11 Wonderful Things to Do in Panama — ALONG DUSTY ROADS

Perspectives on The Panama Canal

You’ll often see Panama referred to as ‘the isthmus’, and this geographical term is crucial to understanding its destiny.

This slender strip of land connects North and South America, and has long been the bridge between oceans and continents. Long before the famous canal, indigenous peoples and later Europeans used overland routes across this narrow corridor, carrying gold, silver, and other goods, making the isthmus a crossroads of trade and ambition.

Its strategic importance was clear to many, and the dream of a canal existed long before the first locks were dug.

The French were the first to attempt it in the late 19th century, but ambition ran ahead of engineering know-how, and tropical disease, unstable soil, and mismanagement led to failure. Sensing an opportunity, the United States backed Panama’s declaration of independence from Colombia in 1903, largely so that it could gain control of the canal project.

Taking over in 1904, US engineers and a legion of international workers completed the canal a decade later. It was a monumental feat of engineering, cutting through mountains, diverting rivers, creating lakes, and ultimately uniting the Atlantic and Pacific.

Its completion revolutionised global trade and shaped Panama’s history in every sense, even though the US controlled the Canal Zone until 1999.

But, despite everyone knowing about Panama’s canal, we can fully appreciate why some of you may be a bit uninspired to visit it. Sure, it’s an incredible feat of engineering, but watching gargantuan container ships navigate the tiny channels of the Miraflores Locks at a glacial pace isn’t exactly the pyramids in Egypt.

Even for enthusiasts, the standard visitor experience may not deliver the perspective on the scale and engineering for which you’re hoping – which is why you may want to consider the limited number of experiences that let you actually sail it from ocean to ocean.