"COLON - ATLANTIC ENTRY" Colón by mtncorg

Colón Travel Guide: 12 reviews and 43 photos

Ships passing through the locks at Gatun

Originally, Colon was built on an island though fill has linked it to the mainland today. The town was originally named Aspinwall after one of the founders of the Panama Railroad - the reason for Colon’s original existence. Construction of the Canal through the French and US periods, enlarged the town, however with the end of the construction, many who worked on the Canal found themselves without work. Colon has never really recovered from those times with unemployment, poverty and crime rampant. Most tourists come off cruise ships or on the railroad to head over to the vast free trade zone of Zona Libre, originally developed to provide an economic impetus for development here.

Last visit to Colón: Jun 2005
Intro Written Jun 24, 2005
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Reviews (3)

GATUN LOCKS Things to Do (3)

The Panama Canal has three sets of double locks on both the Pacific and the Atlantic sides. Here, at Gatun, about 10 km... more travel advice

Busy streets in the land of shop til you drop - Colón

ZONA LIBRE Things to Do (3)

Established in 1948 to try and modify the exorbitant unemployment problems of Colon, the Zona Libre takes up almost a... more travel advice

PANAMA CANAL RAILROAD Things to Do (3)

The Colon terminus is just outside the west entrance to the Zona Libre at the southern base of Colon - the bus terminal... more travel advice

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Comments (4)

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calcaf38 May 18, 2008 at 10:38 AM

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing.
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TheTravelSlut Feb 15, 2007 at 7:35 AM

The tips (and photos) will come in handy on my Panama Canal cruise. Thanks!
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quime Jul 29, 2005 at 2:22 PM

Thanks for share with us the often avoided Colon City!!
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karenincalifornia Jun 29, 2005 at 7:48 AM

Amazing photos and a great tour through the locks. Maybe one of our Peruvian VTers will be posting a photo of mtncorg on the side of the canal?