Panama Canal Travel Postcard

The Panama Canal is a 50-mile (80-kilometer) waterway that cuts across the Isthmus of Panama, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Completed by the United States in 1914 after a failed French effort, it revolutionized global trade by allowing ships to avoid the long, dangerous route around South America’s Cape Horn. The canal uses a system of locks—at Gatun, Pedro Miguel, and Miraflores—to raise and lower vessels as they cross the continental divide, with Gatun Lake serving as a central high-elevation passage. Today the canal is operated by the Panama Canal Authority and remains a vital artery for world shipping, handling thousands of transits each year. A major expansion finished in 2016 added new, wider locks capable of accommodating much larger “Neo-Panamax” vessels, boosting capacity and reinforcing Panama’s strategic role in international commerce. Visitors can watch ships move through the locks, tour museums, and learn how this engineering marvel continues to shape global trade.