New quick turn around Panama-Colombia ferry
By Katherine Monahan
A new scheduled ferry service between Panama and Colombia, catering to everyone from backpackers and vacationers to businesses shipping goods, is coming up in May.
The service will start May 10 with fares ranging from $99.
The Panamerican Highway stretches from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, interrupted only by the86-kilometer swampland of the Darien Gap. Known for mosquitoes and drug-runners, the Darien Gap has forced travelers into planes (starting from about $200 one way) and sailboats (starting from about $350 one way).
The ferry “Nissos Rodos,” with a capacity for 1,484 passengers, will run back and forth between Cartagena and Colon. It wil start in one country at 6pm and arrive 236 nautical miles and 12-13 hours later in the next. Then it will return the same evening .
And it has space for cars and containers. So, theoretically, someone could catch the ferry from Colon at 6pm, arrive in Cartagena at 6am, purchase a container of flowers, and be back in Colon with the container by the following morning – all on the same boat. Or, a Colombian family could bring their car to Panama for some sight-seeing.
And it should be a fun journey, as the ferry will feature a theater, bar, restaurant, and gift shop. “It’s not just a transport, it’s an activity,” said Augusto Terrencino, general manager of Aventura 2000.
Transport starts May 10th, with reserved seats for $99, dormitory beds for $209, and private cabins for $428.
