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Fuerte Amador Panama City Cruise Port Guide
Location:
Fuerte Amador is an anchorage port, passengers transfer to shore via ship's tender.
A new pier is under construction.
The port of Fuerte Amador is located right at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal in the Pacific Ocean. It is made up of a one-mile causeway extending out into the Pacific Ocean and connecting four small islands in the area, Flamenco, Perico, Culebra and Naos. The causeway includes the cruise port, marina, the Fuerte Amador shopping and restaurant plaza, a convention center and a second shopping and restaurant plaza.
The port is twenty miles from Panama City center. Private taxis monitored by FARM are the only transportation allowed inside the port area, while local taxis have to remain outside the Island entrance. Due to strict rules by the taxi union, shuttle buses to the city are not allowed. Be aware that taxi services accept U.S. dollars, but be sure to agree on the fare before leaving the port.
Printable map to take along on your cruise.
Cruise calendar for this port.
Watch a destination video.
Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers
Monthly Climate Averages for Fuerte Amador Panama
Sightseeing:
Fuerte Amador lies just southwest of Panama City, and so provides an ideal location for further exploration of the city and surrounding islands. The island of Culebra is the home of the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research.
Tours Excursions Transportation:
For safety reason ship's tours are recommended as public transportation is not very safe.
Taxis are also a decent way to get around in Panama. They're not expensive at all. A three-hour tour is about $90 per taxi.
Nearby Places:
If you have the whole day, and haven't booked anything for Panama City, and want to do your own thing, you can get cabs in Amador for around $15-20 an hour.
The Miraflores Visitor Center is only interesting for those who do a "partial" cruise. Try to reach miraflores locks around 9am -10:30am or 3pm -4:30pm. If you do the "full canal" you will see everything much better from your ship.
Shopping and Food
Traditional Panamanian crafts can be found most cheaply at artesian markets. In Panama City, the best are found at the market in Balboa, with the Panama Viejo market coming in as a close second. Panama's best-known craft is the mola, intricate reverse-applique handwork made by the Kuna. Molas can be bought at either of these craft markets, or from vendors on the seawall in Casco Viejo.
In Fuerte Amador you can find the Fuerte Amador Mall, which is a large duty-free shopping plaza. The mall sells a variety of quality items at rock-bottom prices. Examples of goods that are available in the mall are electronic gadgets, jewelry, food, perfume, and clothing. Fuerte Amador is also home to Flamenco Shopping Center, which is a shopping plaza that houses a number of boutique stores, souvenir shops, and restaurants. There is also a newly built modern shopping center in Flamenco Island.
One can find a number of specialty shops and stalls in the marina that sell local products such as native handicrafts and souvenir items.
If you ship is arriving in the evening: look for a restaurant with a good view of Panama City and enjoy!
Currency:
Panama uses the Balboa and the US Dollar as its currencies. The balboa is equivalent to the US dollar and has exactly the same value, but in reality the Balboas only exist as coins that are equivalent to the US coins.
Communication:
Languages Spanish (official), English 14% note: many Panamanians bilingual.
Opening Hours and Holidays:
Shopping hours vary, but most of the stores and shops open from 9:00 am to 6:00 p.m. and some even up to 10:00 p.m. from Monday to Sunday.
Holidays in Panama
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