Day 4. Panama Canal Transit.

Cruising the Canal.

Transiting the Panama Canal is one of the things that should be in everybody´s bucket list. This is a once in a life experiences that should not miss by any traveller.

Traveling the Canal is a journey through its history, which starts in 1524 when King Charles V suggested a canal route to connect both oceans. The region has witnessed the stories of Pirates and Buccaneers like Henry Morgan and Francis Drake; the later conquest of Peru and the development of the Spanish Empire; the transportation of gold, silver and slaves and the gold rush in California. The history of the French, the Americans and the thousands of immigrants from the Caribbean islands who gave their lives during the construction of what is considered one of the most sophisticated engineering marvels of the world.

Approximately 15.000 ships from around the world pass through its three sets of locks every year. The length of the Panama Canal is approximately 51 miles. The Panama Canal was constructed in two stages. The first between 1881 and 1888, being the work carried out by the French company headed by Ferdinand De Lessep and secondly the work by the Americans which eventually completed the canals construction between 1904 and 1914.

Prior to the building of the Canal, ships had to travel a long 5000 miles journey around the southern tip of South America.

Board your Vessel this morning for an unforgettable experience. Your small cruise will navigate through two sets of locks, which sometimes have to be shared with large carriers. Being  to be on a smaller boat gives you the advantage for a closer look of the whole locks system, the mules, the gates, the elevation system and the machinery and people involved. Move around the ship to the back and front to see the mechanisms from different perspectives.

Along the route of the canal there is a series of 3 sets of locks, the Gatun, Pedro Miguel and the Miraflores locks.

Today you will transit through the 2 sets of locks on the Pacific. Miraflores Locks and the single stage Pedro Miguel lock. Then you will travel the eight mile, manmade Culebra Cut, which crosses the Continental Divide. 

Once you reach Pedro Miguel Locks you have travelled from sea level to 85 ft. above sea level. 

The total lift  in the three steps of the Gatun locks on the Caribbean is 85 ft. 

The lift on the 2 step Miraflores locks is 54 ft. The single step Pedro Miguel lock has a lift of 31 ft.

The excavation of the Culebra Cut (Galliard Cut)  was one of the greatest challenges in the creation of the canal. This 8 miles channel had to be dug from hard rock and shale to link the artificial Gatun Lake with the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks that brought ships into the Canal from the Atlantic.

After leaving Pedro Miguel locks you will navigate part of Chagres River  and then into Lake Gatun to finish your trip.

Large Cruise Lines and cargo ships would continue to the three stage Gatun locks which leads them back down to sea level on the Caribbean.

Coffee, and lunch will be served on your boat. Water and soft drinks are also included. Cruising could take between 3 to 5 hours depending on the traffic, number and size of the ships transiting on this specific day.

In principle ships can pass Culebra Cut in opposite directions simultaneously, however large ships cannot cross safely at speed in this area, so in practice ships pass in one direction for a time, then in the other.

Return to you hotel in the Rainforest for an afternoon walk, a visit to the butterfly garden or a relaxing time by the pool. Have your cameras ready for any opportunities to spot the amazing tamarin monkeys on the trees that surround the hotel bar.

Expect a surprise tonight!