Visiting the Miraflores Locks Panama Canal
Posted: September 29, 2022 | Tagged: Panama
I visited the Miraflores Locks, one of 3 lock systems on the Panama Canal during my 4 days in Panama City.
And as I do the final edits for this post, whilst heading back to Costa Rica, literally, on the 6 am combi-van from Santiago to David, I reflect on my stay in Panama City, and yes, it's one of my favourite cities. I would definitely go back and explore a little more.
And as I do the final edits for this post, whilst heading back to Costa Rica, literally, on the 6 am combi-van from Santiago to David, I reflect on my stay in Panama City, and yes, it's one of my favourite cities. I would definitely go back and explore a little more.
The Panama Canal is not just a simple channel hacked through Panama.
From the Atlantic to the Pacific, ships enter the channel at Limón Bay and proceed to the Gatún Locks, where a series of three locks lift them the 85 feet to Gatún Lake, which was formed by the building of the Gatún and Madden Dams on the Chagres River.
At Gamboa vessels enter the Gaillard (Culebra) Cut, passing through the Continental Divide, the mountain chain that runs the length of Panama.
The Cut is 8 miles in length to where the locks at Pedro Miguel lower them the 30 feet to Miraflores Lake.
Ships then pass through a channel almost 1.2 miles long to the two-stepped locks at Miraflores, where they are finally lowered back to sea level.
The Panama Canal was built under US supervision and was completed in 1914.
In 1979, control and ownership were passed to the Panamanian authorities.
It is one of the 2 most strategic waterways in the world, the other being the Suez Canal in Egypt which I was lucky enough to see in 2015.
It makes a great ½ day in Panama City. I went there at about 2 pm and watched about 5 ships pass through from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
There are plenty of others there too, so you'll be jostling for position to get the best, almost birds eye view.
And it's not just container ships that can pass through the Panama Canal. Here is a report on doing the Panama Canal by Sailboat. Would have been great to see.
From the Atlantic to the Pacific, ships enter the channel at Limón Bay and proceed to the Gatún Locks, where a series of three locks lift them the 85 feet to Gatún Lake, which was formed by the building of the Gatún and Madden Dams on the Chagres River.
At Gamboa vessels enter the Gaillard (Culebra) Cut, passing through the Continental Divide, the mountain chain that runs the length of Panama.
The Cut is 8 miles in length to where the locks at Pedro Miguel lower them the 30 feet to Miraflores Lake.
Ships then pass through a channel almost 1.2 miles long to the two-stepped locks at Miraflores, where they are finally lowered back to sea level.
The Panama Canal was built under US supervision and was completed in 1914.
In 1979, control and ownership were passed to the Panamanian authorities.
It is one of the 2 most strategic waterways in the world, the other being the Suez Canal in Egypt which I was lucky enough to see in 2015.
It makes a great ½ day in Panama City. I went there at about 2 pm and watched about 5 ships pass through from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
There are plenty of others there too, so you'll be jostling for position to get the best, almost birds eye view.
And it's not just container ships that can pass through the Panama Canal. Here is a report on doing the Panama Canal by Sailboat. Would have been great to see.
Here is the website of the Miraflores Visitors Center
Ticket prices for Miraflores Visitor Center Panama 2022:
Ticket prices for Miraflores Visitor Center Panama 2022:
10 USD for me because I am a walking ATM and gives you access to the 4th floor viewing platform. The restaurant is still closed and the museum is mostly under reconstruction:
British West Indian contribution plaque at Miraflores:
One of the HMM (largest in the world) containers ships passing through the Panama Canal expansion lock which was completed in 2016:
Johnny Traveller, sounds like a blogger, actually a Liberian registered chemical/oil products tanker passing through the Panama Canal en route to Australia:
Seamaid, an LPG tanker registered in Malta:
Looking out to the Pacific Ocean:
Ships entering the Miraflores Locks:
Miraculous ACE, a Japanese registered vehicle carrier:
Getting a shout out for Mexico:
One of the engines that steer the ships through the locks with only a few meters to spare:
Nomadic Backpacker at Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal, Panama City. Spetember 23, 2022:
How to get to Miraflores Locks
Getting from Panama City to Miraflores Locks is very easy and cheap using a combination of the Panama City Metro and the MetroBus for a cost of 60 cents US.
Albrook is the main bus terminus in Panama City. It's also a big shopping mall and the terminus of Linea #1 metro, the only metro network in Central America.
Albrook is the main bus terminus in Panama City. It's also a big shopping mall and the terminus of Linea #1 metro, the only metro network in Central America.
And it's from Albrook where you can take bus # C810 directly to the Visitors Centre at Miraflores. If you can find it that is.
There are no bays, no numbers and no signs. I found the C810 literally by chance.
Its approximate location is on Google Maps.
There are no bays, no numbers and no signs. I found the C810 literally by chance.
Its approximate location is on Google Maps.
I used my Metro Card. Each ride on the bus costs 25 cents US:
Coming back, I walked to the main road as more buses were passing there, and of course, it being rush hour, progress was slow.
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