Located on the Caribbean coast at the entrance to the Panama Canal, Colon serves as a gateway to Panama. It’s home to a cruise ship terminal, a jumping-off point for those looking to explore the province and canal. Here, you’ll also find the Agua Clara Visitor Center—one of the top things to do in Colon—with platforms that offer views of the waterway’s newer Atlantic locks and Gatun Lake. While the city center doesn’t have a lot to offer, its convenient location makes it a hub of travel activity.
Colon usually boasts a warm temperature of 80℉ (27ºC). The best time to visit Panama is in the dry season, from late December to April when the weather is generally sunny. The Agua Clara Visitor Center is open daily. For the best views of the canal, avoid visiting between midday and 2pm, as that's when the canal changes direction and no boats pass through the locks.
Most cruise lines offer excursions with roundtrip transportation to and from the terminal to points outside Colon. The local government carefully regulates taxis, and travelers can hire one for a city tour at a prearranged price. The Panama Canal Railway offers daily train service for commuters traveling between Panama City and Colon, with cars dedicated to tourists. Colon has a bus system, but you must be well-versed in Spanish to navigate it. Exercise caution if moving around on your own and avoid exploring at night.
Colon 2000 is a massive duty-free shopping center selling everything from electronics to cosmetics. It’s also where the cruise ships usually arrive. It’s a safe complex where you can shop for luxury goods cheaper than usual and buy souvenirs and local handicrafts. At the Agua Clara Visitor Center, you can view the new larger canal locks, which are the size of four football fields and accommodate larger NeoPanamax ships that can carry 12,000 containers; the older Panamax ships carried 5,000 containers.
