Portobelo Panama - A Superstitious Town - IgoUgo Panama Journal

Fort San Lorenzo

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Attraction | "A UNESCO Site at the Mouth of the Chagres River"

Path to San Lorenzo Photo - Panama, Central America

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Fort San Lorenzo and the three forts in Portobelo together make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although they are grouped together because they performed the same purpose, Fort San Lorenzo is a good distance away from the three forts in Portobelo. San Lorenzo is about twenty five miles west of Colon while Portobelo is about thirty miles away in the opposite direction. The drive time between Fort San Lorenzo and Portobelo, depending on the wait time at Gatun Locks, is about three hours. To get to Fort San Lorenzo, head west from Colon on Highway 32 and follow the signs for Gatun Locks. This is one of three locks systems on the Panama Canal with a small observation platform for watchin...Read More

Fort San Lorenzo and the three forts in Portobelo together make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although they are grouped together because they performed the same purpose, Fort San Lorenzo is a good distance away from the three forts in Portobelo. San Lorenzo is about twenty five miles west of Colon while Portobelo is about thirty miles away in the opposite direction. The drive time between Fort San Lorenzo and Portobelo, depending on the wait time at Gatun Locks, is about three hours.

To get to Fort San Lorenzo, head west from Colon on Highway 32 and follow the signs for Gatun Locks. This is one of three locks systems on the Panama Canal with a small observation platform for watching the ships. The Miraflores Locks Visitor Center in Panama City is by far the most impressive, but Gatun Locks is still worth a visit in its own right. There are two bridges that span the Panama Canal, but at Gatun Locks, there is a one lane swinging bridge that crosses the canal at sea level. The crossing works similar to a drawbridge. Traffic builds up on both sides of the canal while the ship is lifted through. After the ship has passed, vehicular traffic then moves along the bridge, passing directly underneath the huge steel gates with the top of the next ship hovering overhead waiting its turn.

Once you have crossed the Canal, follow the road to the right which will lead you to Fort San Lorenzo. The road follows the Caribbean coastline until you reach a security post. Just inform the security officer that you are heading to Fort San Lorenzo and he will let you through. The road leads through the heart of Fort Sherman, an abandoned US military base. Fort Sherman was built to protect the Atlantic side of the canal, while its counterpart, Fort Amador, did the same function on the Pacific side. It was also home to the US Army’s Jungle Warfare Training School. The US pulled out of Panama in 2000 and the barracks still stands in need of major repairs. It resembles more of a ghost town with the only signs of life being the nearby marina.

When the road T-intersects a short distance past Fort Sherman, there will be a huge sign instructing you to turn left toward Fort San Lorenzo. If you do turn right, it will dead end into the ocean and the marina. The road from Fort Sherman to Fort San Lorenzo is a two lane paved road that takes you into the heart of the Panamanian jungle. The drive will make you understand why the US military had their jungle warfare training here. You don’t need to worry about getting lost because the road is a straight shot to Fort San Lorenzo, with a few dirt trails leading to some beaches. The road cuts through the National Park of San Lorenzo that is home to over 430 bird species and 81 mammals including jaguars, tapirs, and howler monkeys. You may not see a monkey, but you will definitely hear them.

At some point on the drive, you will have to stop at another security gate. This is where you pay admission to enter Fort San Lorenzo. Because of a language barrier, I wasn’t sure if you pay per person or by vehicle. I gave him $5 and he let us through. I never read anything that said there was an admission, and the office looks more like someone’s house. For all I know, it could have been some ordinary citizen collecting money from unsuspecting tourists.

There is about another 15-20 minute drive to Fort San Lorenzo. The road abruptly ends at a small dirt parking lot. Proceed up the dirt trail crossing the moat and you will have finally entered into Fort San Lorenzo. The fort was originally built in 1595 by the Spaniards to protect the South American gold that was shipped up the Chagres River. The gold was then shipped to Portobelo, where it was stored until it could be shipped back to Spain. This explains why the four forts are considered as one site when Fort San Lorenzo is so far away from Portobelo.

