The Best Way to See the Panama Canal

Lets face it. When you hear Panama, the first thing you think of is the Panama Canal, isn’t it? Before my trip to Panama, it was actually one of the only things I knew about the country. Naturally I had to see it for myself during my stay. You definitely should too! While you might think its just a touristy landmark to check off your list, its actually a really interesting few hours if you stop by the Miraflores Visitors Center.

I had no idea how the Panama Canal worked prior to visiting, so I got a lot out of this trip. The Center is definitely the best place to see the Panama Canal from, and considering how easy it is to get there, stopping by should be an essential part of even the shortest trip to the country. If you’re reading this before going, you’ll know a bit more about the Canal than I did, as I plan on covering all the essential information in this post.

• Speaking of trips to Panama, if you’re planning one, check out my recommended 24 hour itinerary for Panama City HERE.

Miraflores Visitors Center – The Basics

• Where? Miraflores Locks, Panama
• When? The Miraflores Visitors Center is open daily from 8.00am to 5.00pm. The best times to see boats passing through the canal are from 8.00am to 10.00am and 2.00pm to 4.00pm (but check these times when planning a visit).
• How much? Admission to the Miraflores Visitors Center costs $20.00 USD for adults (13+) and $15.00 USD for children aged 6 to 12 years (non-Panamanian residents). Children 5 years and under get in for free. Discounted rates apply to citizens of Panama.
• How to get there: The easiest way to get to the Miraflores Visitors Center is by Uber. Its about a 20 minute drive out of town from the Casco Viejo district. Alternatively, an infrequent bus service runs to the Visitors Center from the Albrook Bus Terminal.
• Website: https://visitcanaldepanama.com/en/points-of-interest/miraflores-visitor-center/

What is the Panama Canal?

I’m going to wager that you’ve heard of the Panama Canal. Its kind of a big deal. But for the sake of completeness, let me give you the lowdown. The Canal is a man-made body of water extending some 80 kilometres across the width of Panama. The Canal links the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and using an extensive series of locks and water levels, it gives passage to over 15,000 ships and other vessels each year. The Panama Canal was a game changer to global shipping routes – prior to the Canal’s opening, ships had to traverse the dangerous waters around the tip of South America. The 10 hour journey through Panama cut 3 weeks off the time taken to get from one side of the American continent to the other!

Constructing the Panama Canal was a massive engineering project, especially for its time. An important part of the Canal is the Gatun Lake, a manmade water body which was created by damming the Chagres River. The lake’s creation greatly reduced excavation requirements, however it is about 26 metres above sea level. To reach the lake, vessels therefore had to be elevated up and back down again on the other side. That’s where the gates and locks come in. Miraflores, just outside of Panama City, is the westernmost of three sets of locks that vessels pass through in the Canal. These locks lift and lower vessels passing using gravity and water levels (but more on that later).

The History of the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal was originally a French venture, off the backs of their success creating the Suez Canal in Egypt. The same man behind its construction, Ferdinand de Leseps, declared the Panama Canal project on May 15, 1879. Construction began a few years later after funds were raised, however the French quickly discovered the terrain they were dealing with in Panama differed significantly from what they were used. Tropical rainforests and storms proved problematic, often hampering progress, though the real killer was diseases such as yellow fever and malaria in the region. More than 20,000 workers died in the attempt to build the Canal, and after 15 years, the French pulled the pin on the failed project.

Enter the USA. In 1904, the US took over the engineering project, working with the newly independent Panama to complete what the French had started. Critically, the US decided to dam the Chagres River, while scientists were also able to eradicate many of the tropical diseases that plagued the previous attempt, discovering the link between mosquitos and the spread of these illnesses. Workers came from all over the world, especially the West Indies, and the Panama Canal was officially completed on August 15, 1914. The dirt and rocks that had been excavated from the Canal were used to link the islands of Panama City via the Amador Causeway.

