In a nutshell

An unmissable excursion discovering the two sides of Panama: the older side of the colonial city with its forts, narrow streets, mixture of architectural styles and historic centre, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the more modern side with the Miraflores lock system in the canal, where we can see the large merchant ships pass by and understand the strategic importance of this masterpiece of hydraulic engineering.

Main stops

Panama Causeway, the famous road that leads to Fort Amador
Colonial Panama: the 'Casco Viejo', or historic centre
Miraflores locks visitor centre

The programme

We will begin our tour leaving the port by coach and travelling along the famous Panama Causeway, a road lined with tropical palm trees built during construction of the canal. This famous 6-km road dedicated to Panama’s first president Manuel Amador Guerrero links the continental part of the city to four islands in the Pacific Ocean, which form a small archipelago. Built in 1913 using rocks extracted from the well-known Culebra Cut (formerly known as the Gaillard Cut), it was initially part of a military base and has now been transformed into one of Panama’s most famous attractions.
When we reach the end of the Amador Causeway, we will arrive at Fort Amador, a former US military base used to protect the mouth to the Pacific from the Panama Canal, which has now become a tourist attraction.
We will travel back along this famous causeway to explore colonial Panama, heading to the historic centre, and specifically to what the locals call the Casco Viejo, or more simply, San Felipe, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area was rebuilt after various fires and damage in 1673 by French colonists, and over the centuries the city has experienced profound change, which is particularly visible in the architecture that features an interesting mix of French, Spanish and Italian styles.
As we travel along the narrow, cobbled streets in the centre, we can see ruins of churches, convents, palaces, bridges and military buildings, which reflect the city’s majestic colonial past.
After our visit to the historic centre, we will move on to a much more modern part of the city with great strategic importance, the Miraflores locks, which have a visitor centre with some panoramic viewing platforms from where we can watch the large merchant ships pass and visit the nearby IMAX Theater to enjoy an informational rich canal documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman. Through the magic of 3D and IMAX cameras, audiences everywhere can take an incredible trip through one of the seven wonders of the modern world in PANAMA CANAL 3D - A LAND DIVIDED - A WORLD UNITED. The documentary takes you through the locks and mechanical operations of the canal.
After visiting the Miraflores locks, we will return to the ship.

Good to know

We will be served a light snack and a bottle of water on the coach.