Panama Canal Partial Transit

The Panama Canal Partial Transit offers you the opportunity to cruise through Pedro Miguel Locks and Miraflores Locks (two of the three lock sets of the Panama Canal), on a 250 passenger ferry. During the low season from April through November the tour runs mostly on Fridays and Saturdays, and during high season from December through March from Thursdays through Saturdays. The Panama Canal celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2014 and the Panama Canal expansion works, a monumental US$5.25 billion project, is due to be completed in Summer 2016. (SOUTHBOUND DESCRIPTION) In the morning you will be picked up at your hotel for a short ride to the Flamenco Marina, in Amador, where you will transfer to our outfitter's coach bus for the 40 minute drive to the town of Gamboa, half way up the Panama Canal, where you will board the Panama Canal transit day cruiser. The journey begins where the Chagres River flows into Gatun Lake, 26 meters above sea level. Cruising southbound, the first highlight of the day will be crossing Gaillard Cut, the narrowest section of the Panama Canal. The 13.7-kilometer long portion of the waterway was carved through rock and shale between 1904 and 1914 and it is flanked by the backbones of the Continental Divide. The original width of Gaillard Cut was 92 meters. In order to accommodate to the demands of today's transit needs, the Panama Canal Authority recently completed the monumental task of widening the Cut to 192 meters in straight sections and up to 222 meters in curves. This allows for unrestricted two-way traffic of Panamax vessels, the largest ships that can currently fit in the Panama Canal locks. The majestic Centenario Bridge soars over Gaillard Cut. As the cruise continues you will reach the first set of locks that you will cross today. At Pedro Miguel locks the ship will be lowered 9 meters into Miraflores Lake. While you enjoy lunch on board, you will reach Miraflores Locks, which are the tallest in the canal's locks system due to the extreme tidal variation of the Pacific Ocean. In two steps, the ship will be lowered from 17 meters above sea level to sea level. The transition from freshwater from the lake and lock chambers to salt water in the Pacific Ocean takes place here. Before leaving the Panama Canal and entering the Pacific Ocean you will sail under the bridge of the Americas, which raises over 100 meters above sea level reuniting the land divided during the construction of the canal and forming a link on the Pan-American Highway. You will disembark at the Flamenco Marina where your driver will be waiting to bring you back to your hotel. Northbound tour sees the same sites in reverse order.