The Panama Canal

25,000 Workers Died to Build This Shortcut

That figure, from the combined French and American construction phases between 1880 and 1914, is an estimate. The official US tally acknowledges 5,609 deaths. Historians who have examined the full labour records argue the real number was several times higher, with Caribbean Black workers, who made up the majority of the workforce, dying at roughly ten times the rate of white American employees as late as 1906. The causes were yellow fever, malaria, landslides, dynamite accidents, and sheer exhaustion. So many workers lost limbs during construction that artificial prosthetic manufacturers competed openly for Panama Canal Authority contracts.

This history is almost never mentioned at the Miraflores Visitor Center, where the narrative focuses on engineering achievement and the canal’s economic significance. Both are real. The engineering is extraordinary: an 80-kilometre waterway that lifts ships 26 metres above sea level using three sets of locks and a man-made lake, cutting 12,875 km off the journey from New York to San Francisco compared with the Cape Horn route. The death toll built that shortcut. Knowing both things makes a visit here considerably more interesting.

Where to Watch Ships Transit

The Miraflores Locks Visitor Center on the Pacific side is the primary tourist facility. Admission costs USD 17.22 for adults and USD 7.22 for children aged 6-12. The center opens at 8am with the ticket office closing at 5pm and the site itself at 6pm. There are four floors of exhibits, a large observation deck overlooking the locks, and a film about the canal’s construction. The top floor restaurant is adequate.

Ships transit the Miraflores locks in both directions throughout the day. The busiest observation windows are typically early morning (before 8:15am) and mid-afternoon (from roughly 1:50pm onwards). Check the official Panama Canal vessel scheduling site (ACP) the day before your visit; they publish transit timetables and you can see when Panamax or Neopanamax vessels (the largest class that fits) are scheduled. A container ship the width of a lock chamber clearing Miraflores with centimetres to spare on each side is genuinely worth timing your day around.

The Agua Clara Visitor Center on the Atlantic side near Colon watches ships transit the newer Neopanamax locks, built as part of the canal expansion completed in 2016. Admission is cheaper here (USD 10 for adults, USD 5 for children) and crowds are significantly smaller. Getting here requires either renting a car or joining a tour from Panama City (roughly 90 minutes each way). The scale of the Neopanamax locks is larger than Miraflores, and watching a ship the length of three football pitches being handled by mules (the electric locomotives that guide vessels) from this vantage point is arguably more impressive.

The Drought Context

Between late 2022 and 2024, severe drought conditions caused the Gatun Lake water level to fall far enough that the Panama Canal Authority reduced daily transits from 36 to as few as 22 and imposed maximum draft restrictions on vessels. Billions of dollars in global shipping costs increased as a result; some carriers rerouted permanently to the Cape of Good Hope. By mid-2025, water levels had recovered to normal operating levels (Gatun Lake sitting at 86.6 feet, within normal range), and the authority restored full 50-foot draft allowances.

This matters for visitors because it explains the long-term infrastructure projects now underway: a USD 1.6 billion dam project planned to begin construction in 2027, intended to guarantee water supply through future El Nino cycles. The visitor center exhibits reference climate vulnerability more directly than they once did.

Beyond the Locks

Gatun Lake, formed by damming the Chagres River during construction, covers 425 square kilometres and was for decades the largest man-made lake in the world. Boat tours on the lake run from Gamboa and offer reliable wildlife watching: three-toed sloths, howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, caimans, and an extraordinary variety of bird species including harpy eagles and toucans. The lake sits within the Soberania National Park corridor, and the birding on Pipeline Road (accessible from Gamboa) consistently rates among the best in the Americas. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute runs a station on Barro Colorado Island in the lake.

Casco Viejo, the colonial district of Panama City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is about 20 minutes from Miraflores by Uber and worth a half-day. The American Trade Hotel here has one of the better rooftop bars in the city. The Biomuseo, designed by Frank Gehry in the last project he completed before retirement, focuses on Panama’s role in the biological connection of North and South America when the isthmus closed roughly 3 million years ago. It is small but unusually well-designed for an institution that opened in 2014 with limited funding.

Getting There and Getting Around

Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport (PTY) is well-connected to North America and Europe, with direct flights from Miami (under 3 hours), New York (around 5 hours), and several European hubs. Uber operates extensively in Panama City and is the most practical transport option from the airport and around the city.

Miraflores is about 8 km from Panama City centre. Uber from the old city takes around 20 minutes in light traffic. The road can be slower on weekday mornings; go before 7:30am or wait until mid-morning.

Eating in Panama City

The Mercado de Mariscos (seafood market) near the Cinta Costera waterfront serves fresh ceviche from around 7am. It is one of the better value meals in the city. Arrive early before the tourist buses; the ceviche is prepared on-site and sells out. The Casco Viejo restaurant scene ranges from local Panamanian to Japanese and Lebanese, with price levels reflecting the gentrifying neighbourhood. Rincon Tableño is frequently recommended for traditional Panamanian food at honest prices. Expect USD 8-15 for a main dish at a mid-range restaurant.

Practical Notes

Panama uses the US dollar alongside its own coin, the balboa. No currency exchange is needed if you are arriving from the US. Prices are generally lower than comparable US cities. The dry season runs December to April; the wet season (May to November) brings rain but does not meaningfully reduce tourist access. Most rain comes as afternoon downpours rather than all-day drizzle, so morning visits to outdoor sites work fine year-round.

Buy Miraflores tickets online at visitcanaldepanama.com in advance during December-January peak season. Queues at the ticket desk on busy days can be substantial.