The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is still one of the engineering wonders of the world. It handles more than 13,000 ships a year under the flags of about 70 nations. In fact, ships all over the world are built to fit the canal's three sets of double locks.

The canal is about 50 miles long and ships are lifted 85 feet during the eight-hour journey across the isthmus. The average toll for ships using the canal is about $30,000, but most of them save many times that amount by eliminating the journey around Cape Horn.

The easiest way to see the canal in action is to visit the Miraflores Locks, the locks closest to Panama City where there is a viewing platform, bilingual guide and a museum with a model and film about the canal. Entrance is free and the visitors' center is open from 9 am to 5 pm. Buses to Gamboa and Paraiso leave from the Plaza Cinco de Mayo terminal and will let you off on the highway for the 15-minute walk to the locks.

Alternatively, various tour companies offer excursions to the locks. You can also make a partial transit of the canal, leaving from Balboa and taking you through both Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks and through the famous Gaillard Cut.

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