We visited Panama City to see the canal but we found much more.
The canal is a place I had always wanted to visit. I read McCullough’s book, The Path Between the Seas. A great book to get a feel for how difficult and how important this canal is. We got there early without a tour and spent a couple of hours just watching and admiring the boats moving along.
Monkey island
Monkey Island, also known as Isla de los Monos, is a popular tourist destination in Panama. It is located in Lake Gatun, which is part of the Panama Canal system. This island is home to several species of monkeys, including capuchins, howlers, and tamarins, among others. We took an afternoon trip to Monkey Island with https://www.therealpanamatours.com/ What a day trip. The monkeys came onto the boat and ate out of our hands. It was a little scary at first, but we warmed up to it quickly. The tour and guide and were great.
Panama City was interesting. There were some brand new buildings and the city looked modern, but next to those were run down areas. It didn’t feel dangerous, but was interesting. We did spend close to 3 hours getting thru passport control at the airport, they may have been short-staffed, but we waited a long time to get in. Our hotel had a great view of the city.
Panama City is the capital and largest city of Panama, located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal. It’s a vibrant metropolis known for its modern skyline, historic Casco Viejo district (Old Panama City), and its role as a financial hub in Central America. The city boasts a mix of colonial architecture and sleek skyscrapers, offering a contrast of old and new. Panama City is also renowned for its biodiversity and nearby natural attractions, including tropical rainforests and beautiful beaches along the Pacific coast.
