The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal took 34 years from first serious attempt (the French company under Ferdinand de Lesseps, which failed after spending $287 million and losing 22,000 workers to disease and accidents) to successful completion (the Americans, who finished it in 1914 after 10 years and spending $375 million). The engineering required the largest earth-moving operation in history to that point, the near-eradication of yellow fever and malaria in the Canal Zone, and the artificial creation of Gatun Lake by damming the Chagres River. The lake, at 26 metres above sea level, is why the canal uses locks: ships must be raised to cross the continental divide and lowered back down on the other side.

The canal handles about 14,000 vessel transits per year. The 2016 expansion added a new set of larger locks to accommodate post-Panamax container ships. Watching a massive container vessel being raised through a lock chamber with about 60 centimetres clearance on each side is memorable.

Where to Watch

Miraflores Locks Visitor Centre on the Pacific side is the standard tourist stop, about 12 kilometres from Panama City centre. The visitor centre has four observation decks, a museum on two floors covering canal history, operations, and ecology, and a restaurant with a direct view of the locks. Entry is $15 for adults; the restaurant is overpriced but the positioning is excellent. Taxis from the city cost about $15-20 each way.

The best viewing position is the upper deck. Ships typically transit the Miraflores locks multiple times per day; check the AIS (Automatic Identification System) ship tracking app before you go to see what traffic is coming through. Large Panamax container ships and tankers make a more dramatic spectacle than smaller pleasure craft.

Agua Clara Locks near Colon on the Caribbean side opened in 2016 as part of the expansion and have a visitor centre of their own. Less visited than Miraflores and more recent in design; the expanded lock chambers are visibly larger. Getting to Colon requires about 90 minutes by car or bus from Panama City.

Gatun Locks near Colon can be viewed from a public observation point at no cost. The surroundings are less polished than Miraflores but the locks are the oldest and the setting next to the spillway of Gatun Dam has its own interest.

Casco Viejo

Panama City’s colonial old quarter on the Pacific coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been extensively but not yet entirely renovated. The Casco Viejo mixes restored colonial mansions housing boutique hotels and restaurants with unrenovated streets where daily local life continues undisturbed. The mix is the point. The Plaza de la Independencia, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the ruins of the original Casco Viejo church (bombed by pirates in the 17th century) are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other.

For eating, Madrigal is one of the better restaurants in the area, serving contemporary Panamanian food at around $20-30 for a main course. The market on Avenida Central near the old quarter sells local produce and prepared food at prices reflecting actual Panamanian incomes rather than tourist assumptions.

Soberania National Park

The rainforest that lines both sides of the canal is protected as Soberania National Park, and it sits within 20 kilometres of Panama City. Birders in particular come specifically for this: the park holds over 500 bird species, including the famous Pipeline Road where the BirdLife International big day record was set in 1996 (385 species in 24 hours). Howler monkeys, sloths, and capybara are reliably encountered on the roads and trails through the park. A half-day with a guide covers the main Pipeline Road access point for around $50-80.

Practical Notes

Panama uses the US dollar (locally called the balboa), which simplifies budgeting. The dry season from December to April has the clearest weather; the wet season (May-November) brings afternoon showers but heavy traffic on the canal continues regardless.

Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport is the main hub for Central America, with connections throughout the Americas and increasingly to Europe.