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To fully appreciate the Panama Canal it’s necessary to understand that it not only links two oceans but also numerous civilisations, cultures and events written indelibly across the pages of history. The Canal is currently undergoing a huge expansion programme, due to be completed by 2014 but history is all around you here be it strolling down cobbled streets past seventeenth century cathedrals or exploring old Spanish forts laid siege to by English pirates.

There is no doubt that the engineering miracle that is the canal has had great influence on the area turning Panama into one of the most important commercial and financial centres in the world. But there are five centuries of rich history, combining European colonization with native tribes that have not changed their traditions for thousands of years to discover.

The influence of the canal can best be seen in Panama City situated at the western end of the canal. Founded in 1519 it was a launching point for the exploration and conquest of Peru and a transit point for gold and silver to Spain. It is a city of contrasts, with the colonial buildings of the Casco Antiguo (San Felipe) on one end and the skyscrapers of the modern financial and commercial district of El Cangrejo (home to the city’s best choice of hotels, restaurants and bars.

 Today Panama City has some amazing shopping opportunities and is the only cosmopolitan city in the world where you can find skyscrapers and protected tropical rain forest inside the city limits. A 45-minute drive brings you to the Metropolitan National Park and the canopy crane. ..........................................

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