Once again the infamous pirate Henry Morgan destroyed the fort in 1671. In the 1980’s, Panama restored it to its original condition. While many people consider the forts of Portobelo a much better site than Fort San Lorenzo, nothing compares to the views from the top of the fort. Looking out over the horizon, you see the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. To the left of the fort is the Chagres River, where it empties into the Caribbean Sea. The Chagres River supports the Panama Canal and it is its chief source of water. The central part of the river is dammed by the Gatun Dam which forms Gatun Lake, which is part of the Panama Canal.

The drive across the Panama Canal, through deserted Fort Sherman, into the heart of the Panamanian jungle to witness spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea while standing on top of a 400 year old fort, is well worth the drive. As you look out across the ocean, it seems as if you have reached the World’s End.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 20, 2010

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Iglesia de San Felipe

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Attraction | "Home of the Black Christ"

Iglesia de San Felipe Photo - Iglesia de San Felipe, Portobelo, Panama

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The town of Portobelo, about an hour and a half drive from Panama City, sits on the northern part of the Panama Isthmus. It is a town that immerses itself in superstition and where one believes that your faith in God determines what kind of live that you will lead. Portobelo, once had a thriving population as a port city during the 16th and 17th centuries, it now has around 3,000 residents. Many tourists flock to this area because of its beautiful coastline, clear blue waters, and the isolation from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Within the center of town is Panama’s most revered statue, Cristo Negro or Black Christ. This statue has a long history and is a testament to the com...Read More

The town of Portobelo, about an hour and a half drive from Panama City, sits on the northern part of the Panama Isthmus. It is a town that immerses itself in superstition and where one believes that your faith in God determines what kind of live that you will lead. Portobelo, once had a thriving population as a port city during the 16th and 17th centuries, it now has around 3,000 residents. Many tourists flock to this area because of its beautiful coastline, clear blue waters, and the isolation from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Within the center of town is Panama’s most revered statue, Cristo Negro or Black Christ. This statue has a long history and is a testament to the community’s Catholic faith as well as the country’s. The statue is housed inside the Iglesia de San Felipe, a large white church dating back to 1814, located next to Fort San Jeronimo. As you enter the church, you immediately notice the statues of Jesus and Mary that adorn the side walls and behind the altar. These intricate woodcarvings depicting scenes such as the Crucifixion are common in these Latin American churches.

Located to the left of the altar, encased in glass, is the Cristo Negro. The statue of Jesus is holding the cross with a crown of thorns upon his head, and is dressed in a robe of purple. The robe is changed twice a year with no one robe used twice. The robes are handmade and it is considered an honor to be selected to make the robe. Some of the robes can cost into the thousands. The San Juan de Dios, a tiny church-hospital, located to the rear of San Felipe, has a small museum displaying some of the different festival robes.

There are many different versions of how the Black Christ came to be in Portobelo. Many you will read about in travel books and even residents have their own version that has been handed down through generations. One story has it that a Spanish ship bound for Colombia in the 16th century had to return to port numerous times because they encountered storms every time they tried to leave. The captain decided to leave the Cristo Negro in Portobelo to save weight and their lives. Fisherman found the statue and placed it in the center of town in a place of honor.

Another version is that the statue was headed to the island of Taboga, off of the Panamanian coast, but an error on the shipment sent it to Portobelo. The town tried to send it back to Taboga, but on every attempt, something happened to prevent it. The people began to believe that the statue had magical powers, and so it stayed in Portobelo. In 1821, a cholera epidemic threatened the town and the residents prayed to the Black Christ and the village was spared. Many more stories exist as to the origins of the Black Christ. It is probably because of these legends, that there is so much superstition among the residents.

