VISIT PORTOBELO

P O R T O B E L O

Declared by Unesco as “World Heritage”, the town of Portobelo is known as  a “historic monument collection”, since you can visit several sites in the same place.

P O R T O B E L O  B A Y

Even though Christopher Columbus visited the bay in his fourth voyage in 1502, it took another 95 years to build a town in that area.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, Portobelo became one of the most important silver exportation ports of Nueva Grenada, the Spanish Colonial Jurisdiction corresponding to what is today modern Colombia, Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela.  Portobelo also became one of the most important departure points from the “Indies”.

The fact that Portobelo harvested so much valuable merchandise, created the necessity for a fortification.  For the same reason,  this town was subject to many pirate attacks from Francis Drake, William Parker, William Hiking, Henry Morgan, Edward Vernon, and William Kingles.

Some of the attacks were very intense as was Henry Morgan’s in 1668, when a fleet of privateers and 450 men led by Morgan, who despite Portobelo’s great fortifications, was able to brutally capture and loot the town for 14 days, stripping it of all its wealth.

Another famous attack was led by Admiral Edward Vernon in 1739, but this time the town was recovered by the Spaniards, and Vernon was forced to return to England with many casualties.

Many of the fortresses, castles and buildings, still remain today, like Fort Santiago, San Jerónimo San Fernando, the Customs and Controller’s building, and the San Juan de Dios Church.

F O R T   S A N T I A G O

It was created with the intention to protect the town after Francis Drake’s attacks. Today, this will be the first fort you encounter when arriving in the town of Portobelo.  You can still observe some details like rows of cannons pointing out to the bay, dormitories, kitchen and the gunpowder house.

F O R T   S A N   F E R N A N D O

The ruins of Fort San Fernando can be spotted on the other side of the bay of Portobelo, this fortress was created after Henry Morgan´s vicious attack, offering a second defense line for the bay.  In the ruins, you can observe the 14 cannons pointing out the bay, and barracks.

F O R T   S A N   G E R O N I M O

Fort San Geronimo was attacked by Henry Morgan while the fort was under construction.  It was reconstructed, and later it was attacked by Edward Vernon during the war of Jenkins Ear.

C U S T O M S   A N D   C O N T R O L L E R ’   S B U I L D I N G

This building is a museum today exhibiting colonial artifacts, guns, cannon balls, tools and pottery. Back in the days, this place served as a storage place for all wealth, including silver and gold brought from South American colonies.

S A N   J U A N   D E   D I O S   H O S P I T A L – C H U R C H

Originally built in 1598 as the first hospital in Latin America with the objective to cure dysentery patients and to aid crew members disembarking from galleon fleets arriving to port.

This church was partially destroyed by William Kingels in 1774 and reconstructed in 1801.  Today this church is home to the famous Black Christ, who draws thousands of pilgrims every year, due to the legend of his miracle.

Aside from the historic buildings, the town of Portobello offers many restaurants where you can taste the local Caribbean cuisine.