The Miraflores visitor center is a tourist attraction for locals and foreigners
This Article was written by Sherly Diaz
 Considered the eight wonder of the world, the Panama Canal has become one of the most important tourist attractions in the country, especially now that preparations are being made for its expansion.
Since it opened almost four years ago, the Miraflores Visitor Center CVM has received 1.311.331 visitors, the majority students and tourist who have demonstrated the greater interest in knowing this waterway. In 2006 the center was visited by 410,673 persons, or a daily average of 1,125 individuals.
From January 2007 until September, the center was visited by 356,117 persons for a daily average of 1,305 visitors. An important number of visitors are students on a day trip since visiting the canal is mandatory in schools.
July and November are especially busy months and when the majority of students visit the center. In July because it is when mid-term vacations start and schools organize day trips for the students; and November, the month of independence, which is when interest on the country’s history is awaken.
There is also a high season for tourism that starts in October and ends in May, and it coincides with the arrival of cruisers; however, cruiser passengers are not the majority of visitors, but those that arrive by land or air, that is through arrival at Tocumen International Airport. See Box: Schedule and Cost .
Maria Teresa de Meana, Manager of the Visitor’s Center in Miraflores, said that 70% of the visitors are foreigners and 30% local people. Although there are no statistics concerning nationalities, a consensus among tourist guides indicate the most frequent visitors are from the United States and from Canada. After them are tourists from Central and South America and to a less extent those from Europe and Asia.
Its Facilities
The CVM has four exhibition halls, three observation balconies where you can see the ships movement from different levels, a restaurant, and a room for events, a souvenir shop, and a theater with advanced technology for the projection of videos or special presentations. The CVM building has four floors and in each one there is an exhibition hall.
On the first floor there is an exhibit on the history of the Canal of Panama, starting with Charles V of Spain and the discovery of the South Sea, until the construction of the waterway by the Americans. In the next floor, there is an exhibit named Water a Source of Live, which presents a message concerning the importance of water as the main natural resource for the Canal of Panama, and the importance of the hydrographic basin to maintain the water resources, the flora and fauna.
On the third floor, there is the exhibit called The Canal in Action, which demonstrates the way the waterway works, with interactive modules, scale models showing the manner in which the waterway is operated and maintained. The last floor has the exhibit named The Canal of the World, whose major objective is to show the importance of the canal for the world’s maritime commerce, and the canal’s expansion project. The balcony located in the upper floor of the building offers a panoramic view of the Miraflores lock, the Pedro Miguel lock, and the Centennial Bridge.
There is also an intermediate balcony on the first floor of the building which has steps that allows visitors to take a closed look of the shipping traffic. The restaurant, managed by Hotel Panama, offers a buffet and a la carte international food during lunch and dinner times. In the theater there is a video in English and Spanish which is shown every half hour that explains the expansion project for the Canal of Panama and how the canal operates.
Schedule and Costs:
• Foreign persons wishing to visit the CVM pay US$8.00 per adult, US$5.00 per child, and US$4.00 for retired person, with access to all areas.
• The CVM opens Monday thru Sunday from 09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m., wile the restaurant opens from noon until 11:30 p.m. Monday thru Sunday, all days of the year.
• To reach the CVM you can use your own car, or by taxi. From the center of the city to the visitor center could cost you around US$5.00
• You can also use public transportation by taking a bus from the Cooperativa de Trabajo y Servicio de Autobuses del Corregimiento de Ancon SACA departing from the premises of the Legislative Assembly. The buses run from 05:00 a.m. till 01:00 a.m., but they do not go all the way to the Miraflores lock so it will be necessary to walk a few meters.
• Foreign persons wishing to visit the CVM pay US$8.00 per adult, US$5.00 per child, and US$4.00 for retired person, with access to all areas.
• The CVM opens Monday thru Sunday from 09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m., wile the restaurant opens from noon until 11:30 p.m. Monday thru Sunday, all days of the year.
• To reach the CVM you can use your own car, or by taxi. From the center of the city to the visitor center could cost you around US$5.00
• You can also use public transportation by taking a bus from the Cooperativa de Trabajo y Servicio de Autobuses del Corregimiento de Ancon SACA departing from the premises of the Legislative Assembly. The buses run from 05:00 a.m. till 01:00 a.m., but they do not go all the way to the Miraflores lock so it will be necessary to walk a few meters.
For All your Panama Travel, Panama Living or Panama Real Estate needs, contact Douglas M. Choy at ThinkPanama.com. He will be happy to provide any guidance and information you may need.
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