Touring Colon

A Special Report on history and
growth in Panama's Caribbean

By Jacob Ehrler

Colon, on the Caribbean side of the isthmus, is famous mostly for the second largest Free Zone in the world. Its port complex also makes it a bustling center for trade. But Colon is becoming important as a tourist destination.

Both the city and the province were named after Christopher Columbus, whose name is Cristobal Colón in Spanish. He was the first European visitor. He stopped at the bay of Portobelo to rest for seven days in 1502. The Caribbean port of Cristobal has had a long history due to the access that it has provided over the years to the Pacific via trails, railways and the Canal.

The new superhighway that will connect the cities of Colon and Panama is around half-way built. It will speed the transit time between the oceans and also Colon’s ascending in the tourism market. Colon is a home port to cruise ships, the railroad trip along the Canal to Colon is popular, and two new hotels, one by Raddison and another by Sheraton are nearing completion.

THE VISITOR takes a look at some notable tourist offerings that visitors can enjoy today in Colon. A day trip into the city of Colon took us down the main street, with its park-like setting and past bustling local commerce to the Caribbean Sea and an impressive white statue of Christ, arms outstretched near the sea wall. Colonenses are friendly and were happy to recommend a local restaurant. For safety, a young woman insisted upon escorting us just one block to the restaurant. I spoke to her about safety in the city and she commented that even though security is getting better and the police presence has increased significantly in recent years, she felt it best to accompany us, even at high noon. “Colon is nice, but some people ruin it for everybody else, and I don’t want anything to happen to you, you’re not from here!” she explained.

After lunch we toured the “The Washington”, a waterfront hotel with a rich history and timeless architecture. See the Places Section.

We stayed the night at the former U.S. military school, “La Escuela de las Americas”, where General Noriega himself was trained by the U.S. forces. Today the same buildings house the glorious Hotel Melia Panama Canal. Its almost 300 rooms are already running at full capacity with the growing number of visitors flocking to the nearby Colon Free Zone. See the Places Section.

Later that night, we visited the Casino Mallorca at the Melia Hotel, a popular upscale night spot for guests of the hotel and also some of Colon’s local population who wish to visit the boutique casino instead of playing at a casino in town. See the Places Section.

The next day we traveled east out to the Costa Arriba, or Upper Coast as it is known, past the beautiful ruins of Portobello and new residential developments like San Marino Oceanfront to the small town of Miramar. There, we stayed at the brand new Costa Arriba Island Hotel, owned and operated by a young Panamanian businessman and his girlfriend where the sound of crashing waves, comfortable environment and excellent cuisine make this a recommendatory destination. See the Places Section.