Sailing the Panama Canal

Arriving at the Panama Canal by cruise ship is less about stepping into a city and more about experiencing one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever built. The canal itself is the destination, unfolding gradually as ships move from sea level through a series of locks toward Gatun Lake. Panama Canal (Canal de Panamá – Pronounced kah-NAHL deh pah-nah-MAH) serves as both a transportation corridor and a living landscape where industry and jungle exist side by side.

What struck me most over multiple visits is how different each transit feels depending on the route and the locks used. The newer locks feel sleek and efficient, while the original locks offer a slower pace with more visible wildlife and greenery lining the water. Watching the canal operate from within a ship gives you a front row seat to something most people only see in diagrams.

Cruise visits here are structured, sometimes rigidly, but they also unlock access to places you would not easily reach on your own. From canal viewpoints to jungle waterways and historic ruins, every excursion I took showed a different side of Panama tied together by the canal’s presence.

Over several sailings, I have done both full and partial transits using the old and new locks, and I consistently found the original locks more engaging. The narrower chambers and slower movement make it easier to notice birds, trees, and the subtle shift in scenery as water levels change. There is a calm rhythm to it that contrasts with the scale of the operation happening around you.

One excursion took me by boat across Gatun Lake toward Monkey Island, where white-faced capuchins seemed fully aware of the routine. As our boat approached, they climbed aboard without hesitation while the crew offered treats, creating an oddly casual encounter with wildlife. It felt orchestrated yet still memorable, especially watching them move confidently among passengers.

On another visit, I joined a motorcoach tour through Panama City with a stop at the ruins of Old Panama. Walking among the stone foundations added historical context to everything I had seen on the water. A later sailing with friends focused more on activity, with two-person kayaking on the lake followed by a stop at the Agua Clara Locks Visitor Center to watch our own ship pass through from above.