ShoreTrips says...

I had an image of the canal, but my expectations were not nearly as intense as the actual experience. It was fascinating, and our guide maneuvered us around the crowds and explained it all.

After a pick up from your hotel we will begin our day with an introduction to Panama City including the historic district. This introduction and highlights will provide a history of Panama and it's relation to the surrounding water.

In 1673, after a devastating pirate attack, Panama City was moved almost 5 miles to the west, to a small peninsula at the foot of Ancon Hill, closer to the islands that were used as the port and near the mouth of a river that eventually became the entrance of the Panama Canal.

The relocated town, known today as Casco Antiguo (the Historic District of Panama) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It not only had better access to fresh water but also could be fortified. Military engineers took advantage of the morphological conditions that complemented the wall surrounding the peninsula, all of which prevented direct naval approaches by an enemy.

Several buildings within this District are an important part of the country’s 17th-20th century heritage. Most outstanding are the churches, particularly the Metropolitan Cathedral with its five aisles and timber roof. Other important churches include San Felipe Neri, San José, San Francisco and especially La Merced with its well-preserved colonial timber roof.

The Presidential Palace, originally built in the late 17th century and partially reconstructed in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, is a revealing example of the transformations that characterize the Historic District as a whole. The House of the Municipality, the National Theatre, the Ministry of Government and Justice and the Municipal Palace are outstanding buildings of a more recent period. A portion of your tour here will be on foot to be able to access these attractions in this historical setting.

Continuing on we will visit the Miraflores Locks and Visitor Center, one of three locks available to the Panama Canal. The Visitor Center has a short video that summarizes the past and present Canal. Four floors of exhibits include historic pieces, interactive modules, video presentations, and models of the canal so you can really understand the huge feat of its construction. Magnificently designed and executed, you will see the consideration that the architects and engineers had for observers that might come to see this incredible locking system. The 80-kilometer channel, actually 48 miles long, joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The ships line up for days to be able to enter the locks at their assigned time, or miss their opportunity. You will not be disappointed, as it seems there is an infinite line of ships waiting to pass by you, whether they go from high to low or reverse in the canal of water.