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Full-Day
Historic City and Canal Tour - PTE003
 Our
full day city tour combines features of our half-day city
and canal tours. We start by visiting the site of Panama
La Vieja, founded by the Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias
de Avila in 1519 to store and transport treasures from South
America. This site was later moved after being looted by the
British pirate Henry Morgan in 1671. From here we'll drive
through the modern city, along the Bay of Panama and into
Casco Antiguo. Casco Antiguo is located on a headland
the Spaniards chose as the new site for the 2nd Panama City,
which was 7km west of the original city. Here we will visit
the Inter-Oceanic Canal Museum, housed in the original
building (now restored) that served as the headquarters for
the French canal effort in the 1880's. The museum takes us
through a historical progression of the major events that
took place in  the
isthmus, beginning with the Spanish colonization, the California
gold rush, the building of the Panama Railroad, the failed
attempt by the French to dig the canal, the U.S. completion
of the project and some current environmental aspects of the
waterway. After our museum tour we break for lunch and continue
on to Miraflores Locks, where ships in transit are
raised or lowered from ocean to lake level and vice-versa.
Here we'll also see a 12-minute video presentation and an
impressive relief map of the canal. Our next stop is the arts
and crafts market, where you will have a chance to shop for
souvenirs. We conclude our trip by visiting Goethals Monument
at the foot of the canal Administration Building, headquarters
for canal operations.
Requires
a minimum of 2 people, includes lunch and museum entry fees.
Tour starts at 8:30 am and returns approximately by 4:30 p.m.
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