Since the 16th century, the Camino Real and Camino de Cruces have connected the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, linking continents and cultures across the Isthmus of Panama. For centuries, this route served as the shortest, safest, and most effective passage between the two coasts, facilitating the movement of people, goods and ideas.

These historic roads were the forerunners of both the Trans-Isthmian Railway and the Panama Canal, cementing Panama’s role as a global communications hub. Along these routes travelled explorers, missionaries, pirates, gold seekers, enslaved people, engineers, entrepreneurs and tourists from all over the world.

Today, Panama remains a global logistics hub and a strategic partner of the European Union, with whom it shares fundamental values such as democracy, human rights, the rule of law, peace, diversity and climate action.

This exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the historical significance of the Camino Real and Camino de Cruces, highlighting their role in shaping the ties between Panama and Europe. It forms part of the European Union’s project Cultural Routes, Natural Crossroads and supports the nomination of the Trans-Isthmian Colonial Route to the UNESCO World Heritage List, under the leadership of Panama’s Ministry of Culture.

The exhibition is closely linked to the Camino de Cruces and Camino Real Guide, which explains the historical context of these routes from their origins to the present day. The Guide also includes practical recommendations for exploring the routes today, just as our ancestors once did. It is designed for both Panamanian citizens and international visitors and serves as a tool to promote sustainable tourism that respects the environment and local cultures, protecting the routes as meeting points between cultural and natural heritage.

The Guide and the Exhibition are inspired by the discussions and field visits of the International Forum Cultural Routes in the Americas: the Panamanian experience, held from April 1 to 3, 2025, as well as by activities with young people compiled in The Voice of the Youth.

Recognising the importance of long-standing connections, "Panama and Europe: routes that connect" was inaugurated at the Government Palace in Panama’s Old Quarter on the occasion of Europe Day 2025, celebrated every 9 May in commemoration of the Schuman Declaration, which 75 years ago paved the way for what we now know as European integration. Subsequently, to bring the Camino de Cruces and Camino Real closer to the people, the exhibition is being taken on tour, with special emphasis on locations linked to the project:

• Government Palace Museum: May 9 to 26, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, and Sunday, May 25 as part of the initiative Casco Peatonal
• Colón Art and Culture Center: 16 to 30 June, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays, in the Exhibition Hall on the 2nd floor
• Portobelo Customs House Museum: July 1 to 15
• San Lorenzo El Real de Chagres Castle: July 16 to 30

More dates and locations to be announced soon.