Off to Colón, Panama: Not just the Canal

Seeing Panama for the first time was amazing. If you haven’t read about how we got here, take a look at “Birthday Trip to Panama”. But now I’ll tell you about our time in Colón.

Visiting Colón

I knew I wanted to visit Colón after researching Panama. The Panama Canal is what is usually highlighted, but there is more to see. 

Colón gets a bad reputation for being dangerous and unsafe because of the vacant buildings and higher unemployment rates, however that didn’t stop us from visiting. And I’m glad we didn’t let that scare us off.

I reached out to Omar, who founded Sightseeing Panama and still runs its daily operations. We used his transportation service from the airport to our Airbnb and he had plenty of other tours we could choose from. We chatted, booked and we were set with Colón.

Getting There

Omar picked all of us up from the Yoo & Arts Panama building. My cousin and her husband joined us for this trip to make it a family affair. The drive was over an hour but it didn’t seem that long. As we traveled, we were able to ask any questions about Panama and of course when everything is new, time flies by.

On the way to Colón we crossed a few bridges, but the majority of it was countryside until we got to the heart of the city. 

Fort San Lorenzo

Our first stop was Fort San Lorenzo. Since drones aren’t allowed in that area, Omar took us to a remote area to take some footage and get some pics before heading to the fort. It was such a serene place. A family was doing some fishing and I was told you don’t have to have a fishing license to fish.

Then we headed back up the hill to the fort and started our tour. I’ve never been a history buff before, but I was intrigued about the past of Panama. Fort San Lorenzo was built to guard the entrance of the Chagres River and protect routes. We were able to see parts of the fort and the castle. Some areas had to be rebuilt because it was destroyed during battles.

During our time here there were several school age groups doing a field trip. Summer break for them is Dec – Mar. I wasn’t expecting to see all the kids, but that was the reason.

Next Stop, the Canal

We made our way to the Agua Clara Locks, which is the tourist area of the Panama Canal on the Caribbean side. The canal works the same way as the site in Panama City, except we didn’t hear the Morgan Freeman video. There was a shortened 10 minute version we watched to get some of the history. The viewing deck at Agua Clara was more enjoyable because it was less crowded than the one in Panama City.

Even if you’re not into engineering, I would recommend visiting either one. The Panama Canal saves ships an average of 14-20 days without having to go around South America. Depending on the priority of the ship they can “jump the line” in front of others. Ships will hang out to sea for days.

Walking the streets of Colón

Now it was time to really see the heart of Colón. Omar shared with us more of the city and also met up with his Uncle Raul. I love being able to get insights from a native and the personalized touch. The area does not have the polished look of Panama City, but everyone we encountered greeted us. We never felt threatened, which is a wrong perception of Colón.

After all the walking between Fort San Lorenzo and the Panama Canal, we stopped at Cafe Portobelo for lunch. From the outside, the restaurant looked deserted, but we were pleasantly surprised. Inside, there were many customers finishing up their lunch. We ate upstairs where there was more space. Thanks to Omar and his uncle for translating for us. My red snapper was amazing and hit the spot. 

A few more stops

Once we finished lunch we stopped at a nearby park to see a different view of the ships and the Duty Free Zone for some shopping. That’s where the cruise ships dock when they come through Colón. Shopped for a little bit and then headed back to Panama City. It was a long day but I felt like we got our money’s worth.

I’m glad we were able to see this side of Panama and learn more about the Afro-Caribbean culture. The Colón natives are kind and welcoming but aren’t getting enough breaks. Money goes to the other parts of the country, but not Colón. If you ever visited a major US city, you know there are some nice areas and some you tend to stay out of. Colón was eye opening and I will definitely be back.

There is still more to come of our Panama adventure. Check back for part 3 to see our experience on the food, events, and meeting new people.