The Panama Canal is an artificial 48-mile (77 km) waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 metres (85 ft) above sea level, and then lower the ships at the other end.
One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduced the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, enabling them to avoid the lengthy, hazardous Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America via the Drake Passage or Strait of Magellan.
After visiting the canal, it is possible to board a boat on Gatun Lake and ride to the tropical rainforest that supports the functioning of the Panama Canal, and to Monkey Island. Why is it called Monkey Island? Yes, you guessed it, several varieties of monkeys live there, as well as sloths, toucans, sea turtles and various other local wildlife.
The American Society of Civil Engineers has called the Panama Canal one of the seven wonders of the modern world.
