Thread: Colon trip

Went to Colon today with another forum member today. The trip from Coronado took about 1.5 hours alongside the canal to the Atlantic side. The city of Colon is a HUGE walled off Free Zone surrounded by a shabby city mostly of industrial and shopping areas and a few run down residential areas. To go inside the Free Zone you need to drive all to the end of it and turn right off the main road shortly past a MC Donald's there is an office and a gate where you need to show your passport to get a Visitors' Pass or Visa as they call it.
You can drive in with a rental or a taxi cab (need a pass for the vehicle too) but not with a private vehicle. That is officially. We were immediately offered a pass for the car for $20 which I declined. Inside the place looks like a huge mall with tons of stores without a roof over. No restaurants but plenty street vendors. The stores or rather outlets sell all sorts of clothes, electronics but nothing food related. If you buy anything you must either have it shipped outside the country or shipped to the airport where you can pick it up upon departing. I am sure you also can bring it out to Panama (for a fee ;-) ) or if you fail to pay bribes then after paying Panama duty.
There was strong police and security guard presence both outside and inside the zone. While felt safe during the day I would not feel comfy having a leisurely stroll at night.

And yet the cruise ships drop off/pick up in Colon. Hmmmm. Not sure Panama is leading with its best first impression.

Pretty much as I remember it in 2007, we travelled there with a Panamanian friend, entered the zone in the car and bought a couple of mobile phones without any tax problems. As for Colon itself, didn't really want to get out of the car, it looked like a real toilet.

ive been there (free zone) several times but never had to buy any pass and just drove in with my own car. i agree that colon is a shithole.

Panama is consistently inconsistent at least. All you need to do is leave your apartment/house and all the terms you have accepted for life are up the air for a reevaluation.

Originally Posted by janl

ive been there (free zone) several times but never had to buy any pass and just drove in with my own car. i agree that colon is a shithole.

Originally Posted by Contrail

Panama is consistently inconsistent at least. All you need to do is leave your apartment/house and all the terms you have accepted for life are up the air for a reevaluation.

cant argue with that!

The pass was free. I think women would like to walk around there aimlessly looking for and buying shit they don't really need but man (real man) hate shopping.

Colon and Rainbow City is rundown and crappy as heck and as many times I have been their, I still would not go out at night. (Married a local from that area, met him in NYC, but he still has family there.) I have been to the Free Zone countless times and each time I had to show my passport for a pass to enter. I have managed to get things out into Panama but the Cops pulled the rental car I was driving over and quickly confiscated it. I am told they seek out the rental cars to harass coming from that area. But hey I was in the wrong so I didn't trip much. I was just amazed that out of all the cars that passed them, the rental cars were the ones that were pulled over.