"Colón is alive and well" "Colón is alive and well"

By Gabriel E. Leonard

The historic Washington Hotel.

The city of Colón is a strange town; a city of monumental contrasts which generates more revenue for the economy than any other city besides the country's capital, but with a landscape often similar to that of Port-au-Prince. Although its two cruise ports receive more tourists per annum than those on Panama's Pacific coast, most travel guides, magazines and international web pages advise visitors to avoid the Colón downtown area altogether.

A recent tour of the city generated in me some thoughts and feelings, best reflected in the images of these pages which I sumarize in a single phrase: Colón is alive and well.

A strong believer in Colon's tourist potential.

This statement by no means contradicts the harsh realities of a city that fell from "glory" decades ago, yet it seeks to motivate both the industry and our visitors to look beyond the city's decaying gingerbread houses in order to see the friendliness, folklore and optimism of its people, such as Mr. David, a native of Cartagena, Colombia who arrived in Colón five years ago and started to make a living with his tours on his quaint, horse-drawn coach.

Colón is alive and well because, despite the rise of gang-on-gang violence in recent years, many locals have organized bike patrol units to protect their guests, and to lead them to the city's historical monuments, such as the Hotel Washington, a 19th-century structure which has hosted U.S. Presidents, well-known entertainers and prominent Latin American politicians.

Colón is only 80 km (an hour's drive on the Trans-Isthmian Highway) away from Panama City, you can also enjoy the superb views of the Canal and its surrounding forests with the daily train service offered by the Panama Canal Railway Company, departing from the Corozal station. The Colonenses are easy-going, friendly people. To stay out of danger, simply stay within the main commercial area.

Youths like this are patroling the streets to help tourists.

A pair of Colón "devils", a pre-Lenten Carnival icon.