The Panama Canal is a key transportation route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Without the canal, shipping and other vessels would either need to travel south around the tip of South America, or they would need to offload their goods to be transported across land to another vessel.The Panama Canal consists of three sets of locks (Gatun Locks, Pedro Miguel Locks and Miraflores Locks), two artificial lakes (Lake Gatun and Lake Miraflores) and artificial channels. In addition, Lake Alajuela acts as a reservoir for the canal.

Entering from the Atlantic side of the canal, a ship arrives through the Caribbean Sea and then traverses the Gatun Locks. The Gatun Locks are a series of 3 locks, or steps, which lift a ship from the level of the Atlantic Ocean to the level of Lake Gatun.Once the ship has traversed through Lake Gatun, it then proceeds through the Chagres river and then the Culebra Cut (or Gaillard Cut), going under the Centennial Bridge, until it reaches the Pedro Miguel Locks. Unlike the Gatun Locks, the Pedro Miguel Locks consist of only one step. Once past the Pedro Miguel Locks, the sip travels through Miraflores Lake and then through the Miraflores Locks, which consist of two steps. The ship then continues underneath the Bridge of the Americas and then out through the Gulf of Panama to the Pacific Ocean.

Mules

Mules (mulas) are train locomotives that help steer large ships through the Panama Canal to prevent a ship from hitting and damaging the canal. The mules run on rack tracks, train tracks with a toothed rail down the middle to help the train climb steep inclines. The rack tracks run along both sides of the Panama Canal. Large ships are steered by 4 mules on each side of the ship, two in the front (bow) and two in the rear (stern). The mules are for steering and don’t actually tow the ships. Smaller vessels don’t use the mules, but instead use hand lines which are controlled by the ship’s crew.

Future of the Panama Canal

In October of 2006, Panama voters overwhelmingly approved a national referendum on a $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal. The plan calls for the largest modernization plan in the 92-year history of the Panama Canal, which would allow the canal to handle modern container ships, cruise liners and tankers that are too large for its current 108-foot-wide locks. The plan is to build a third set of locks on the Pacific and Atlantic ends with a completion date of 2015.

You can visit what is considered to be one of the wonders of the world, the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal is an engineering feat as well as a tribute to the power of the human imagination. The forty-eight mile long canal creates a passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Prior to the canal being built ships would have to sail by using the Drake Passage, which was dangerous and long. The canal cut the travel time in half. But building the canal was an expensive and dangerous and took a long time to complete. Over twenty seven thousand workers died during construction and it cause around 375 million dollars to complete. There is a new project along the canal to allow it to accommodate more traffic and to update two more flights of docks. The cost of this project is estimated to be 5.25 billion dollars and will be completed sometime in the year 2015. The Panama Canal has attracted industry and business to the country, but tourists travel to Panama for its beauty. When visiting Panama you should not miss taking a trip on the canal.

After visiting the canal you might be interested in visiting a rainforest. Panama is one of the best places to visit a rainforest – it may be only ten minutes away from your hotel! The Parque Natural Metropolitano is in the city limits of Panama City. There is a road that will take you to observation area where you can see hundreds of plant and animal species. Stop at Los Trinos to bird watch, Cedar Hill is the highest point at 492 feet above sea level and there are several trails that you can hike. The Mono Titi Trail and La Cienaguita trails are moderate and will take you about one hour to complete. Other trails include Los Caobos, Los Momotides and El Roble all can be completed in an hour or less. If you wish to avoid crowds take the Caobos Trail and the easiest trail is Momotides. At the top of the hill you can see the Pacific Ocean, the entrance of the Panama Canal and the islands – Flamenco, Naos, Perico, Taboga and Taboguilla. The best time to see birds is either early or late in the day.

Other things to do in Panama include river rafting at the Rio Chargres/Chiriqui Grande. Hike the Parque Natural Metropolitano. Have a picnic in the Summit Botanic Gardens. Take a night tour of the Avenida Balboa. Go to the Causeway and visit the Smithsonian facilities. Camp in the Parque Nacional Campana. Go to Lake Gatun and fish or visit the Barro Colorado Island. Back pack to Bocas del Toro and San blas o playa Venao. Travel to Taboga and visit the Wild Life Refuge. Capture pictures of the Aguila Harpia the most dangerous prey bird in the world. Visit one of the many different Regional Fairs that may be in progress.

Panama has so much to do in such a small area. If you are interested in a trip that will provide you with an opportunity to do something unusual for a reasonable price – choose Panama.

Panama Canal often comes to mind when we think of the country’s up north and is most likely the single best known among Americans. The canal bridges the Isthmus of Panama which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It defined its country’s predestination since the beginning of the Spanish settlement. Commonly hailed as Crossroads of the world, it is the shipping center with over thirteen thousand boats fleeting the canal from ocean to ocean to myriad destinations every year.

The history of the Panama Canal which was built by the United States recedes to 16th century when it was suggested after recognizing the riches of Peru, Ecuador, and Asia. The realization that cutting out a piece of land somewhere in the country would make trips shorter and faster and the risk of enchanting the reserves throughout the isthmus would validate such an endeavor. Its opening on 1914, symbolized the fulfillment of a valiant vision for more than 400 years. One of the hardest ever won by human initiative and is one of the world’s best engineering wonders.

Sustainable and adequate tourism and nature management and conservation activities such as wildlife and flora and vegetation watching sites are being developed and cultivated in less-developed areas of the former Canal Zone.

The Panama Canal has made it to be a worldwide business hub and an international attraction with more than ninety years, exotic flora and fauna. As an end result, its economy is now strongly based on services such as tourism and trans-shipment, free-trading operations, banking or financial services, commerce and private industries.

To make certain upcoming competitiveness, the Panama Canal Administration plans to dig a new additional set of wider, deeper and larger locks at a cost of $5.2 billion that would make path for modern container ships, cruise liners, tankers and vessels that are extremely large for its present 108-foot-wide locks. This plan is said to be the biggest innovation plan in the 92-year history of the Panama Canal. The excavation work for the channels leading to the new locks is under way targeting its completion by 2015.

Panama Canal cruise have become one of the most popular way to visit the Panama Canal and its cruise season runs from late September to April. While on the Panama Canal cruise sailing through the lock, just inches from the canal side, you can look out the hostile jungle beyond with its flora and fauna, gaze at the tropical birds overhead and take in the babble and yells of the rain forest’s natural world as you go. Whether you are planning an extravagant cruise or just a last minute getaway, a short sailing or an extended trip, Panama Canal cruise makes available the fun, relaxation and indulging holiday and retreat.

Many have returned to that stunning and interesting Panama that they had just only viewed from a passing freighter, tanker, passenger ship or vessel. Being one of the few amazing engineering efforts, the Panama Canal ought to be on everyone’s list of must-see places.