Basic Information On The Panama Canal, A Spectacular Work

Panama is the most famous country in Central America for an obvious reason: the famous canal. This spectacular feat of engineering has given fame and prestige to a developing country that is advancing by leaps and bounds. Do you want to visit it? Well, we give you the basic information about the Panama Canal so you can enjoy it.

The history of the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal was built in order to unite the Atlantic and the Pacific and thus facilitate the transport of goods, mainly. This union was made in the narrowest isthmus of the country, which measures about 82 kilometers.

This idea arose with the first Spanish colonizers, although it seems that the natives had been using it for years, albeit by land, to transport their food and other products from one place to another.

The projects

The first project came from the hand of a very influential person in the country: Gaspar de Espinosa. It was he who suggested to the Council of the Indies the project of excavating a canal in the year 1533. This idea was carried out in only a part of what today would be the canal, but it marked the precedents that would lead to its later construction.

This was but one of many attempts to unite the two seas. They had the idea, but they didn’t quite know how to execute it. After several attempts, this idea was paralyzed until the 19th century. Meanwhile, the idea of ​​creating a canal in Nicaragua arose, which was rejected, although today there are those who are considering that possibility again.

The excavations began, although the idea was not yet fully realized. It was then that the Herran Treaty was signed between Colombia – to whom Panama belonged at that time – and the United States. What was intended was for the Americans to make this project a reality, but it was rejected by the Colombian Senate.

Then the separatist movements began on the part of the Panamanians so that the canal would become something real and not a dream. On November 3, 1903, Panama became independent and in 1904 the final construction of the Panama Canal began at last.

Basic information about the Panama Canal : how it works

As we pointed out, the canal crosses the narrowest part of the isthmus of Panama. In order for the boats to cross it, they must go through some locks that run through an artificial lake called Gatún, which was created for this purpose. In this way they enter the narrowest part of the canal.

As they approach the Pacific, they must cross two more locks : those of Pedro Miguel and those of Miraflores. The locks act as a water lift that lifts and lowers the ton-weight ships at incredible speed, allowing passage into the Atlantic Ocean. The average time of passage of a ship is 10 hours.

Location, hours and prices of the Panama Canal

There is no doubt that this is a masterful work of engineering and must be admired on any visit to the country. You sign up? Well, here you have more basic information about the Panama Canal so you don’t miss a thing.

Location

The location is in Miraflores or City of Knowledge. Getting there is easy from the Albrook terminal, the main one in Panama City. A bus will take you there for the modest price of 25 cents, while if you prefer comfort, you can go by taxi for the price of between 10 and 20 euros.

Schedules

The Panama Canal is open 365 days a year without distinction, from 9 am to 5 pm. Before getting to know the locks, you will be able to enjoy a movie in which they will tell you about the history of the canal and what it has meant for the development of the country.

Prices

If you are Panamanian you will pay only 3 dollars, while if you are on tourism, you will have to pay 15 dollars. However, if some locals from the country accompany you on your visit to the locks, the price will be reduced by almost 50%.

Whatever you have to pay, it is worth doing, as it is a unique architectural work in the world. Now that you have all the basic information about the Panama Canal, don’t miss it!