Americas

Panama Canal

One of the great feats of engineering on Earth, transited by ship.

Overview

Sailing Panama Canal

A Panama Canal cruise is less a beach vacation and more a piece of living history. You watch a ship rise and fall through a century-old lock system, guided by electric locomotives on the tracks alongside. Most sailings pair the transit with stops in Colombia and Costa Rica along the way.

Best time to sail: December – April

Panama Canal

Where to Sail

The routes within Panama Canal

A one-way ocean-to-ocean crossing, or a round-trip partial transit. Here’s the difference.

Full Transit

Start on one coast and end on the other. A full crossing through the locks over the course of a day, usually as part of a longer 10–15 night positioning sailing.

Fort Lauderdale or Miami (embark)Cartagena, ColombiaFull canal transitCosta RicaLos Angeles or San Diego (disembark)

Partial Transit

A round-trip itinerary from Florida that enters the canal, transits partway through Gatun Lake, then reverses back out. A shorter way to see the locks without a one-way repositioning.

Fort Lauderdale or Miami (round-trip)Cartagena, ColombiaPartial transit into Gatun LakeCosta Rica or Aruba

Highlights

What makes it special

Watching a ship rise and fall through a century-old lock system
Colonial old towns and rainforest excursions built into the same trip
A rare chance to sail between two oceans without flying
Full transits typically run 10–15 nights as a one-way positioning cruise

Good Fit

Who Panama Canal is best for

Bucket-list and engineering-minded travelersTravelers repositioning between the East and West CoastsLonger, once-a-year trip planners

Start Planning

Ready to plan your Panama Canal sailing?

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