Although the Black Christ spends the majority of its time next to the altar, it is paraded through town during the annual Black Christ festival. On Oct 21, tens of thousands flock to this little seaside town to worship and celebrate the Black Christ. Some people will walk long distances to Portobelo and even crawl the last mile to the church as a reverence to the Black Christ. Mass begins at 6pm and at 8pm 80 men carry the statue from the church on a four hour parade. The mood is festive and although it is of a religious nature, there is plenty of drinking to go along with it.

If you can’t make it for the Black Christ Festival, there is a special 11am Mass on the last Sunday of the month that incorporates African congo traditions into its service.

However this statue ended up in Portobelo, one thing is true, and that is that the Black Christ is forever theirs.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 20, 2010

Iglesia de San Felipe
Calle Principal
Portobelo, Panama

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Sunset Cabins

Hotel | "A Scuba School and Hotel on the Coast of Portobelo"

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Portobelo is a small seaside town on the northern part of the Panama isthmus. While there is plenty to do from exploring the historical forts to diving the crisp blue waters, there is not much in the way of lodging or restaurants. The nearest major city to Portobelo is Colon about thirty miles west and Panama City is an hour and half drive south. Portobelo’s lack of hotels though should not deter you from visiting this unique town on the Caribbean coast. We first encountered problems when we began searching for a hotel in the area. We originally had planned to visit Isla Grande, also located on the northern part of the Isthmus. Traveling to this island would take us right through the...Read More

Portobelo is a small seaside town on the northern part of the Panama isthmus. While there is plenty to do from exploring the historical forts to diving the crisp blue waters, there is not much in the way of lodging or restaurants. The nearest major city to Portobelo is Colon about thirty miles west and Panama City is an hour and half drive south. Portobelo’s lack of hotels though should not deter you from visiting this unique town on the Caribbean coast.

We first encountered problems when we began searching for a hotel in the area. We originally had planned to visit Isla Grande, also located on the northern part of the Isthmus. Traveling to this island would take us right through the town of Portobelo. Isla Grande is very popular with Panamanians who go there on the weekends to get away from the city. There are a few hotels on the island, however, most of them do not speak English and we had to use the staff at our hotel in Panama City to translate for us. After discovering that they were all booked up, the only other hotel was the Bananas Resort. Although it looked to be a nice resort, we were not willing to pay $450 for two nights.

We started to flip through our travel books and decided to see if we could find something else in the area around Portobelo. There were only about three hotels listed and after checking the website, we settled on Scuba Portobelo. It sounded more like a scuba school than a hotel, but after calling to check on availability and discovering the room rate was only $58, we booked it.

Getting to Portobelo is fairly easy. From Panama City, we took the Autopista, which is the equivalent of our Interstate system. It is a toll road and it is about $6 one-way leading all the way to Colon. Start looking for signs to Portobelo once the Autopista becomes a local road near the town of Margarita. The road then turns into a two lane road all the way to Portobelo.

The Scuba Portobello is located on the left side of the road next to the coast. It is a few miles west of the town. Once we arrived, we proceeded to check in and discovered that we were the only guests for the night. The Scuba Portobello is actually a scuba school and a hotel. During the week, the classes are held in Panama City and the open dives are done in Portobelo on the weekends. The hotel is open year round, but if you decide to stay during the week, it will be a lot less crowded.

Since we were the only one staying at the hotel, we got our pick of the cabins. We decided to stay in the one closest to the ocean. The colorfully alternating yellow and blue cabins range from a single level or two level with two single beds and one double bed in each. Although the ocean views from the cabin are fantastic, the bedding and the size of the cabin are less than optimal. The beds consist of a mattress on top of a concrete slab and the bathroom is smaller than a closet. They also offer traditional hotel rooms with one double bed. All of the rooms have A/C and a private bathroom and either a balcony or hammock.

There is no television or telephone, however, both can be found in the community room near the office. A small restaurant is located at the hotel which we found out only serves food on the weekends when most of the rooms and cabins are occupied. So since it was closed, we asked where we could go for breakfast. We were pleasantly surprised when they offered to cook us a special Panamanian breakfast. Maybe it was because we were the only ones staying there, but the entire staff went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable.

