The Pacific Ocean entrance to the Panama Canal at Fuerte Amador. Photo by el.chamilo.
Fuerte Amador, situated at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, is a man-made peninsula extending out into the Pacific Ocean near Panama City. Fuerte Amador consists of a one-mile causeway that connects four small islands.
Named after the first Panamanian President, Manuel Amador Guerrero, Fuerte Armador was the site of several former United States Army bases used to protect Americans during the development of the Panama Canal.
In 1999, when the United States handed over control of the Panama Canal to the Republic of Panama, the army bases became a part of Panama. Today Fuerte Amador area is a major tourist attraction with a large marina that serves as a tender dock for cruise ships.
7 Fun Facts About Fuerte Armador, Panama
1. Linking four small islands together, the Fuerte Armador is a short causeway of only six kilometers. The area was once used as a harbor for the city, but was destroyed in 1671.
2.Today Fuerte Amador is used for marine and biological research, as a port destination for cruise lines, as a recreational area for local residents, and, as a reminder of the significance of the world’s shipping trade.
3. The Causeway is a popular place during the early mornings for a jog or a bike ride.
People commonly bike on the path that connects the four Causeway Islands by Fuerte Amador. Photo courtesy of Ayaita.
4. Fuerte Armador contains approximately 24,000 residents. While the official currency is the Panamanian Balboa the official paper currency is the U.S. dollar. Currently, the Balboa is exchanged equally to the U.S. Dollar.
5. The official language is Spanish, but it is very common for residents to be bilingual in Spanish and English.
6. One of the biggest attractions in Fuerte Armador is the ferry trip to Tobago Island. Tobago Island is the place to go for an afternoon on the beach.
7. There are many bike rental shops throughout the city where one can ride on the causeway enjoying the sea breeze and the views of the Panama City skyline.
Have you visited Fuerte Armador, Panama? What was your favorite fun thing?
This post is written by Megan Bryde, a forever student of the world while also finishing up her bachelors in English at Truman State University this semester.
Involved in too many activities, she sings as loud as she can, writes, cooks, bakes, and drinks a lot of coffee. Check out her blog and LinkedIn page to see more about what she does.
Megan is currently completing an internship with VentureTime Travel and aspires to be teaching English someday.
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