Panama sightseeing tour and Canal visit

The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is an artificial 80 km (50 miles) waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean with the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit for maritime trade. Canal locks are at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 m (85 ft) above sea level, and then lower the ships at the other end. we visit the Miraflores Locks on this tour and you will see the operations of the canal by fresh water using the fresh water as elevators.

Built in 1913, with rocks from the excavation of the Culebra Cut during construction of the Panama Canal, the Causeway joins Panama City with four islands: Naos, Perico, Culebra and Flamenco. The site was part of a US military complex called Fort Amador that had established to protect the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. Currently, vestiges of the military installations can be seen on the islands, beautiful view of the modern city and breakwater of the panama canal at the pacific side.

Casco Viejo is the historic district and cultural gem of Panama City. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, Casco Viejo was established around 1673 by the Spanish colonialists, the Catholic Church, and other settlers. Historically one of the richest and most densely populated neighborhoods in the Americas, Casco Viejo went on to experience decades of neglect around the 1950s. The streets are filled with buildings that served as homes, cathedrals and churches and government buildings over centuries and many architectural phases. Some of these structures have been painstakingly restored and now house museums, gourmet restaurants, quaint shops and upscale residences. Other buildings stand in disrepair or complete ruin and the homes of poor families juxtaposed next door with a remodeled, exclusive property offer a an excellent peek into the varied history that the district has experienced.

The Bridge of the Americas crosses the Pacific approach to the Panama Canal at Balboa, near Panama City. It was built between 1959 and 1962 by the United States at a cost of US$20 million. From its completion in 1962 until the opening of the parallel Centennial Bridge in 2004, the Bridge of the Americas was a key part of the Pan-American Highway, this visit allows you to see the entrance of the Panama canal at the Pacific side and the Causeway Amador