From its inauguration, the Panama Canal was under the jurisdiction of the United States. This led to tension with Panama, and despite a number of reviews, escalating confrontations led to diplomatic ties being broken off between the nations in 1964. A resolution was finally reached under Panama’s General Omar Torrijos Herrera, who brought the country to the negotiating table, and the subsequent Torrijos-Carter Treaty of 1977 saw an agreed passing of ownership of the Canal to Panama, following a 20 year transition period. In 1999, the Panama Canal Authority took over the Canal’s administration.

Since taking over administration of the site, the profits from the Panama Canal go exclusively to Panama’s government. Ships pay a toll to pass through the Canal, and this is calculated based on the vessel type, cargo and size. On average, a ship pays $300,000.00 USD to pass through the Panama Canal. Fun fact: Richard Halliburton, an American adventurer, paid $0.36 to swim through the Canal in 1928!

The Panama Canal continues to grow as global demand increases. In response to ships getting larger and increased competition, an expansion project was carried out from 2007 to 2016. The end result saw two sets of larger locks being added parallel to the existing Canal fixtures, effectively doubling the Canal’s capacity.

How to Visit the Panama Canal

Most visitors to the Panama Canal will come to the Miraflores Visitors Center. Its the most readily accessible spot to see the Canal if you’re staying in Panama City. The complex contains numerous observation decks looking out over the Miraflores Locks, in addition to an extremely detailed exhibition space. There’s also a cafe on site, and of course, an extensive gift shop. You’ll go through a brief metal detector checkpoint before entering the complex.

The Miraflores Visitors Center is just over 10 kilometres northwest of Panama City, making it easy to fit into your itinerary. It only takes about 20 minutes to get to there from the rest of Panama City’s tourist areas by Uber, and considering how affordable Uber is, it should cost you less than $10 USD each way. While there are public transport options that can get you there for even cheaper (around $0.25 each way by bus), I didn’t use them. Panama City is extremely affordable, so I was happy to use Uber to get around during my stay.

While the Miraflores Visitors Center is open basically all day, you need to plan your arrival, time or you’ll risk seeing a whole lot of nothing in the Canal. Ships only pass through the Miraflores Locks for a few hours each day. Generally speaking, boats travel east through the locks between 8.00am and 10.00am, and west in the afternoon from around 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to check those times before you visit. I had read on many blogs that the morning boats passed through around 9.00am. Rocking up at the Visitor’s Center at 8.45am, I was told all the boats had already gone through for the morning! Thankfully the staff were telling us this before we entered, and I decided to come back in the afternoon instead.

While you can purchase tickets to the Miraflores Visitors Center on the official website, I rocked up and bought mine at the entrance.

The Exhibits at the Miraflores Visitors Center

You’ll pass a number of exhibits on your way to the Canal observation deck. While many guests will rush through these (especially if the boats are already going through the locks when they arrive), I really think its worth getting to the Canal with about 30 minutes to spare for this excellent exhibition space. The displays provide a multifaceted overview on the Panama Canal.

You’ll start your journey in the History Hall. As the name suggests, this display of dioramas, photos and artefacts cover the story of the Panama Canal’s construction. The entire project is chronicled from start to finish and objects such as the original bell of the first self-propelled vessel to pass through the Canal are on display. Upstairs, you’ll enter the Hall of Water, focusing on the importance of the biodiversity and environmental processes found in the rainforests that surround the Canal. Its made clear how important these environments are as a sponge protecting the Canal from heavy rain-induced erosion and sedimentation. The efforts to protect the surrounding area are also highlighted.

The Panama Canal in Action exhibit gets into the nitty gritty, covering exactly how the Canal works. This exhibit is really cool – its basically set up to be a navigation simulator in which guests take the wheel of a virtual ship passing through the Canal’s waters. Needless to say, it gets crowded at busier times, especially with families. Finally, the Panama Canal in the World hall covers the global significance of the Canal in terms of connectivity and trade between nations.

Signage throughout all the exhibits is in both English and Spanish. There’s also an IMAX movie about the Canal that you can watch for an extra fee, but this was closed when I visited.

