocodiles makes these pursuits increasingly hazardous. There are even submerged villages to explore.
Soberania National Park
SOBERANIA NATIONAL PARK is situated along the eastern edge of the Panama Canal, halfway between Colon and Panama City. This moist tropical forest is an amazing place to explore the richness of Panama’s biodiversity. With over 1300 plant, 105 mammal, 525 bird, 79 reptile, 55 amphibian, and 36 fish species, you’re likely to see something new every direction you turn.
The humid forest of this park offers a variety of activities like fishing, eco-studies, bird watching and hiking along the many trails of the park. El Charco, Camino del Oleoducto and Camino de la Plantación are some of the many trails you could find and a world record of bird appearances has been set here with every different species in a single day. The cultural and historic aspect of this park can be seen on the Camino de Cruces Trail and at the Chagres River which in the colonial days were used as a way to transport the gold and silver from Peru to the many and famous Fairs that took place in Portobello The Camino de Cruces trail will take about four hours.
Locks of the Panama Canal
Just before passing the beautifully illuminated Centennial Bridge, you’ll see the stepped rock face on your left – Contractors Hill, here one can spot toucans, parrots in the forest that lines the 8 ½ mile Gaillard Cut.
Miraflores Locks
MIRAFLORES LOCKS are the most impressive of the lock system. Locomotives tie onto the mammoth ships and pull them through the locks to lessen the chance of mishap. The Miraflores Visitors Center exhibits artifacts from the canal's construction and has four halls that cover all aspects of the canal, from its marine ecology to its role in world politics.
Bridge of the Americas
Visit Mis Pueblitos (my little villages) a shopping area just before the Bridge of the Americas and near the Panama Canal Administration Building. The three villages that make up Mis Pueblitos each represent one of the main cultural influences of Panama.
There is a Spanish village with whitewashed buildings surrounding a courtyard, a Caribbean village with colorful Caribbean architecture, and an indigenous village of straw huts. The Spanish village includes a church, schoolroom, telegraph office, and various other buildings to give you some flavor of what life was like during Spanish colonial times.
Panama City
Cosmopolitan, compact and steamy, Panama’s capital city lies along the shore of the broad Pacific bay at the southern entrance to the canal. Simultaneously colonial and contemporary in vibe and view, the bustling city of approximately 750k people is the most sophisticated metropolis between Miami & Maracaibo. A quilt of loosely defined neighborhoods and a variety of ethnicities, the city boasts boutique hotels, upscale restaurants, scenic plazas and museums.
Casco Viejo
Two regions in Panama City provide plenty of fodder for history buffs. Panama Vieja, or Old Panama, was the original city, founded by the Spanish in 1519.
The settlement (10,000 strong) thrived, and news of the city's riches spread around the world. The city’s wealth worked against it in 1671 when English pirate Henry Morgan sacked the city, igniting its gunpowder stores and setting the city aflame.
Many of Panama Vieja's stones were then used as foundation materials in Casco Viejo (also called San Felipe), which was founded in 1671. Both of these quarters still have a wide variety of ruins to explore, along with numerous museums and cathedrals. Taxi drivers and tour companies around the city provide guided excursions.
Pearl Islands
More than 200 islands lie within 2 hours from Panama City. These jewels are known as the Archipielago de las Perlas are made complete by their exquisite setting in waters of canvassed blues & greens. Humpback whales frequent the warm waters in the winter.
This island group is named for the pearls found here. Isla Casaya & neighboring Isla Casayata still subsist largely on the profits of pearl diving. Featuring white sand beaches, coral reefs patrolled by a kaleidoscope of fish and lush forest roamed by anteaters, iguanas, sloths and peccaries.