The city of Colon is currently experiencing an awakening in commerce and tourism and a boom in real estate investments. This is reflected in the construction of million dollar mansions and apartment buildings along the beachfront, yet a  large part of the city consists of two or three-story wooden buildings, dating from the era of the opening of the canal early in the century which give Colón a certain enchantment of its own, albeit  a ramshackle one.  Some of the surrounding area is worth visiting. During your stay on the Atlantic side, you can visit the Gatun Locks, the largest along the Canal, and the Spillway. A mile or so past the locks are the ruins of Fort San Lorenzo, dating from the Spanish conquest.  

A forty-minute drive on the other side of Colón brings you to the spectacular ruins of Portobelo. Nearby, Isla Grande has hotels, restaurants and beautiful beaches.  

Where to stay

With four hundred hectares of showrooms in the commercial area of the Colón Free Zone and a variety of interesting sites in the surrounding areas, you might find it worthwhile to spend the night, or perhaps a couple of days in Colón. This Atlantic City offers a variety of hotels with rates ranging from $25 to $125 for single occupancy. The top hotel in Colon is The Melia Panama Canal Hotel on the shore of Gatun lake a few minutes drive from the city.This hotel has the Casino Mallorca, decked out with all the facilities for those who love games of chance. Its buildings were formerly the School of the Americas, the U.S. military academy.