The Observation Deck

The best place to watch the boats passing through the Panama Canal is the observation deck on the top floor of the Visitor’s Center. There’s a few others throughout the building, but this one is the most spacious. While you shouldn’t rush through the exhibits, I do encourage getting up here before the crowds develop, as it gets packed when the first boat enters the Miraflores Locks. You’ll know that its almost time when a staff member sets up outside with a microphone, talking you through various facts about the Panama Canal and the vessels going through it. I got up on the deck about 45 minutes before the first boat entered the locks and it meant I had a spot right against the railing, able to see everything. That wouldn’t have been the case if I arrived right as the action began.

Its actually a pretty lengthy process for a boat to pass through the Miraflores Locks. While it does depend to some degree on the size of the vessel, the first westward ship of the day took at least half an hour to be lowered down through the locks. I found the whole thing extremely fascinating to watch. You might think you’re just seeing a boat pass through a Canal checkpoint, but its so much more involved than that. While the afternoon storm clouds rolled in towards the whole process, we were protected from the elements on the viewing platform. You can watch as many vessels pass through the Canal as you want. I only stuck around for one, but if you arrive midway through, you might want to watch the next boat as well for the whole picture.

How Do the Locks in the Panama Canal Work?

Its hard to describe what you’re seeing at the Panama Canal without being there to see it for yourself, but I’ll do by best to cover the process in a nutshell. When a vessel enters the Miraflores Locks (as well as the other locks in the Canal), the ship’s captain surrenders control of the vessel to a Panama Canal Specialist. That Specialist is in command for the duration of the passage through the locks, before returning control to the captain, one of the few times this occurs in the maritime sphere.

As the ship moves into position, a number of small locomotive vessels attach to either side of it via thick metal cables, guiding it into place. Once the ship is inside the lock, a large set of gates close behind it, and (in the case of a westward journey), the water level in that Canal chamber decreases. As water is released, it spills into the adjacent one (which starts out with a lower water level) and eventually the two chambers are at the same water level. Once the water depth has equalised (and the ship is subsequently lowered to the height of the next chamber), the next set of gates open, allowing the ship to move forward, aided by the connected towing locomotives.

Now at the lower water level, the ship passes the locks and is free to continue onwards. The locomotives disconnect from the ship, and a series of tugboats guide the vessel out to the Port of Balboa, gateway to the Pacific Ocean beyond.

Ships travelling eastward go through the above process in reverse in the Miraflores Locks (in that the change in water level between the lock chambers raises the vessel up higher so it can continue into the Canal).

Where Else Can I See the Panama Canal?

While the vast majority of visitors to the Panama Canal will come to the Miraflores Locks, it is possible to see the other sets while in Panama. The Pedro Miguel Locks are only about 10 minutes north of the Visitor’s Center, but there’s no dedicated viewing area. You can only see them from the side of the highway.

There is however a dedicated visitor’s center at the Gatun Locks near Colon, on the other side of the country. If you’re interested in seeing these Locks, your best bet is taking the historic Panama Canal Railway, which departs from Panama City daily at around 7.15am. The trip only takes about an hour aboard (Panama is a narrow country!), and once there you can check out the Agua Clara Visitors Center. Unlike Miraflores, there’s no on-site museum, so this is all about the actual site. Personally, I think you’d get much more out of the Miraflores Visitors Center, but its an option if you’re a Panama Canal enthusiast. While the actual Visitor’s Center is safe, you should be aware that Colon has a sketchy reputation if you’re planning on making the journey to the Gatun Lock.

Spending time at the Miraflores Visitors Center really got me appreciating the significance and sheer scale of the Panama Canal project. Prior to my visit, I really thought the Canal was simply a channel of water that boats could pass through, but as you can see, its a much more complex route that utilises groundbreaking technology. There’s a reason the Panama Canal is one of the modern engineering Wonders of the World and I recommend seeing it for yourself to anyone headed to Panama (like you weren’t already planning on it!).

If you’ve been to the Panama Canal, what was the most interesting fact you learnt from your visit?