The Panama Canal measures 50 miles in length, extending from the deep waters of the Atlantic, to deep waters of the Pacific. It was excavated through one of the narrowest and least mountainous regions of the Isthmus of Panama, which links North and South America. The point where the Canal meets the Continental Divide originally measured 328 feet above sea level. The waterway runs northeast to southwest, The flying distance between both entrances is 43.2 miles.

The average ship takes between 8-10 hours to transit the Canal. During this short journey, passengers have the opportunity to observe one of the marvels of the world in operation. Its main features are: a terminal port on the Pacific (Balboa) and four maritime facilities on the Atlantic (Cristóbal, Manzanillo, Colón Container Terminal and Colón Port Terminal); three sets of locks (Gatún, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores); Gatún Lake and Gaillard Cut.

A ship transiting the Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific enters the channel at the Bay of Limón, after passing through the breakwaters of Cristóbal. This sea-level stretch measures approximately 6.2 miles in length and passes through an area of mangrove. Vessels ascend or descend up to 86 feet through the three chambers of Gatún Locks. Each chamber measures 1000 feet long by 110 feet wide. The length of Gatún Locks, starting at the access walls, is almost 1.25 miles.

The users Some four percent of world trade passes through the 80-km Panama Canal, moving cargo from the Far East to the coasts of the United Sates and to Europe and vice versa, saving some 4,800 kilometers compared with rounding Cape Horn. The waterway has also recently become an increasingly important passage for exports of goods and commodities from South America to the U.S., Europe and the Far East.