The Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal, with giant locks, Spanish colonial forts and rainforest all within reach.
Colon is a port city at the Caribbean end of the Panama Canal, and ships dock at the cruise terminals on the city's waterfront. It is the starting point for seeing one of the great engineering projects of the world up close.
This port is ideal for history buffs and anyone fascinated by the canal, since you can watch huge ships rise and fall in the locks. Many guests also head across the isthmus to Panama City or into the surrounding rainforest for wildlife.
Here are my favorite ways to spend a cruise day in Colon. Each one opens on Viator, where you can check the times, reviews and price before you book.
Watch ships pass through the Panama Canal at the Miraflores Locks, then tour Panama City's old quarter and skyline.
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Explore the rainforest, the Spanish ruins of San Lorenzo Fort above the Chagres River, and the new Agua Clara canal locks.
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Sail Panama's Caribbean coast by catamaran to quiet beaches for swimming and snorkeling, with lunch.
View detailsMy favorites: watch ships pass through the Agua Clara Locks of the expanded Panama Canal; see the historic Gatun Locks, part of the original canal opened in 1914; explore the ruins of Fort San Lorenzo above the mouth of the Chagres River; visit the Spanish colonial fortifications of Portobelo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; cross the isthmus to stroll the old quarter of Casco Viejo in Panama City.
US dollar is used for paper money alongside the Panamanian balboa.
The terminals sit right on the edge of Colon, but most sights are a drive away, so people get around by organized tour or arranged transportation.
Search sailings that stop in Colon on our site, or ask me for a quote. I book it for you with no fees, and I watch for price drops after you book.
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