Amador Causeway

The Amador Causeway, jutting out into the Pacific, was constructed from excavated material during the Canal construction. It took 18 million yards of solid rock extracted from the famous Culebra or Gaillard Cut of the Panama Canal to build this Causeway.  It is a beautiful place for walking, and the views are spectacular.  We were disappointed to find that many restaurants and shops were either closed or had gone out of business.  Although we have no plans to transit the canal, we were interested in this area because it is the first place to anchor or stop at a marina on the Pacific side.

Anchored Cruising Boats

Great View of the City

Miraflores Locks

Of course, we wanted to see the Panama Canal and the Miraflores Locks, the last set of locks on the Pacific side and closest to Panama City.   We had to be patient and wait until after lunch to go.  They move the largest ships during daylight and the smaller ships during the night.  Ships are locking through the Miraflores Locks early morning, going from the Pacific toward the Caribbean, and the ships coming from the Caribbean arrive at the Miraflores Locks starting usually around 3 pm.  They have a small museum and a short movie at the visitor center, but the main attraction is watching the ships lock through.  We watched two, the second of which is pictured here.  This one is a fully loaded Panamax Container ship, which means it is built to the maximum dimensions that can transit the current Panama Canal.  (A new, larger canal is scheduled to open during 2014, the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal opening)  This ship paid $343,000 for this transit of the canal.  A transit takes between 8 - 10 hours.  The Miraflores Lock has four chambers that lower or raise the ships in two steps, each of about 27 feet.  The tidal range on the Pacific side is pretty extreme at around 12 feet, so the actual range varies.

Enter Lock Chamber - Locomotives Keep Ship Centered

Lowered 27 Feet by Gravity

Lock Gates Opening

Exiting First Chamber Into Second Step

Tight Fit - Ready to Drop Another 27 Feet

WEB Cam - Panama Canal

Casco Viejo

We opted on our first full day in Panama City to visit the old city known as Casco Viejo or Casco Antiguo.  This area is quite small, so it is easily covered by walking around.  We had our taxi deliver us to just about the center at Plaza  Bolivar.  After exploring, we walked the short distance to the Fish Market, which is a recommended place to visit.  Over the retail section of the market is a restaurant with very reasonable prices.  We both really like fresh fish, so this was a real treat.

Photos - Casco Viejo and Fish Market

Catedral Metropolitana

Restaurant Above Fish Market - Can't Get Any Fresher 

Departing Bocas

Ariel Ready (and us) for Summer

We have put Ariel away for the next few months.   We are spending five nights in Panama City on our way out of the country.  We splurged on air travel from Bocas del Toro to Panama City rather than spend a day on the bus.  We are staying at the Marriott Courtyard, which is next to the Pacific Multiplaza.  We are still using Marriott points I earned during ten years of work travel.  This is a fantastic location with the Pacific Ocean visible from our room.

Air Panama

View From Our Room