Places / North & Central America / Panama
Colón
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At a glance
- Country
- Panama
- Region
- Colón Province
- Population
- 200,000 (district)
- Best time to go
- January to April
- Main airport
- None with regular flights — nearest is Panama City Tocumen (PTY)
- Coordinates
- 9.36°N, 79.90°W
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Overview
Colón sits at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal, a port city with faded colonial architecture and one of the world's biggest free trade zones. It has a reputation for crime, so most visitors explore with a guide or by taxi rather than wandering the streets.
The real draw is the surrounding coast: Spanish forts, the canal's newest locks and laid-back Caribbean villages strung along the shore.
Things to see
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Photo: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 4.0 Agua Clara Locks
The visitor centre overlooks the expanded canal's huge new locks, where the largest ships pass.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Garcia.dennis, CC BY-SA 4.0 Fort San Lorenzo
Ruins of a Spanish fortress on a cliff above the mouth of the Chagres River.
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Photo: en:User:Tedder, CC BY 3.0 Portobelo
A Caribbean bay with UNESCO-listed colonial forts and a church housing the revered Black Christ.
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Photo: Stefan Laube ( Tauchgurke ), Public domain Gatun Lake
The vast artificial lake at the heart of the canal, dotted with islands home to monkeys.
Things to do
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Photo: Nils Öberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 Panama Canal Railway
The historic railway runs alongside the canal between Panama City and Colón.
Find tours -
Photo: Garcia.dennis, CC BY-SA 4.0 Isla Grande
A small Caribbean island with reefs, a lighthouse and Afro-Caribbean seafood.
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Photo: Administración de la Zona Libre de Colón, CC0 Colón Free Trade Zone
A huge duty-free area of warehouses and shops, though it caters mainly to wholesale buyers.
Where to stay
Portobelo
Small guesthouses near the forts and the bay, a calmer choice than the city.
Hotels in PortobeloIsla Grande
Beach cabins for a few relaxed days on the Caribbean.
Hotels in Isla GrandePanama City
Many visitors stay in the capital and visit Colón on a day trip.
Hotels in Panama City
Getting around
Take taxis or join a tour; walking around the city centre is not recommended.
Colón is about an hour and a half by road from Panama City, or take the scenic canal railway.
When to go
January to April is the driest period. The Caribbean coast is wetter than the Pacific side for much of the year, with heavy rain especially from May to December.
Plan your trip to Colón
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.