The Sights and Sounds of the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world. The Panama Canal is a 48 mile international waterway which allows ships to pass between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Shipping companies use the Panama Canal because it saves them 8000 miles instead of going around South America.

Introduction to Panama City
LAX Flagship Lounge at American Airlines Terminal 4
American Airlines MIA-PTY 737-800 Business Class
My Experience Renting a Car in Panama City
Aloft Panama City Hotel Review
The Sights and Sounds of the Panama Canal
The Sights and Sounds of Casco Viejo in Panama City
Panama City Airport Tocumen Royal Saloon Airport VIP Lounge
Panama City Airport Tocumen Airport Club Lounge
American Airlines PTY-MIA 737-800 Business Class

I drove to the Panama Canal where I was greeted by a sign, “Bienvenidos al Canal de Panama” (Welcome to The Panama Canal).

There was free parking on-site and go up the stairs to the Miraflores “Centro de Visitantes” (Visitors Center).

There is a huge price disparity for admission to the Panama Canal as non-residents are charged $15.00 USD while Panamanian residents are charged $3.00 USD. For children between 6 and 12 and students with valid ID, the non-resident (tourist) price is $10.00 USD whereas the residents (locals) price is $2.00 USD.

Note that the Panama Canal is open every day from 9:00am-4:30pm and I highly advise you to get there early before the rush of crowds. It wasn’t that crowded when I went, but it slowly began to fill up once the afternoon rolled by. The Miraflores Visitors Center has an in-room theater showing the history of the Panama Canal.

There’s also an on-site museum where you can see some artifacts from the early stages of the Panama Canal construction.

Inside the Miraflores Visitors Center is an on-site restaurant called “Restaurante Miraflores” which is in a white tablecloth expensive fine dining setting. You can also dine at this restaurant if you don’t want to bother with the crowds when watching the ships pass by the ‘locks’.

If you’re hungry and want to go the inexpensive route, there’s a snack bar outside called the Miraflores Café where prices are reasonable. The food isn’t that great though since it’s hot dogs, fries, and hamburgers.

Here’s a two part video of a Japanese Ship passing by a set of Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal. The process is wicked cool.