Panama Canal

Taking 20 years to build, this canal is said to be one of the greatest engineering achievements of the modern world. Fifty miles of canal connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans with 33.5 m-wide locks at either end. A commercial ship will take about 8-10 hours to cross, but smaller transit boats take 4-8 hours. The motto of the Canal is: "For the benefit of the World". The museum at Miraflores Visitor Centre gives a comprehensive history of the project.