Gatun Lake
Gatun Lake
4.5
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After Lake Mead, this is the world's largest man-made lake that forms the central part of the Panama Canal.
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4.5
1,084 reviews
Excellent
637
Very good
350
Average
84
Poor
11
Terrible
2
gomezrue
Bogota, Colombia6 contributions
Jan 2020
I went on a three-hour fishing trip to the lake. And actually caught some fish. The lush lakeside environment is nice to experience, and then to hear the howler monkeys!! The best part is boating next to the big ships that are heading either East or West. I'm glad I went
Written 20 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ontario76
Sherwood Park, Canada1,095 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
We went over part of the lake on the way to the western part of the canal. This was a group tour. Not much wildlife seen in that brief part. We got into the boat more than halfway over the lake and made no special tours of any islands or such. If you want to see wildlife, the brief bit during the route to the western canal transit won't satisfy. You'll have to go to a more dedicated lake tour.
Written 3 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
betteskid
Boston, MA1,326 contributions
Mar 2023
We took a boat ride on Gatun Lake while we were in Panama City. I don't remember the company, but there are several. The lake is beautiful and there are opportunities to see the large ships in the Panama Canal as the Lake is a major part of the canal. We were even fortunate to see one ship that we later saw going through the locks at Miraflores. The Lake was a very pleasant place to visit and it was a great way to experience the canal.
Written 1 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue M
Williamsburg, VA1,534 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
We sailed Gatun Lake as part of our Panama Canal cruise on Viking. An enormous man-made lake that provides the fresh water used in the Panama Canal locks. Beautiful area of the Canal transit.
Written 6 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
orrdin
New York930 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
The lake is large and pretty. All the tour promotions suggest a wide array of wildlife is present there. The reality is that yes there’s monkeys and a few bird species and supposedly some caimans but they are not abundant or easy to find. Even the monkeys that are supposed to come eat food from your boat didn’t come. So yes we had fun in the tour but we were also a bit disappointed. We expected more.
Written 25 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Happiness9657
Virginia Beach1 contribution
You have not caught a bass until you catch a PEACOCK BASS, your live minnow will not hit the bottom before you get a strike. eight of us caught 173 bass in 3.5 hours. largest 8 lbs most were 2 to 4 lb range. less then 2 lbs we through it back. our guide took us to three of his honey holes and they swam by in schools of 50 or more at a time. we paid $20.00 ea, giude provided everything, boats, (400 minnows) poles. his family even cleaned them for us. he made a little extra at his beer stand while we waited for our cleaned fish. they are the hardest fighting bass you will ever catch. when they hit you will think each one is 5 lbs. wish I had a picture to share.
Written 20 December 2005
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruddiger77
52 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
If planning on seeing the Gatun Lake and some of the ecological items such as wildlife, this tour is a must. It's awesome to see how this lake was created. You won't see any locks but, that's a different tour all in together.
We rented a car and drove to the Gamboa Public dock just prior to the Gamboa Rainforest resort, on the right side prior to the one way bridge. We don't like overpaying for tour companies so like to explore on our own. We tried our luck and showed up at the dock hoping to find a private boat to tour us for an hour or so.
We were totally in luck and found a gentleman named Rodrigues. He took 4 adults and 5 kids (4 of the kids were 5 years and under) on board his boat and toured us through the lake alongside large ships transiting the canal.
We saw a baby crocodile, 2 different types of monkeys who we fed and lots of greenery. Rodrigues is an expert as most of the other boats were unable to call the monkeys however he tied his boat to a tree and went into the bush and found many monkeys to come out of the bush to be fed by us. The tour was amazing and not over priced like all the other tour companies. We paid $120 US for 9 people and gave him an extra $20. Our parents went the next day and did same tour for $50 for 2 people so average $25 per adult.
Rent a car, take a local cab or uber and show up at the dock someone will take you out or just ask for Rodrigues, this place is safe we did it with young kids. See pictures attached of him and his boat.
Good luck!
We rented a car and drove to the Gamboa Public dock just prior to the Gamboa Rainforest resort, on the right side prior to the one way bridge. We don't like overpaying for tour companies so like to explore on our own. We tried our luck and showed up at the dock hoping to find a private boat to tour us for an hour or so.
We were totally in luck and found a gentleman named Rodrigues. He took 4 adults and 5 kids (4 of the kids were 5 years and under) on board his boat and toured us through the lake alongside large ships transiting the canal.
We saw a baby crocodile, 2 different types of monkeys who we fed and lots of greenery. Rodrigues is an expert as most of the other boats were unable to call the monkeys however he tied his boat to a tree and went into the bush and found many monkeys to come out of the bush to be fed by us. The tour was amazing and not over priced like all the other tour companies. We paid $120 US for 9 people and gave him an extra $20. Our parents went the next day and did same tour for $50 for 2 people so average $25 per adult.
