Getting There & Departing
By Taxi or Tour -- The Gamboa Resort and Canopy Tower offers transportation to and from its property. Nearly every visitor to the Canal Zone is part of a planned tour with a guide, or visitors can hire a taxi for a full- or half-day tour for around $15 to $25 (£7.50-£13) an hour, depending on the number of passengers and the deal you're able to strike with your driver. The road to Gamboa ends at that town, and is about a 40-minute drive from the Cerro Ancón/Balboa area of Panama City.
If you're not taking part in an organized tour of the Canal Zone and Gamboa, and would like to visit the area on your own, taxi drivers Mondi tel. 6625-4631 and Hector tel. 6686-8127 are both honest and dependable. Though neither speaks much English they are both used to working with foreigners and will charge you a fair price. From Panama City expect to pay $60 (£30) one way to Colón, $100 ([bp50]) round trip (including waiting time); $20 (£10) one way to Gamboa, $35 (£18) round trip; $70 (£35) one way to Portobelo, $120 (£60) round trip. From Colón to Portobelo expect to pay $40 (£20) one way and $75 (£38) round trip
By Bus -- By Bus -- Buses headed to Gamboa leave from the SACA station at the Palacio Legislativo at Plaza Cinco de Mayo, near Avenida Central, not from the main terminal in Albrook. The cost is $65 adults, $35 children. This bus drops passengers off at stops along the Gaillard Highway and Gamboa Road, including at the Miraflores Locks. The stop for Miraflores is an 8- to 10-minute walk from the visitor center. Buses leave weekdays at 5am, 5:45am, 6:30am, 8am, 10am, noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm, 8pm, and 10:30pm; on Saturday and Sunday buses leave at 6am, 7am, 8am, 10am, noon, 2pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm, 8pm, and 10:30pm. Do check for the current information before setting out as it has been known to change.
By Car -- To get to Gamboa and the Canal Zone, head out of Panama City toward Albrook to the Gaillard Highway, which runs along the canal and passes the Miraflores Locks. The road continues on past the Pedro Miguel locks and the Summit Golf Course until it forks at the ANAM ranger station just after you pass under a railway bridge. To get to Gamboa, the Gamboa Resort, Barro Colorado Island, the Canopy Tower, El Charco Trail, or Pipeline Road, take a left here on Gamboa Road. To get to the Camino de Cruces trail, continue straight on a lovely, jungle-fringed road that cuts through Soberanía National Park and eventually connects with the road to Colón. The sign for the Cruces trail is clearly marked at an off-road picnic site.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
