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Miraflores Locks and Visitors Center – When you
visit the Panama Canal, make the Miraflores Locks your first stop. There's
a brand new visitors center – two viewing areas over the locks (shaded
from hot sun or rain), video presentation about the Canal transfer from
America to Panama in 1999, museum with excellent hands-on exhibits, snack
bar and sit-down restaurant. |
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The first floor of the museum has exhibits about the construction
of the Canal – history of French and American workers and engineers,
models of steam shovels and trains that moved all the dirt. The second floor
is devoted to the wildlife in and around the Canal – insects and butterflies,
and aquarium tanks with fish that live in Lake Gatun. The third floor was
our favorite: the Canal in action. Step into the ship-handling simulator,
a full-size room – kids can stand behind the wheel of a ship. Or watch
a time-lapse video of boats going through the Canal, and a big lighted wall
map. On the fourth floor, find out about all the different ships that transit
the Canal. |
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Allow plenty of time to visit the museum, and then just spend
time watching ships in the locks – some of the Panamax ships are so
big, it's hard to believe that they fit! When you arrive at the visitors
center, ask at the desk for the schedule – they know when boats will
be going through the two locks. |
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Partial canal transit – Take a four - five hour
trip through the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks. It's an incredible sensation
to feel the water flowing out of the locks, and the boat dropping each level,
or the locks filling up and the boat rising to the next level. Partial transits
of the canal are available on Saturdays. Ask at your hotel for a company to arrange your tour. |
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Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo – Along the canal,
on the road to Gamboa, the Summit zoo and botanical gardens are a great
place to spend the afternoon with kids. The zoo isn't all that extensive
or fancy, but it features Panama wildlife – magnificent harpy eagles
(national bird of Panama), brilliant scarlet macaws, adorable tapirs, noisy
monkeys and chubby jaguars. The botanical gardens, with large expanses of
grass and picnic tables under shady trees, are perfect for a picnic lunch.
There are also three large playgrounds with swings, slides, and teeter-totters. |
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Go for a walk or hike in Parque Nacional Soberania – The Panama Canal is flanked by tropical rain forests, and as you
drive out of Panama City, just a few minutes down the road, you'll find
yourself in gorgeous green "jungle." |
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 Sendero
El Charco (El Charco Trail) – The trail sign is visible on the
road from Panama City to Gamboa. This self-guided nature trail through the
rain forest is a gem, and enjoyable for everyone in the family. The loop
trail follows a crystal clear stream, amidst hanging vines and trees so
dense, the sky is barely visible (markers in Spanish and English have fascinating
facts about rain forest flora). When we hiked this trail, shortly after
we crossed over the stream on a wooden bridge, peals of thunder overwhelmed
the quiet hum of insects, then the howler monkeys let loose. Rain started
to pour down, but only a gentle rain penetrated the luxuriant canopy above.
Tiny frogs leaped under our feet as we walked along. The rain forest in
the rain, with thunder and howler monkeys, was absolutely magical. Wear
shoes or sandals that can get wet (even without a rain shower, the rain
forest is pretty drippy). |
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Sendero
Las Cruces (Las Cruces Trail) – Here's where you can follow in
the footsteps of the old Spanish trail, the Camino de Cruces, where pack
mules transported treasure from Panama City across the isthmus to waiting
ships on the Caribbean. (Pretend you're Sir Francis Drake, the English privateer,
who stole a fortune from the pack mules.) At the beginning of the trail
are the original smooth stones of the Camino de Cruces, then the trail continues
as a dirt, and it goes on and on – you can hike for miles. From Panama
City, where the road forks left to Gamboa, go right to Camino Las Cruces
– the trail sign is visible from the road (across from the trailhead
is a large cannon). Also on the same road, stop to see La Cascada, a small
but lovely waterfall by the side of the road. |
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Gamboa Aerial Tram – At the Gamboa
Rainforest Resort, ride the aerial tram through the canopy for an up-close
view of plants and animals that live in the upper regions of the rain forest
(think of how much fun your kids will have with their rain forest reports
in school). After the tram ride, visit the butterfly house to see fifteen
different kinds of butterflies, the snake house (the poisonous snakes are
fascinating), fish aquarium and reptile house, plus model of an Embera Indian
village. Tram and exhibits takes about 2 ½ hours, call in advance
for reservations (507) 314.9000. |
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Boat trips on Lake Gatun –
Take a boat trip on Lake Gatun (Lago Gatun) for spectacular wildlife and
to see the gigantic ships pass by. Lake Gatun is an extensive lake, with
many inlets and small islands covered with pristine rain forest. From our
shallow-bottomed, boat, we saw toucans, river otters, howler monkey babies
playing in the trees, spider monkeys hanging by their tails and eating fruit,
a crocodile lurking in the water (perfectly camouflaged to look like a rock),
tiny long-nosed bats stuck on a tree branch, a three-toed sloth sleeping
in the trees, tamarinds, and many types of birds. This is just a fabulous
way to see the rain forest. Also on the lake, you'll see the dredging equipment
on the lake (the lake has to be dredged continually) and huge container
ships and tankers up-close. This is a must-see day trip – it's the
best of wildlife and big ships combined, and fun for everyone in the family. |
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Gatun Locks – It's worth a day trip to the other side of the isthmus to see the
Gatun Locks, three in a row locks, and the Gatun Dam. |
