1. Panama City: Fort San Lorenzo & Panama Canal Agua Clara Lock
Fort San Lorenzo Declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1980, Fuerte San Lorenzo is situated at the mouth of the Río Chagres on a promontory west of the Panama canal. Despite its violent history, much of the original San Lorenzo fort is well preserved, including its moat, cannons and vaulted chambers. The fort also commands stunning views of the river and bay far below, which was one of the strategic reasons why the Spanish chose establish here. San Lorenzo was constructed of blocks of cut coral and armed with row upon row of cannons. If you inspect the cannons closely, you’ll notice that some of them are actually British-made, dating from the time in the 17th century when Sir Francis Drake and his privateer crew occupied the fort. Agua Clara Locks This observation center offers stunning panoramic views of the Panama Canal expansion, including the three-chambered Agua Clara Locks. From the covered decks visitors can view Lago Gatún as well as the original Gatún Locks; the visitor center also offers a theater with two videos in English, a cafe and gift shop. With no on-site museum, the main focus here is mainly about getting a good look at the Panama Canal expansion. Visitors can hike on a short rainforest trail which is home to sloths, howler monkeys and toucans. Itinerary: Your tour starts at 7:00am. Your friendly, English speaking driver and tour guide will meet you at your Panama City lodging from where you will continue on towards the Agua Clara Locks, located about 1.5 hours aways, on the Caribbean side of the country. Visitors can take their time here and watch the gigantic ships passing through the locks below. Stroll through the visitor center, watch an informational video, or hike on the nearby rainforest trail. Learn about how engineers were able to raise Gatun Lake, built new locks, and widened existing channels to accommodate the massive New Panamax ships. At around 10:00am, we continue to the Fort San Lorenzo, arriving by 11:00am. Marvel in the rich history of the well preserved ruins as your guide explains the colorful history of this historic landmark. At 12:00pm we return to Panama City and will arrive back at your hotel by 1:00pm. This is a unique tour of the impressive Panama history and should be on every visitor's to-do list. We are sure you will enjoy this experience and bring home memories of a lifetime :)