Panama Canal excursions?

[knoxclone]

I have booked the classic Panama Canal passage for Nov 2022, and would appreciate any comments or suggestions.

 

The traversing the Canal has been a bucket list of mine for many years ( still hoping to someday do the Suez!) but I am by nature not a beach/hot weather person.  Any comments on excursions and ports ( Panama City, Colon, Roatan, Costa Rica, Belize and Cozumel) would be greatly appreciated!  

 

Thanks!

[duquephart]

Bring a bodyguard.

[Azulann]

I did a full transit of Panama Canal a number of years ago.  At Colon I organized a private tour of Porto Bello, a small village  near Colon. It was the last place that Christopher Columbus discovered. It has a nice little air conditioned museum.  It also is the site of the church with Black Jesus. A pilgrimage site for Panama. Local indigenous women also sell their hand made molas outside the church. We had a great guide who showed us where Spanish  brought their gold from SA  across the Land, measured  their load in the street, then  loaded it up at Portobello dock  to ship back to Spain. that is  why Francis Drake  and other pirates looted this town and burned it down on occasion. 

 

One can also take a tour of the Gatun locks and view a ship come thought he lock  from the visitors stand.  Other took a tour bu bus to Panama City and toured the old town. 

In Costa Rica there is lots to do.  I took a tour of a coffee plantation. Love coffee and we even got to pick some peaberries from the plants. 

In Cozumel, we just walked into town . There is a very nice museum  right along the street that runs along next to the ferry dock. Well worth it. On the upper level there is always a art show by local artist. The best jewelry store in all of Mexico is Alberto's. They have a store on the same street. T

The history of the building of the canal is well worth reading up on before you go. Also the history of Columbus and the Spanish exploration in this area , while not a pretty picture, does give one a background to these countries through the 18th centuries. 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Azulann

[knoxclone]

Thanks - that's helpful, there are not a lot a excursion information available yet - which I understand -  but I am relieved that there are options other than  beach/boat/jungle hiking excursions. 🙂