Gamboa

Gamboa was built as a Canal Zone township at the point where the Chagres river meets the canal, and it survives as a quiet grid of wooden houses surrounded on all sides by rainforest, with the dredging division still working from its docks. An aerial tram and a wildlife centre operate at a resort here, boats run out onto Gatun Lake to the monkey islands, and Pipeline Road, one of the best known birding routes anywhere, starts nearby.

History

Gamboa stands near the site of the old village of Santa Cruz, three miles below Las Cruces, where 19th-century travellers left the river barges for the mule trail across the isthmus. The present town was built in 1911 during canal construction, first housing about 700 workers, and in 1936 the Panama Canal Company moved its Dredging Division here from Paraíso; the residents built their own golf and country club, opened on 1 January 1939 (Wikipedia, Gamboa, Panama).

What's there

• Pipeline Road - the birding route running into Soberanía, famous among birdwatchers.
• The Chagres confluence - the river meeting the canal at the township.
• The aerial tram - the resort lift running up through the forest canopy.
• The lake boat trips - the runs out to the islands on Gatun Lake.

When to go

December to April is the dry season with easier trails. Dawn is essential for birding on Pipeline Road. Wet season rain is heavy from May.

Good to know

Boat trips that feed monkeys on the lake islands are widely criticised and habituate the animals. Pipeline Road needs an early start and access arrangements. Facilities in the township itself are minimal.

Nearby

Soberanía National Park surrounds it, and Panama City is south.