There’s no secret as to the location of Lake Gatun, no far away distance to travel to get there, and no shortage of traffic that passes through it. After all, Lake Gatun has been made most famous by the Panama Canal. The large, artificial (yes, you read that right) lake is home to over 800 species of birds, hundreds of Geoffroy’s, Howler, and Capuchin monkeys, crocodiles, and a seemingly endless amount of tropical flora and fauna, right at your fingertips. This is the center of the Panama Canal, where east meets west, and you can still see some of the world’s biggest (and most famous) mega-barges pass through each and every day.
What makes Gatun so attractive to visit?
The easy answer is biodiversity. Due to its jungle/rainforest location, and abundance of both rain and sunlight, the Lake Gatun area is a virtual treasure trove of untouched biodiverse nature. The longer answer is that due to its unique history and proximity to both city and nature, it’s one of the most authentically parts of Panama you can visit. In fact, Lake Gatun may actually be the geographical center of Panama, which would make sense considering what it represents to the modern structure of current day Panama, and the natural wonder it houses within.
What makes Lake Gatun so attractive to visit is that within less than an hour’s drive from either coast, including the city, you can be immersed in a jungle right out of an adventure book, and experience something that few countries offer in such a manner.
What to do and where to stay in Lake Gatun
In general, people who visit Lake Gatun tend to do it as a full day trip, or an afternoon excursion. This is largely due to the Canal Authority owning the land, and therefore things like housing developments and hotel are rare, if not seemingly non-existent. Things that typically draw tourists and locals to spend the day (or night) at Lake Gatun are monkey island tours, fishing, Panama Canal partial tranists/tours, hiking, swimming, and nature photography/exploring. You can get a taxi to take you to the Gamboa base of the lake for about $15-$20, drive, or take a small bus. Remember to plan for traffic, however, as the road is narrow, and sometimes this causes delays to and from the area.
If you do decide to spend the night, or a few nights in the beautiful tropical rainforest area around the lake, try the Gamboa Rainforest resort. This resort is on the edge of the jungle in the Gamboa rainforest, just a few steps away from the old Canal Zone town. If you want a truly unique experience on the lake itself, your best (and pretty much only) bet is Jungle Land. At Jungle Land you can stay over the water itself on a massive, refurbished flotilla of house boats, designed specifically for guests to stay out on the lake. Both resorts/lodges offer many different types of tours, local food, and accomodations for both small and large groups.
Make sure that no matter where you stay, go, or what you do in and around Lake Gatun that you do so with a trained guide. Nature is beautiful, but we must also respect it, and respect Panama’s laws and regulations protecting it. Lake Gatun truly is a national treasure, and a fantastic draw to Panama as far as tourism, and natural conservation.
