Gatún Locks

Esclusas de Gatún

The massive Atlantic-side locks of the Panama Canal, where ships are raised and lowered on the Caribbean end of the waterway. A visitor viewpoint lets you watch enormous vessels transit alongside the newer Agua Clara expansion locks.

Things to do

• Watch a ship transit the original locks — Stand at the historic Gatún Locks viewpoint to see massive vessels raised and lowered through the three-chamber flight built in 1913.
• Visit the Agua Clara Visitor Center — Explore the modern observation deck overlooking the 2016 expansion locks that handle Neopanamax ships alongside the old canal.
• See the water-saving basins — Observe the terraced recycling basins beside the Agua Clara locks that conserve millions of gallons of fresh water per transit.
• View Gatún Lake and the dam — Take in the vast artificial lake and the earthen Gatún Dam, once the largest in the world, that feeds water to the locks.
• Walk the Agua Clara rainforest trail — Follow the short interpretive path near the visitor center for views of tropical forest and passing container ships.
• Photograph the mule locomotives — Watch the electric towing locomotives guide ships through the narrow original lock chambers.
• Time your visit for a large vessel — Check transit schedules so you catch a full-length Neopanamax ship squeezing through with just meters to spare.

Food to try

• Sancocho — Panama's hearty chicken and root-vegetable soup seasoned with culantro, a comforting national dish found in local Colón eateries.
• Fresh Caribbean seafood — Colón's Caribbean coast serves red snapper and shrimp, often cooked in coconut milk with local spices.
• Rice with coconut (arroz con coco) — An Afro-Caribbean staple of rice simmered in coconut milk, common in Colón province meals.
• Patacones — Twice-fried green plantain rounds served crispy and salted as a ubiquitous side or snack.
• Carimañolas — Deep-fried yuca fritters stuffed with seasoned ground meat, a popular Panamanian breakfast or street snack.
• Raspao — A shaved-ice treat topped with fruit syrup and condensed milk, sold by roadside vendors in the tropical heat.

Local customs & good to know

• Bring your passport — The canal area and Colón have security checkpoints, so carry identification when traveling to the locks.
• Take a tour rather than driving alone — Colón city can be unsafe for independent visitors, so organized tours from Panama City are the recommended way to reach the locks.
• Use US dollars — Panama's currency is the balboa but US dollars circulate freely and are accepted everywhere for tickets and food.
• Buy tickets at Agua Clara Visitor Center — Entry fees support canal operations, and cash or card is accepted at the modern facility on the Atlantic side.

Nearby

• Fort San Lorenzo — 7 km
• Agua Clara Visitor Center — 8 km
• Gatún Lake (Panama City & Canal) — 9 km
• Gamboa (Panama City & Canal) — 30 km