Melia Panama Canal Hotel in Colon

Most tourists who come to Panama include a trip to Colon Panama to see one of the marvels of that country, the Panama Canal. Many hotels in Panama offer a Panama Canal tour and it is not a sight you should miss. The Panama Canal is one of the engineering marvels of this world. Many cruise lines offer Panama Canal cruises, such as the Princess Cruise line.

Shopping in Panama is another highlight of this Free Trade Zone especially because of the low tariff rates, lowest prices in the Americas, due to its location. Many people take a tour to the Panama Canal while staying at various other Panama accommodations. However, there are hotels in Colon which you might want to consider if you wish to stay a night or more in Colon.


There are some Colon Panama hotels available for you to consider for your vacation in Panama. One such resort in Colon Panama you may wish to consider is the Melia Panama Canal. Situated on Gatun Lake, 80 minutes from the Panama International Airport, 10 minutes from the city of Colon, the Melia Panama Canal is another great eco-tourist destination besides the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, surrounded by tropical vegetation, unspoilt nature trails where you can explore the flora and fauna of Panama. For tropical birdwatching, it’s an excellent location for bird watchers. Hike along the banks of the Panama Canal, take a plane across the trees over Gatun Lake. Small boats and canoes are available for guests to take on Lake Gatun. The view of Lake Gatun is wonderful and the only sounds you will hear are the songs of the birds.

The Melia Panama Canal Resort was originally a hospital for the wounded of the Second World War. Later it became a military school, ‘Las escuela de las Americas '. In the 1990s, it was converted into the Melia Panama Canal resort. There are 285 rooms, two great swimming pools, and a pool for children, a tennis court, a business center, a games room and babysitting available for the kids. The resort itself is surrounded by lush gardens, a magnificent swimming pool (two actually) and a gorgeous view of Lake Gatun. It is an older hotel, so you cannot compare it to North American standards. The accommodation would be 3 star, the location, 5 star, the swimming pools, 5 star if you do. This is a hotel in Panama which should be chosen for its location, a great getaway for those seeking ecotourism in Panama and to see the Panama Canal.

The Melia Panama Canal offers great prices and all inclusive resort package deals. You can also just stay here for a night or two if you wish. Companies such as Nolitours offer all inclusive packages to the Melia Panama. What I would recommend for people seeking hotels in Panama, is to know what kind of vacation you want. This is an ecotourism resort, close to the Panama Canal and the free trade zone shopping which is 10 minutes away by car. You can visit a part of Spanish history in the nearby towns of Portobelo and San Lorenzo to see the colonial fortresses. Just ask at reception for details about the organized tours.

The all inclusive package deals from Nolitours range in price from $1,115 to $1,655. for one week. Included in the price are three meals daily, drinks (beer and cocktails – some international brands), a kids club, daily activities, entertainment at night, a casino, 1 buffet and one a la carte restaurant, two bars, a snackbar, and a disco. Your rooms are spacious, clean and equipped with all the modern amenities guests require and expect. Non motorized sports are available free of charge. For additional charges, fishing, deep sea fishing, horseback riding and bicycle rentals are available. Nightly entertainment includes Panamanian cuisine, Panamanian folkloric music and dance whereby you can experience some of the indigenous culture. Also available at the hotel are shuttle service to the Free Trade Zone. Bird watching and hiking are splendid in this ecotourism resort for the nature lovers among us. The staff is friendly and helpful.

The Melia Panama Canal is not far from the Gamboa Rainforest Resort but the prices are a bit lower than the Gamboa. If you are looking for a relaxing, laid back vacation in Panama, close to the Panama Canal, close to nature for a reasonable price, try the Melia Panama Canal.

Your Vacation in Panama | Panama Republic Tourism

Not quite yet a “hot” tourist destination, Panama, the word which means “an abundance of butterflies and fish”, is slowly becoming an alternate choice for tourists seeking the sun for their winter vacations. This fact is resulting in an increase in Panama tourism. I started this blog on Panama because of my love of the Panama Republic. I love Panama City, its ambiance and excitement and the beaches so close to Panama City. And Panama’s location, between two oceans adds to the excitement. You can see the sun rise in the morning over one ocean and see the sun set on another.

Who knows why it took so long for tourists to start discovering Panama? Maybe it was because of the history, or that it was a bit farther than the other typical holiday destinations of the Caribbean islands or the mystique that is Panama. But tourists are just beginning to flock to Panama on their winter retreats from cold nasty weather.

Travel to Panama can be motivated by a number of reasons. Some people want to take a Panama Canal cruise, to discover and experience what is considered by many, the eighth wonder of the world. Truly an engineering marvel, the Panama Canal, constructed in the 20th century by the Americans, is a sight to experience and you can find any number of companies conducting Panama Canal cruises including Princess Cruises. If you are looking for a hotel that is close to the Panama Canal, you could try the Country Inn & Suites Amador. I heard of one guy who had travelled to Panama, just to see the Panama Canal because he considered it to be the one great adventure he had to have in his life. Everybody has their reasons to travel to Panama.

Another reason tourists are choosing Panama travel is that Panama offers wonderful beaches and virgin rainforests to explore. Hiking through the rainforests, observing nature where it is most unspoiled is an adventure many tourists to Panama are seeking. One luxury resort in Panama which makes it possible is the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. This all inclusive resort in Panama offers ecological tours to explore the rainforest, or you can board a tram to experience an aerial tour of the rainforest. Gamboa Rainforest Resort also offers fishing tours and is close to the Panama Canal. With many tourists seeking alternative eco-tourism, Panama offers another alternative.

Other tourism to Panama are those that want to visit the city of Panama, perhaps to visit the historic area of the city, known as El Cangrejo to go to the museums, see the old churches and cathedrals and architecture. Panama City itself is a blend of the old and the new, an urban center that is bustling with excitement, business, nightlife, the Latin- Caribbean lifestyle. Currently growing with many new building projects, the skyline is a jewel against the sky at night, overlooking the Gulf of Panama to the Pacific Ocean. Panama City offers fantastic shopping opportunities, great architecture, restaurants, bars and casinos. It is truly an exciting tourist destination and so close to the beach where there are many Panama city beach hotels, both in the city, close to the Panama Canal and near the white sandy beaches, unfettered by masses of tourists. Did you know that within a couple of hours, you can swim in two different oceans in Panama? Choosing from any of the vast number of hotels in Panama is easy because there are so many available to stay in from the small hostels like La Casa de Carmen to the high rise buildings in the city to the beach resorts such as the Royal Decameron Beach Resort or the Playa Blanca Beach Resort which is an hour and 15 minutes away from the city of Panama. So Panama offers a lot, blending both the old and the new, the urban lifestyle and the resort-like atmosphere.

It’s easy to travel to Panama. You can either book a Panama Canal cruise from many destinations, or fly there in only four to five hours from any number of states in the U.S., such as Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Newark, New York, Los Angeles, and Orlando. From Canada, you can fly either from Toronto or Montreal. Tour operators such as Sunwing.ca or Nolitours offer all inclusive vacations to Panama at a number of different resorts.

Tourists are looking for new destinations that are safe to travel to. Panama travel is increasing, offering unspoiled beaches, lush vegetation, friendly hospitable people, a rich cultural heritage, a tropical climate, wildlife and oceans to explore. Panama is a vacationer’s paradise, still somewhat relatively unknown and unexplored.