Rent a car, take a local cab or uber and show up at the dock someone will take you out or just ask for Rodrigues, this place is safe we did it with young kids. See pictures attached of him and his boat.
Good luck!
Written 13 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
physio2
Campbell River, Canada310 contributions
Feb 2011
My husband and I recently visited Panama during a cruise. We had initially booked an excursion through Celebrity; the ‘Gatun Lake Safari’ but cancelled it when they changed the venue. After posting some questions on Cruise Critic about alternative excursions, a gentleman told us about a private Gatun Lake excursion that he highly recommended. Here is the link to his review:
http://www.newsroompanama.com/travel/panama/1853-jungle-exploring-from-lake-gatuns-only-houseboat.html
We found further information about this tour from two websites:
http://junglelandpanama.com/ and http://www.gatunexplorer.com/
We contacted Carl by e-mail: info@junglelandpanama.com and booked the tour.
We were nervous about booking this private excursion since it was our first cruise and were scared that we’d miss our departure time. We also felt uneasy because Carl uses another company to collect payment. We had to give our credit card info by fax or e-mail and pay for the tour in full in advance. We were worried that we would get ripped off, but decided to go for it after reading Richard’s review.
We were relieved when we were met at the Colon port by Olga from Ocean 2 Ocean transfer service. This was the most organized pick-up out of all of our excursions. She took us to a private van with a driver where we began the 1 hour drive to Gatun Lake. Olga was a really knowledgeable and friendly girl who answered any questions that we had and told us about the history of the area.
We met Carl at a lake dock where we began our adventure aboard a small motorboat with about 16 other people. He drove us around many islands on Gatun Lake including Monkey Island for a couple of hours. He told us all about the history of the lake and the canal. Carl is a really fun guy who made learning fun as we laughed almost the whole time! We saw howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, sloths, and alligators. At one point, 3 white-faced capuchins boarded our boat and we were able to feed them by hand! Here is a link to some of the pictures that we took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartclark/5464966075/in/photostream/
We arrived at Carl’s houseboat where we had a delicious hot lunch, dove into the lake from a 2nd story platform, and relaxed on hammocks. The houseboat is in the middle of nowhere and is surrounded by lush rainforest; it was extremely beautiful and peaceful. He has many ‘critters’ on board including a cayman, a snake, a parrot, lizards, a bush baby and a toucan. Although we believe that Carl love’s these animals and cares for them well, we couldn’t help but feel sad that they live in captivity.
We were then given the option of fishing or kayaking. We went on the kayak trip where we traversed small inlets and enjoyed nature. Our destination was a pretty waterfall flowing into a pool of freshwater where we could jump from a ledge at the top; exhilarating!
Carl drove us all back to the dock where we were again met by Olga and driven back to the cruise port with plenty of time to spare.
Overall, we both felt that this excursion was the highlight of our cruise and very good value at $95 USD per person for 7 hours including lunch. We would highly recommend booking this excursion either during a cruise or land visit to Panama. If you are an adventurous nature lover; you won’t be disappointed!
Before booking this tour, it is important to note that you will not see the canal during this tour. We were much more interested in nature so this was great for us!
http://www.newsroompanama.com/travel/panama/1853-jungle-exploring-from-lake-gatuns-only-houseboat.html
We found further information about this tour from two websites:
http://junglelandpanama.com/ and http://www.gatunexplorer.com/
We contacted Carl by e-mail: info@junglelandpanama.com and booked the tour.
We were nervous about booking this private excursion since it was our first cruise and were scared that we’d miss our departure time. We also felt uneasy because Carl uses another company to collect payment. We had to give our credit card info by fax or e-mail and pay for the tour in full in advance. We were worried that we would get ripped off, but decided to go for it after reading Richard’s review.
We were relieved when we were met at the Colon port by Olga from Ocean 2 Ocean transfer service. This was the most organized pick-up out of all of our excursions. She took us to a private van with a driver where we began the 1 hour drive to Gatun Lake. Olga was a really knowledgeable and friendly girl who answered any questions that we had and told us about the history of the area.
We met Carl at a lake dock where we began our adventure aboard a small motorboat with about 16 other people. He drove us around many islands on Gatun Lake including Monkey Island for a couple of hours. He told us all about the history of the lake and the canal. Carl is a really fun guy who made learning fun as we laughed almost the whole time! We saw howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, sloths, and alligators. At one point, 3 white-faced capuchins boarded our boat and we were able to feed them by hand! Here is a link to some of the pictures that we took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartclark/5464966075/in/photostream/
We arrived at Carl’s houseboat where we had a delicious hot lunch, dove into the lake from a 2nd story platform, and relaxed on hammocks. The houseboat is in the middle of nowhere and is surrounded by lush rainforest; it was extremely beautiful and peaceful. He has many ‘critters’ on board including a cayman, a snake, a parrot, lizards, a bush baby and a toucan. Although we believe that Carl love’s these animals and cares for them well, we couldn’t help but feel sad that they live in captivity.
