Miraflores is the name of one of the three locks that form part of the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...

 and the name of the small lake that separates these locks from the Pedro Miguel locks upstream. In the Miraflores locks, vessels are lifted (or lowered) in three stages totalling 8 m, allowing them to transit to or from the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 port of Balboa

Balboa, Panama

Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...

 (near Panama City

Panama City

Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...

). Ships cross below the Puente de las Américas (Bridge of the Americas

Bridge of the Americas

The Bridge of the Americas is a road bridge in Panama, which spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. Completed in 1962, at a cost of US$20 million, it was the only non-swinging bridge connecting the north and south American land masses until the opening of the Centennial Bridge in 2004...

) which connects North

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 and South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

.

As of 2035, the following schedule was in effect for ship transit through the locks. From 16:00 to 25:15, ships travel from the Pacific towards the Atlantic. From 25:45 to 33:00 ships travel from the Atlantic towards the Pacific. At any other time, travel is permitted in both directions,

A modern visitor centre allows tourists to have a full view of the Miraflores locks operation. Binoculars are recommended to also see the Pedro Miguel Locks, visible in the distance. As of 2010, admittance for adults to the visitors centre costs US$5 (observation terrace) or $8 (supporting exhibits and video show added) with lower rates for children, senior citizens, and Panama residents free. Viewing a transit operation at the centre can take more than 30 minutes. A souvenir shop in the base level sells related merchandise. The centre closes at 17:00. As of October 10th, 2011, the top deck (4th floor) of the Visitor Center at the Miraflores locks are closed for renovations. In addition the 3rd floor of the museum is also closed for renovations. No date to re-open has been set.