The dive shop rents everything from scuba equipment to snorkeling gear. We both rented snorkels and a kayak and took off across the clear blue water. We kayaked to two private islands located about a mile from the hotel. It is a great area to snorkel or explore the islands on foot. Scuba Portobelo offers reasonable rates on all of their equipment. Snorkel rentals are $10 for the entire day and kayaks are $10 an hour. The price of the school covers your scuba equipment, but if you are already a certified diver, you can rent their equipment directly from the dive shop.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 20, 2010

Sunset Cabins

Portobelo, Colon City
507-261-3841

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Fort San Jeronimo

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Attraction | "Protecting Portobelo from Pirate attacks"

Aquilino A. Vallarino Photo - Fort San Jeronimo, Portobelo, Panama

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In 1502, Christopher Columbus on his final trip to the Americas anchored in the bay of what is now Portobelo. He named the town Portobelo, which in Italian, means "beautiful port." A little seaside town about 25 miles east of Colon, it now draws tourists for its clear blue waters, beautiful coastline, historical forts, the Black Christ, and the many different islands, such as Isla Grande, a short distance away. The town was officially founded in 1597, when the Spaniards decided to move their port city from Nombre de Dios to Portobelo. The Spaniards believed they could better defend against pirate attacks if they relocated to Portobelo. Portobelo became a famous port city because of the...Read More

In 1502, Christopher Columbus on his final trip to the Americas anchored in the bay of what is now Portobelo. He named the town Portobelo, which in Italian, means "beautiful port." A little seaside town about 25 miles east of Colon, it now draws tourists for its clear blue waters, beautiful coastline, historical forts, the Black Christ, and the many different islands, such as Isla Grande, a short distance away. The town was officially founded in 1597, when the Spaniards decided to move their port city from Nombre de Dios to Portobelo. The Spaniards believed they could better defend against pirate attacks if they relocated to Portobelo.

Portobelo became a famous port city because of the gold that was discovered in South America would be stored here for transportation back to Spain. Because of the gold and the many merchant ships that came into port selling and bartering their goods, it brought with it the Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirate Henry Morgan, who destroyed Panama Viejo in Panama City, also attacked Portobelo in 1688, stripping it of its wealth and torturing, raping, and murdering the residents. In 1739, Admiral Edward Vernon captured Portobelo as a result of the War of Jenkins’ Ear, which was waged between the British and Spanish. Francis Drake while anchored in Portobelo’s harbor, died of dysentery and as a last request, he wanted to be dressed in his full armor and buried at sea in a lead coffin. To this day, divers continue to search for his body.

Because of the pirate attacks, Portobelo had to fortify its harbor. Three Spanish forts guard the inner harbor to Portobelo, which along with Fort San Lorenzo, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As you enter Portobelo, Bateria Santiago, the youngest of the three forts, is on the left side of the road. Built in 1860, the cannons are pointed across the bay towards the second fort, Fort San Fernando. This fort lies across the bay and is only accessible by boat. Sometimes you may be able to hop a ride across the bay for a nominal fee. These two forts were positioned in a way that they could catch pirates in a crossfire.

The largest fort and most visited is Fort San Jeronimo. It is located in the center of town, directly behind the Iglesia de San Felipe. It was originally built in 1600, but was destroyed and later rebuilt in 1758. The fort’s massive courtyard was once a parade ground, but now hosts many different annual celebrations.

Located next to the entrance to Fort San Jeronimo is the Real Aduana or Royal Customhouse. This two story building originally built in 1630 is where Spanish servants made sure that the King and Queen of Spain got their share of everything that was sold or discovered, such as gold. It is the equivalent of today’s duty or tax. The building was destroyed in an earthquake in 1882 and rebuilt in 1998. Today it houses a small museum of artifacts from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. There is also a movie in English that tells the story of Portobelo’s history.

