Our most recommended things to do in Colón

Panama City: Small-Group Miraflores Locks and City Tour

1. Panama City: Small-Group Miraflores Locks and City Tour

Starting the day early will give you the chance to learn even more about the Panama Canal. Skip the traffic and arrive at the Miraflores Locks visitor center when it opens, so you can watch the action in peace. After the canal, head to Casco Viejo, the second city of Panama built in 1673. Walk around and enjoy the architecture and hear about its historical relevance.  Drive over the Bridge of the Americas for amazing views. Stop at the viewpoint to hear more about Panama City and its future. The Amador Causeway, Panama City's bustling boardwalk, is one of the most refreshing places in the city. End the tour with some recommendations for lunch and further exploration from your guide, leaving you with the tools to get the most out of your visit to this beautiful and modern city.

Panama: Panama Canal, Colón Rainforest and San Lorenzo Fort

2. Panama: Panama Canal, Colón Rainforest and San Lorenzo Fort

Explore the Panamanian rainforest and walk in the footsteps of the Spanish settlers of the early 19th century. Learn the history of the pirates, visit the new lock system for tankers and cargo ships, and see various forest wildlife. Benefit from pick-up at your hotel in Panama City, and then journey by air-conditioned vehicle for approximately 1 hour as you make your way to Colón. First visit the Agua Clara Canal expansion to spend about 1 hour learning about the new canal system, built to support the passage of supertankers and large cargo ships as they pass along the Panama Canal. After the Canal visit, cross the new Atlantic bridge heading to the rainforest, and then get back to nature as you explore the ecological paradise by minibus. Discover the home of different species of mammals, reptiles and amphibious species. Observe the amazing wildlife in their natural habitat, and enjoy plenty of stops to take souvenir photos.  Next, go to the historic monument of San Lorenzo Fort, renowned for preventing attacks by the real pirates of the Caribbean for almost 75 years. Learn the history of the fort, now in ruins after the Spanish largely abandoned it in the mid 19th century. Later, continue the ride into the rainforest to find more animals, and as an option, you can take a 20-minute walk with a machete along a jungle trail to experience the rainforest like the Spaniards 500 years ago.

Panama: Chagres National Park & Embera Village Private Tour

3. Panama: Chagres National Park & Embera Village Private Tour

In Panama there are still several ethnic groups that still preserve their cultures and traditions, including their language, the Embera ethnic group is one of them, participate in this tour where you will admire the exuberance of the tropical forest, navigate the Chagres River in a canoe, enjoy a traditional lunch with seasonal fruit salad and you will learn a little about the tradition and culture of the Embera ethnic group, in short, it is an adventure tour, tradition and culture. Itinerary 08:00 am - pick up at the hotel 09:30 am - arriving at the local dock 09:45 am - boarding the canoe to navigate the Chagres river 10:15 am - dropping of the canoe to hike in the rainforest to go to the waterfall (depends on your physical condition) 11:15 am - back to the canoe 12:00 noon - lunch at the Embera village and speech given by one of the leaders of the community 12:45 - traditional Embera dance 13:15 - back to the canoe 14:00 - drop of at the hotel (times may vary due to the wheather and traffic)

Portobelo And The New Locks Of The Panama Canal

4. Portobelo And The New Locks Of The Panama Canal

Start the day with pickup from your hotel in Panama City, then embark on journey that takes you from ocean to ocean on the historic and world-famous Panama Canal Railway. On the train, admire spectacular views of the Panama Canal as well as its vibrant jungle landscape and surrounding scenery. As you enter the Panama Canal Zone, learn about the military installations of the American administration which are a reminder of the area’s strategic importance. Here, you can really get an impression of what life was like for the locals during the days under American control. After your train ride, take a guided tour of the Agua Clara Locks and watch the gargantuan ships navigate its chambers.

Historico Portobelo y Venas Azules

5. Historico Portobelo y Venas Azules

Enjoy a day on the country's Caribbean beaches enjoying lunch and reliving the important colonial history of the town. We will be picking you up at the hotel lobby at 5:30 am to begin our adventure to Costa Arriba, Colon Province. 2 hours approximately. Arriving we will be our first tour to the paradisiacal beaches of Isla del Padre, Venas Azules and Playa Blanca, returning at noon to taste our delicious local Caribbean lunch at the end we will be doing our historical tour of the ruins and the picturesque town of Portobelo, visiting the Church declared a national historic monument. At approximately 2:00 p.m. we will be returning to Panama City to drop you off at the hotel.

Panama City: Fort San Lorenzo & Panama Canal Agua Clara Lock

6. 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 :)

From Panamá City: Panama Canal and Fort San Lorenzo Tour

7. From Panamá City: Panama Canal and Fort San Lorenzo Tour

After picking you up at your hotel, you will go to the Panama Canal Visitor Center located in Agua Clara. Watch the large vessels in the new locks of the Panama Canal, one of the most important engineering works worldwide. After you arrive at your destination, head to Fort San Lorenzo fortress, considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with Fort Portobelo. Explore the military fortress dating from the 1750s with your guide. An exemplar specimen of the defence system built by the Spanish Crown to protect its transatlantic trade, take yourself back in time with stories about the famous pirates and sea captains, such as Henry Morgan and Francis Drake. After your guided tour finished, relax on your return transfer back to Panamá City by vehicle, arriving back at your hotel in time for lunch.

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What people are saying about Colón

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 198 reviews

Our tour guide, I believe his name was Chris, was absolutely amazing. He was informative and well spoken. It was a very small group tour giving you a more personalized experience. He explained everything in detail and showed us the best sites in the area, with the history of each site. He also recommended places to go that weren't included in the tour. I HIGHLY recommend this tour. We appreciate you very much Chris. Thank you!

This is truly an excursion worth taking . Tony is very accommodating knowledgeable , entertaining and will customize the trip to maximize the experience in Panama . He does not sugarcoat what to expect and see. He will show you Panamá city in a way that you will see the different perspectives and lifestyles of the locals. He was kind enough to take us to lunch at a local fish market. What a beautiful experience.

Mario was our guide and he was wonderful! Very informative, and knew the perfect timing for seeing a ship go through the Miraflores locks. He took us to his favorite vendors in Casco Viejo and to a wonderful lunch at the Mercado de Mariscos. The group size was perfect - only 4 people and felt very personal. Thanks for a wonderful experience!

Tony is a great guide, very passionate and open, no question is uncomfortable to ask. I really enjoyed the small group size, it makes the experience so much more enjoyable. Can only recommend!

Very nice tour and wonderful guide. Really enjoyable