Portobelo Review

Historic, lush, tropical, fantastic, Portobelo in the Republic of Panama.  Not your prototypical tourist stop.  It lies just off the canal on the Caribbean side, or north side of Panama where the water is turquoise, the seafood is plentiful, the diving is world class, and the history is everywhere. 

Portobelo lies in a rural portion of Panama along the road to the San Blas archepelagio. While its visited by scuba divers, beachgoers, historians, and travelers from about the globe, its still very much off of the usual tourist beaten path.  Inhabited by farmers, shopkeepers, and those dependent on the tourist industry, the city has grown around the Spanish outposts and forts built to protect Portobelo Bay from the marauding English pirates and the likes of Henry Morgan in the 15th and 16th centuries. 

It's a small town, built around the Spanish ruins, which sees tour group, after tour group. all the day long.  A public market operates on the east side of town by the old church, and crafts people and tribal members come to sell their wares.  The usual bevy of tourist stuff is present, but many items of clothing, jewelry, and embroidered items made locally are up for grabs for a very reasonable price.  No electronic gadgets or day glow sparkling Frisbees here, just the real deal. 

Just down the street from the market lay the old government buildings from when Portobelo was the provincial capitol, and still are used today for governmental purposes.  While the buildings haven't been what you would call preserved, they have decayed nicely into the surrounding townscape, making the little town of Portobello rich in atmosphere.  The Spanish architecture from the days of the Spanish occupation is still very much present in old Portobelo.  

Diving shops and thatched roofed eating establishments dot the road on the trip to Portobelo, and offer some great dining stops.  It's a not to miss day trip from Panama City, and with Panama being one of the most affordable vacation spots in the world for those tied to the American dollar, its a spot you shouldn't miss.