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Frommer’s Names Panama Canal Top Spot for 2017

Prestigious guidebook publisher Frommer’s has named the Panama Canal as one of the top destinations to visit in 2017, ranking it as one 17 “best places to discover the world.”

“More than 14 years after it opened in 1914…the Panama Canal remains a staggering feat of engineering, not to mention of human presumption,” Frommers writes in praising the expansion of “Panama’s star attraction.”

Frommer’s is no promotional travel rag. The 60-year-old publisher is one of the most respected guidebooks in the world, and their assessments are developed from reporters on the ground in locations around the world. Making the list is a big deal. The conclusions of the writers carry great weight with travelers.

Frommer’s editors explained their approach to creating the list: “In assembling our annual list of the best places to go for the year, we paid special attention to destinations that visitors to make discoveries—whether by learning from the past, encountering strangers, marveling at nature, or returning to a spot you already knew,” they wrote.

Panama certainly fits that profile, as friendly destination at the crossroads of the Americas. “Cruise lines are ready, with compelling new shore excursions that take advantage of Panama’s rich nature and cultural sites,” they write.

Frommer’s recommends a trip to the Canal Expansion Observation Center, “which boasts wide terraces overlooking the canal and Gatún Lake, as well as the viewing station of the old locks at Miraflores Locks. But once you’re done with the Canal, Frommer’s recommends you “swing by Panama City to take in the mix of colonial charm and growing gentrification in Casco Viejo, the capital’s vibrant old quarter.”

Frommer’s varied list of top destinations includes, “in no particular order,” Montreal; Paris; Fatima, Portugal; the Pantanal wetlands in South America; the ancient city of Nan Madol in Micronesia; and Doha, Qatar.

See the full list here.