Cruising to Colon Panama, but not through the locks. Any good excursions to take?

Question

Cruising to Colon Panama, but not through the locks. Any good excursions to take?

Answer 1

I would suggest taking an excursion that lets you explore the rainforest on foot.  I did this in Colon and had a great time.  As for Colon itself, there is nothing that is safe worth visiting.  There is a lot of street crime and cruise passengers by themselves are a prime target.

Answer 2

Kind of depends on how long you're going to have on the ground in Panama. If you only have a few hours then it's probably best to stay on the Atlantic side and visit the Portobelo area. There's an old Spanish fort there and a small village. The drive down the coast gives you an idea of what rural Panama is like.

If you've got the time, catch a ride over to Panama City for a day trip. Panama is only 50 miles wide so you can get to Panama City from Colon relatively easily. There you can see the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, tour Casco Viejo and the old part of Panama City, the ruins of Panama Antiguo or "Old Panama" that was sacked and burned by Henry Morgan.

Another option on the Atlantic side is Fort San Lorenzo on (what used to be) Fort Sherman. This is a truly impressive old Spanish fort on a cliff overlooking the entrance to the Chagres River where it meets the Caribbean. It's kind of remote and you have to drive through the rainforest (on good roads) to get there. But, it's definately worth the trip. You also have to drive over the bridge at the Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal to get there, which is cool.

So, depending on what you like and how much time you have you can pick and choose. Hope this helps.