South America's most popular cruise port, Cartagena is a must-see stop on any Panama Canal or southern Caribbean cruise. The city is safe and tourist-friendly, and most tourist places will speak English and accept U.S. dollars. Beautiful parks, museums and shops welcome visitors, and beautiful Spanish cathedrals and castles lurk around every corner. For beach lovers, there are plenty of sandy beaches and coral reefs within easy access of the city. And for shopaholics, kiosks and tourist shops dot the inner city.

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Located on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal, Colon is home to a gleaming, modern, tourist-friendly port. Passengers will find plenty of opportunities to shop and eat near the cruise terminals, or to take a shore excursion to see some more scenic parts of Panama. Before the completion of the Panama Canal, the overland rail route played an important role in transporting goods between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Passengers today can still take a historic train ride on the Isthmian Railway from Colon to Panama City.