We were then given the option of fishing or kayaking. We went on the kayak trip where we traversed small inlets and enjoyed nature. Our destination was a pretty waterfall flowing into a pool of freshwater where we could jump from a ledge at the top; exhilarating!
Carl drove us all back to the dock where we were again met by Olga and driven back to the cruise port with plenty of time to spare.
Overall, we both felt that this excursion was the highlight of our cruise and very good value at $95 USD per person for 7 hours including lunch. We would highly recommend booking this excursion either during a cruise or land visit to Panama. If you are an adventurous nature lover; you won’t be disappointed!
Before booking this tour, it is important to note that you will not see the canal during this tour. We were much more interested in nature so this was great for us!
Written 2 April 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
savannahsue
Savannah, Georgia50 contributions
We thought the eco-cruise would be a great way to see some of the flora and fauna on Gatun Lake close-up. Until recently this was the largest man-made lake in the world. While the boat was small enough to get close in to the forested islands on Gatun Lake there were only sloths to see. We saw very few birds and no monkeys at all. We think this is due to having too many small boats patrolling these islands and scaring the animals back into the interior. We were quite disappointed. We did enjoy seeing the operation of the Panama Canal facility which was part of this shore excursion from a cruise ship and the time allowed at the Canal was ample. However we thought the cost of this excursion was high ($77 per person). You would be better off hiring a taxi just to see the Canal operation.
Written 27 February 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Larry M
Dewey, AZ710 contributions
Oct 2012 • Couples
Take the Gamboa Rain Forest trip. You will go through mangroves, monkey island where there are Howler and Capuchin Monkeys, iguanas, hawk, and crocodile.
Written 29 October 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anu M
Arlington, Virginia
Hello, we loved to read about your small boat ride to experience the lake, the rainforest, the village. Can you please tell me the name of the tour operator for this experience.
Written 24 August 2022
Hi! Do you know if there are boat rides available on location or do we have to book in advance?
Written 15 February 2022
Bonjour, pvero17. Que voudriez-vous savoir sur cette attraction ? Bonjour, avez-vous fait cette excursion par le biais de l'hôtel ou par vos propres moyens en allant directement à la marina ? Le guide était français ? Nous partons dans 10 jours et je tente de trouver des excursions sympas sans passer par l'hôtel car hors de prix .
Written 7 July 2019
Hi. Can anyone tell me if the speed boat ride is bumpy or not ? My mom has a bad back and I’d like to estimate if it could hurt her. Thanks !
Written 9 November 2017
The ride will be bumpy depending on three factors, type of boat (unless its a pontoon boat as Dennis at Arenosa has it will doubtless be a flat low "Jonboat"), speed (can be controlled) and waves -which are a function strictly of wind on Gatun.... so go early, go when its not windy and go slow - and Mom will have a great day!
Written 18 November 2017
Hello
I am arriving with my family on August 2 to the ninth. I am interested in a fishing trip through the mangroves. Could you tell me the cost per person from the Westin Playa Bonita? Two adults + two boys 17 and 14. Interested in fishing the Panama Canal.
Written 19 May 2017
watch out for gators. the fishing is good there, even bank fishing. I know of no tours that book that, but I used a lot of Uber and hooked up with a few enterprising drivers who worked on their own an was able to book some interesting private tours for cash. also, Uber is the best way to get around and the cheapest. download the app so you'll be ready. FYI. I spent 4 months there and did the canal 3 times. also, hot, hot. in our winter.
Written 21 May 2017
Hello,
Can you tell me who you toured and fished with? The operators that I have found are VERY expensive.
Thanks for your help.
Robert
Written 5 April 2017
Jungle Panama! Great company and very. Ice people!
Written 8 April 2017
Good Morning .... Are there any Catamaran Sunset Cruises in Panama ?Thanks
Written 13 November 2016
Hola amigo! Me gustarÃa saber sobre el Hotel Meliá (condiciones y servicios), seguridad en Colón y costo de taxis. Agradezco su respuesta (mariozam24@gma...).
Written 25 July 2016
Le lac Gatun n'est pas le plus grand lac artificiel au monde.
C'est le lac Volta le plus grand en Ghana 8482 kil. carrés.
Le lac Gatun 422 kil. carrés.
Il est en 106e position.
Il ne faut pas induire les gens en erreur.
Written 8 June 2016
Are there a lot of mosquitoes at Gatun lake?
Written 3 February 2016
Thousands died from malaria and other mosquito-related illnesses in the construction of the Panama Canal, so yes, there are mosquitoes and travellers should be innoculated if doing into the jungle or in waterlogged wetlands areas.
Written 10 November 2017
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