The Westin Playa Bonita Panama

The Panama Canal is approximately 80 kilometers long between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This waterway was cut through one of narrowest saddles of the isthmus that joins North and South America. The Canal uses a system of locks -compartments with entrance and exit gates. The locks function as water lifts: they raise ships from sea level (the Pacific or the Atlantic) to the level of Gatun Lake (26 meters above sea level); ships then sail the channel through the Continental Divide. Each set of locks bears the name of the townsite where it was built: Gatun (on the Atlantic side), and Pedro Miguel and Miraflores (on the Pacific side). The lock chambers -steps-- are 33.53 meters wide by 304.8 meters long. The maximum dimensions of ships that can transit the Canal are: 32.3 meters in beam; draft -their depth reach- 12 meters in Tropical Fresh Water; and 294.1 meters long (depending on the type of ship). The water used to raise and lower vessels in each set of locks comes from Gatun Lake by gravity; it comes into the locks through a system of main culverts that extend under the lock chambers from the sidewalls and the center wall. The narrowest portion of the Canal is Culebra Cut, which extends from the north end of Pedro Miguel Locks to the south edge of Gatun Lake at Gamboa. This segment, approximately 13.7 kilometers long, is carved through the rock and shale of the Continental Divide. Ships from all parts of the world transit daily through the Panama Canal. Some 13 to 14 thousand vessels use the Canal every year. The Panama Canal serves more than 144 maritime routes connecting 160 countries and reaching some 1,700 ports in the world. The Canal has a work force of approximately 10 thousand employees and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing transit service to vessels of all nations without discrimination.

Unesco World Heritage Lanmdark - Features French and Spanish 17th century architecture. Visit museums, art galleries, churches, handicraft shops, have lunch or dinner enjoying the view from rooftop roof bars and restaurants.

It is most interesting that a metropolitan city like Panama has access to an exceptional natural reserve just a few kilometers from city center like Gamboa Reserve. There you can find a real tropical rain forest where you can enjoy nature oriented activities such as hiking trails, fishing, bird watching, go on a tour of Gatun Lake, or simply appreciate the scenic beauty of the natural areas bordering the Panama Canal full of colonial histor.

The Biomuseo is located on the Amador Causeway, a prominent area at the entrance to the Panama Canal in the Pacific Ocean. From the Biomuseo one can clearly observe the skyline of the modern city, the historic district, Ancon Hill, and the Bridge of the Americas. Designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, the Biomuseo is his only work in Latin America and the tropics. The building was designed to tell the story of how the isthmus of Panama rose from the sea, uniting two continents, separating a vast ocean in two, and changing the planet’s biodiversity forever. The Biomuseo’s 4,000 square meters contain eight permanent exhibition galleries designed by Bruce Mau Design. In addition to the main spaces, the museum includes a public atrium, a space for temporary exhibitions, a shop, a cafe, and multiple outdoor exhibits displayed in the botanical park. The permanent exhibition is a combination of art and science that leads the visitor to experience a marvelous phenomenon.

At a height almost touching tree tops this is a journey that will offer you a completely different perspective of wildlife. At the end of the journey there is a 98 foot observation tower with panoramic view of the tropical rain forest and The Panama Canal.

Panama is a cosmopolitan, dynamic city, where the modern and the traditional come together to create a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere. You can walk on the Cinta Costera and contemplate the beauty of the modern city, and you can discover the past and have fun at the Old Town of the capital city. The Panama Canal will amaze you with its engineering and its relevance in the global economy. If you are looking to make your purchases, Panama offers a wide range of shopping centers, with excellent offers on their merchandise.

The Pan-American Association for Conservation (APPC) and Gamboa Rainforest Resort have teamed to open a refuge center for sloth and wildlife The team made the decision to build the area to help with the reintroduction of sloths to the wild. It would also be an educational tool, where people could see sloths during their recovery. The new home for sloths in recovery is for both adult and baby sloths. If you are interested in visiting the APPC Rescue Center write tourdesk@gamboaresort.com. Visitors to the sloth shelter may also observe other species from the APPC Rescue Center, such as tigrillos, anteaters and ocelots, among others.

Discover the roots of Embera and Wuanaan ethnic groups, two of the indigenous people that inhabit the isthmus of Panama on the banks of the Chagres River since ancient times.