Although today it is little more than a sleepy fishing village on the shores of the Caribbean, Portobelo was once the greatest Spanish port in Central America. Gold from Peru and treasures from the Orient entered Panama City and were carried overland by mule to the fortresses at Portobelo. During the annual trade fair, galleons laden with goods from Spain arrived to trade for gold and other products from the New World. However, much like Nombre de Dio, Panamá and Fuerte San Lorenzo, Portobelo was the target of constant attacks at the hands of English privateers. Considering that the city was destroyed several times throughout its history, it’s remarkable that so much of the colonial fortresses still stand.
Scattered around Portobelo there are several different sets of ruins, some in surprisingly good condition, complete with cannons pointing out to see, stone walls, etc. The first set is visible from the main road, on the left side, as you enter this beautiful bay that cuts deep inland. We never did see the other ones as we wanted to go to the end of the road and see what was there..the contrast is amazing..big boats in the harbor...but this part of Panama is very poor and it shows..there is garbage in heaps everywhere...sad and abandoned dogs..men without work...just hanging around.....all this set into this incredible bay..life is often very hard in a third world country! However..I still wanted to show you the incredible beauty experienced today.
The canons guarding the bay......
I wonder if you could still find some Spanish doubloons?
Imagine how large the boat would of been that this anchor held fast in here in Portebelo?
"Regina Maris"..A three masted luxury schooner..isn't she a beauty!
