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Cruise the Panama Canal

Jul 2, 2014 | 9:02 AM

Get ready to cross the great continental divide by ship and experience an adventure of a lifetime! This is an incredible journey of locks, lakes and the joining of two oceans.

Board a cruise ship out of San Diego, California and travel the Mexican coastline. Ports of call are usually Cabos San Lucas, on the tip of the long Baja peninsula. Los Cabos is a winter paradise for many Canadians. You can experience great golf, weather and incredible scenery. Puerto Vallarta is the next port- of- call. This was once a tiny fishing village that has since evolved into a world class resort area but still maintained its colonial charm. Stroll down the famous “Malecon” or boardwalk in the heart of town. It is a mile long and borders shops of artwork, clothing, restaurants, pubs and outdoor cafes.
 

Puntarenas, Costa Rica is a wonderful port. You will experience native wildlife ranging from scarlet macaws to the alpha predator: the jaguar. A shore excursion would be a boat ride through the mangroves or view the jungle from the suspended bridge in the Cloud Forest.

Soon you will begin the Panama Canal experience! It is approx. 77kms long and has the elevation of 85 feet above sea level, into the legendary Gatun Lake. The current locks are 110 feet wide. There are three locks up to Gatun Lake and three locks down per transit. All are two lanes wide. A third, wider lane of locks is being built. This process began in 2008. A total of 3.2 million cubic meters has been removed during the deepening and widening process. This means that bigger ships can sail the Panama Canal for a safer route over the Continental Divide. These locks make it possible to travel between the Caribbean Sea and North Pacific Ocean at a much faster, safer and shorter route.

Ships no longer have to sail around South American’s Cape Horn or to navigate the dangerous waters of the Strait of Magellan. On route via the Canal, the ship will berth in the 2nd largest duty-free port called Colon. It also is the gateway to numerous sites of ecological interest, including Chargers National Park, a 3,000.000-acre rainforest preserve. Once you have sailed the three locks down you will have just completed one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

On the Caribbean side of the canal one of the ports commonly visited will be Cartagena, Columbia. Founded in 1533, Cartagena is a picture perfect Spanish-colonial village. Stroll the quaint streets through the walled old town, view fine cathedrals and shop the boutiques housed in what used to be dungeons. This is an incredible place to sit and enjoy a coffee in one of the many shaded outdoor cafés before boarding your ship once again.

The Panama cruise ends in Miami, Florida. Take an extra week and enjoy the Florida Keys. It consists of the upper, middle and lower Keys. They begin approx. 24kms south of Miami. The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the west. If you crave the wild outdoors, guided eco-tours, walking trails or dive-snorkel in the only living coral barrier reef in the USA, then this is the place for you. Anglers revel in the heart-racing, world class sport fishing.

There are many quaint hotels where hospitality to known to be warm and inviting. The bigger hotels have a more resort quality, if you prefer more amenities.
Restaurants have amazing menus of fresh sea food and fish. You can sit, overlooking the water and enjoy a chilled glass of chardonnay or a nice cold beer with your meal. What better place to end another incredible journey. Now you can remove one more vacation off your “bucket list”.

Lynda Spriggs
Lobstick Travel and Tours.