DURATION

8 hrs. approx.

HIGHLIGHTS

San Lorenzo National Park
Fort San Lorenzo
Gatun Lake New Visitors Center

INCLUDES

Private Bilingual Guide
Private Transportation
Fort San Lorenzo
The Canal Expansion
Entrance fees

BRING

Comfortable shoes and clothing
Sunscreen

DESCRIPTION

Early pick up at your hotel and transfer across the Isthmus to the Caribbean side, reaching San Lorenzo. San Lorenzo National Park, a 9,653 acre Protected Area rich in colonial history, crystalline beaches, lush vegetation and fauna is an important part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. Inside this Protected Area is located Fort San Lorenzo, declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1980. It was built to overlook the mouth of the Rio Chagres, which was heavily used by commerce and slave ships. It is a perfect example of the military architecture of the XVII and XVIII centuries.

On the way back, let´s stop at Gatun´s new visitors center which overlooks the new Panama Canal Expansion, one of the largest construction in the recent years, a multibillion-dollar effort that added a third channel to the waterway.

The new locks will be bigger than the existing ones, allowing massive cargo ships access. Work on the expansion began in 2007, and the new channel is scheduled to open in 2014
Return to your hotel in the afternoon.

Optional: Take the morning transcontinental railway from Panama to Colón city.