Located around the Real Aduana and the fort, are small shops where residents sell their handicrafts. We entered a small tent where a Kuna Yala women was selling different items such as molas. My wife was more intrigued by the monkey that was eating a sucker. The sign said "Take a Photo with Pepe. Thanks for your donation." My wife walked over there and the monkey jumped her head. He immediately noticed her purse and thought he would help himself. He began to reach his hand in there and when my wife pulled his hand away, he bit her. It wasn’t enough to break the skin, but enough to know that this monkey was used to getting what he wants. I took a turn at holding him and he immediately went for my pocket. He took out a battery and began to chew on it. After I yanked it back from him, he reached into my pocket again and found a peppermint, which he began to devour. Although it gave us a laugh, before I left, I checked to see if I still had my wallet. I started to believe that you don’t give the donation, he takes what he wants.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 20, 2010

Fort San Jeronimo
Center Of Town
Portobelo, Panama

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Restaurant La Torre

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "A Tale of Two Restaurants"

Restaurante Los Canones Photo - Panama, Central America

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While Portobelo attracts tourists because of its historical forts, annual festivals, and a diver’s paradise, it also lacks the high rise resorts and five star restaurants found in Panama City and certain places in Colon. The absence of these overpriced and impersonal tourist traps adds to Portobelo’s small town charm. The accommodations here tend to be small, but are reasonably priced and equipped with friendly staffs and personalized service. The same can be said about the few restaurants in and around Portobelo. There is not a huge selection of restaurants in Portobelo. Because Portobelo sits on the Atlantic coast of Panama, seafood covers the menu. If you don’t like seafood, you m...Read More

While Portobelo attracts tourists because of its historical forts, annual festivals, and a diver’s paradise, it also lacks the high rise resorts and five star restaurants found in Panama City and certain places in Colon. The absence of these overpriced and impersonal tourist traps adds to Portobelo’s small town charm. The accommodations here tend to be small, but are reasonably priced and equipped with friendly staffs and personalized service. The same can be said about the few restaurants in and around Portobelo.

There is not a huge selection of restaurants in Portobelo. Because Portobelo sits on the Atlantic coast of Panama, seafood covers the menu. If you don’t like seafood, you may be hard pressed to find something that isn’t. The first night in Portobelo we ate at the Restaurante Los Canones. It was located just a few hundred feet from our hotel, the Scuba Portobelo, and had I known it was so close, we would have walked instead of drove. The restaurant is known as the best place in Portobelo for seafood. It sits on the water facing a cove and it offers beautiful views such as watching the sun set while enjoying a nice dinner. It is an open air restaurant under a thatched roof. The menu is pretty much composed of seafood and ranges from whole fried fish, prawns, and lobster. The dishes are served with plantains and rice and are reasonably priced. An entrée averages about $10 with lobster being a bit more, but is still cheaper than anywhere else.
Credit cards are not accepted so make sure to bring cash.

A few hundred feet of our hotel in the opposite direction is the Colombian owned restaurant La Torre. Located on the right side of the road just as you enter Portobelo, this roadside restaurant has an extensive menu and is ideal for someone looking for something other than seafood. They are known for their "Cheeseburgers in Paradise", and although I would have loved to try it, I wanted all of the seafood I could get. I ordered the first thing that caught my eye, octopus in coconut milk. It may sound disgusting, but it was some of the best octopus that I have ever tasted. Octopus is a common dish in this area and you will see it served a variety of ways. My wife ordered the calamari served in small pastry shells. They also serve fried chicken, empanadas, and sandwiches. They primarily serve breakfast and lunch as they close at 7pm. They do accept MasterCard and Visa, unlike the Restaurante Los Canones.

Although there is not a huge selection of restaurants in this area, these two are worth repeat visits and with an extensive menu; it should keep you more than adequately satisfied.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 20, 2010

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Portobelo Panama - A Superstitious Town

Fort San Lorenzo

Iglesia de San Felipe

Sunset Cabins

Fort San Jeronimo

Restaurant La Torre

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