History, engineering and adventure merge at the Panama Canal, where cruise ships traverse a fascinating 51-mile isthmus that links North and South America. Considered a rite of passage by inveterate cruisers, this journey takes you to one of the world's marvels of ingenuity, a project that claimed many years, dollars and lives before its completion in 1914.
The endeavor first began in 1584 with Charles I of Spain, who ordered the first survey of the treacherous route, which then consisted of twisting jungle rivers. The French began the first excavat... READ MORE
History, engineering and adventure merge at the Panama Canal, where cruise ships traverse a fascinating 51-mile isthmus that links North and South America. Considered a rite of passage by inveterate cruisers, this journey takes you to one of the world's marvels of ingenuity, a project that claimed many years, dollars and lives before its completion in 1914.
The endeavor first began in 1584 with Charles I of Spain, who ordered the first survey of the treacherous route, which then consisted of twisting jungle rivers. The French began the first excavation in 1880 but, 20 years later, abandoned the dangerous project, plagued by death, disease and insurmountable frustration. In 1903, the U.S. took over the undertaking, investing $352 million, and finally opened the canal a decade later.
Though the traditional Panama Canal cruise launches from Florida and concludes on the West Coast, many lines are offering interesting new options like final destinations in Vancouver, B.C., Seattle and Santiago, Chile, as well as "partial crossings" that take ships through one lock or routes that stop just outside the canal and offer scores of shore excursions.
The highlight of any Panama Canal cruise is, of course, the waterway itself. From the Atlantic, ships enter the three-stage locks at Gatun Lake then move through an ingenious maze of canyons, crevices and channels. Some lines stop along the way at the Gatun Yacht Club, where you can actually take a dip in the canal or unwind with a cold brew before heading through the Gaillard Cut to Miraflores Lake and, finally, the Pacific Ocean.
Many Panama Cruise itineraries offer ports of call in Costa Rica and the Western Caribbean, including Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, while others take in the Mexican Riviera ports of Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco and Manzanillo. Other stops may include Aruba, Cartagena, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; Puerto Caldera, Guatemala; and San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.
Among the most popular destinations are Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where nature offers an abundance of awe-inspiring shore excursions, among them the active Arenal volcano, Villa Blanca cloud forest and Poas volcanic crater, brimming with iridescent blue water.
A highlight in Limon, Costa Rica, is the Tortuguero National Park, where you travel by boat for up-close-and-personal encounters with exotic wildlife like green turtles, monkeys and crocodiles. The aerial tram at Braulio Carillo National Park carries you across treetops alive with birds and butterflies.
Another favorite stop is Colon, Panama, where the restored Panama Railways runs parallel to the canal, allowing wonderful vistas from Pacific to Atlantic. Other excursions take you to the tropical rainforest at Gamboa or the Embera Indian Village. If there's time, visit Panama City's Presidential Palace and surrounding Plaza Central, or Portobelo, once Panama's wealthiest city.
