Classic Panama Canal Passage

Fuerte Amador (Fort Amador, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, is part of an artificial peninsula jutting out into the Pacific from Balboa, which connects four small islands to the mainland. On the west side of Fuerte Amador is the Pacific entrance to the Canal, and on the east side is Panama Bay facing Panama City. The surrounding ocean is always filled with vessels patiently awaiting their turn to transverse the Canal, while on the skyline a few kilometres to the north are the skyscrapers of Panama City. Read more about Fuerte Amador, Panama

Cristóbal lies at the northern entrance to the Panama Canal. It is part of the province of Colón, a port city at the entrance to Limon Bay, at the Atlantic (Caribbean) entrance of the canal. (Interestingly, Cristóbal Colón is the Spanish translation for Christopher Columbus.) The port, Old Cristóbal, was first built by the Panama Railroad Company in the 1850s, and dredged material became landfill for the present Cristóbal. Read more about Cristobal, Panama

Puerto Limon - aka Limon - is the capital of Limón Province in Costa Rica. It is the country's main Caribbean port, and most of its citizens are of African descent. Originally from Jamaica, these workers were brought to the area in the late 19th century to build the railroad line from San José to Limón. Read more about Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

Roatan (aka Ruatan, Rattan) is the largest of the Bay Islands, which are a part of Honduras, lying just over 48 km from the northern coast of the Honduran mainland. It is known around the world for its scuba diving. The reef surrounding the island attracts beautiful tropical fish and snorkellers alike. Read more about Roatan, Honduras

Belize City, the largest city in the Central American nation of Belize, is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean Sea. For those who spend some time at this small but somehow sprawling metropolis - rather than leave immediately to visit the northern cays - the city will reveal a distinguished history, and several superb sights. These include the Cayo District's caves and the Maya archaeological sites along the Macal and Belize rivers. Read more about Belize City, Belize

Cozumel is a Caribbean island just off the Yucatan Peninsula in SE Mexico. It has grown steadily over the years since Jacques Cousteau first put the island on the map as a sea turtle sanctuary. While it has great beaches, friendly people and safe streets, with prices comparable to other Mexican tourist destinations, most visitors travel to Cozumel to see what is under the water. Read more about Cozumel, Mexico

Fort Lauderdale is a city on the Atlantic coast of the U.S. in the state of Florida. As well as being a major yachting centre, it has a large and intricate canal system that results in its also being known as the ‘Venice of America’. Read more about Fort Lauderdale, USA