
Colon, Panama
The narrow isthmus separating the Atlantic from the Pacific Ocean had a colorful and turbulent history long before Ferdinand de Lesseps first dreamed of building a transcontinental canal.
Spanish conquistadors hauled Incan gold through the dense rainforest to ports on the Atlantic. English freebooters sought to ransack those ports and attack the treasure ships that sailed from Portobelo. And 49ers braved mosquitoes and yellow fever to get to the California gold fields. While the Panama Canal remains one of the great American engineering feats of the 20th century, visitors to Panama will discover a whole range of scenic wonders. Hike into the dense rainforest, home to over 1,000 species of animals. Or pay a visit to an Embera Indian village in the heart of Chagres National Park.
Points of Interest
- Panama Viejo / Casco Viejo
- Canal Locks
- Panama Canal Railway
- Panama Canal Transit
- Cruise Gatun Lake
- Embera Indians
- Aerial Tram & Sobernia National Park
- Panama Canal Expansion