Now a sleepy fishing village, Portobelo used to be one of the wealthiest places on earth—at least until Spanish ships (or pirates) arrived to transport the gold and silver taken from indigenous peoples back to Europe. We parked at the church at the far end of town. Though not spectacular by any means, the church houses the famous Black Christ statue. According to legend, fishermen from the village found the statue at sea and placed it in the church during the middle of a spreading cholera epidemic. Other towns were ravaged by the disease, but Portobelo was completely spared. Well, at least that’s how one of the legends explains it. A festival in honor of the Black Christ occurs every year on October 21. After visiting the church, we took a relaxing stroll through the town, passing by lots of playing children and dogs.

The ruins of numerous forts are found throughout the town and are well worth a visit. When we parked near one of these ruins, we were greeted by children looking to make a buck or obtain a handout. We made an agreement with one particularly persistent child to watch our cars for $0.50.

The forts are a neat place to explore. Cannons still point out to sea, although the munitions depots are now empty and the only permanent inhabitants of the fort are countless crabs. The forts were erected between 1601 and around 1739. Their construction occurred over such a long period because a pirate attack would expose a defensive weakness, which the next fort would try to overcome. Near the first fort you’ll see when approaching the town (Fuerte Santiago) is a lookout point that gives a good view of the town and forts. You can park near the fort and cross the road to get to the steps with guide rope that leads up to the lookout. It’s a good place to either begin or end your day in Portobelo.