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[[File:Batería Baja de San Fernando Portobelo.JPG|thumb|350px|Batería Baja de San Fernando]]▼
'''Portobelo''' is a port city in [[Central Panama]]. It is located on the northern part of the Isthmus of Panama.
==Understand==
▲[[File:Batería Baja de San Fernando Portobelo.JPG|thumb|350px|Batería Baja de San Fernando]]
Portobelo was founded in 1597 by Spanish explorer Francisco Velarde y Mercado. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries it was an important silver-exporting port in New Granada on the Spanish Main and one of the ports on the route of the Spanish treasure fleets.
The city was also a victim of one of Captain Henry Morgan's notorious adventures. In 1668, Morgan led a fleet of privateers and 450 men against Portobelo, which, in spite of its good fortifications, he captured and plundered for 14 days, stripping it of nearly all its wealth. This daring endeavour, although successful, also proved particularly brutal as it involved rape, torture, and murder on a grand scale.
On November 21, 1739, the port was again attacked and captured by a British fleet, commanded this time by Admiral Edward Vernon during the War of Jenkins' Ear. The British victory created an outburst of popular acclaim throughout the British Empire, and many streets and settlements in the British Isles and the Thirteen Colonies were named Portobello such as
However, the town was quickly recovered by the Spanish and Admiral Vernon suffered a major defeat against the stronghold of Cartagena de Indias in 1741. Vernon was forced to return to England with a decimated fleet and over 18,000 casualties. Despite the Portobelo campaign, British efforts of gaining a foothold in the Spanish Main and disrupting the galleon trade were fruitless. Following the War of Jenkins' Ear, the Spanish switched from large fleets calling at few ports to small fleets trading at a wide variety of ports. They also began to travel around [[Cabo de Hornos National Park|Cape Horn]] to trade on the West coast.
Today, Portobelo is a sleepy city with a population of fewer than 3,000. It has a deep natural harbor and is home to many cruising yachts. In 1980 the ruins of the fortification, along with nearby Fort San Lorenzo, were declared a [[World Heritage Site]].
When Francis Drake died of dysentery in 1596 at sea, he was buried in a lead coffin near Portobelo bay. They're still looking for him. There are two dive centers operating here. It is also a place to book passages on boats to Colombia.
The fortifications and about 36,000 hectares of surrounding tropical rainforest are protected areas that are part of the '''Portobelo National Park''' (part of the [[Panama national parks]] system).
==Get in==
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===By bus===
By bus from Panama City Albrooke terminal, take the Colon Express (45 min, [[Panama#Money|$]]3.15) and get off at the Rey supermarket in Sabanitas. There switch to the Portobelo bus (1 hr
Buses depart Portobelo every half hour from
===By boat===
There are now over 30 vessels operating the route between Portobelo, San Blas, and Colombia. They vary widely in safety, comfort, and price ($
==Get around==
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Portobelo is very small and easy to navigate. There's one road which runs parallel to the water which forks just before the village square. Take the left fork for immigration and Internet cafe, and the right fork for more food places.
==See==
You can see the sights in Portobelo in an hour. Start at the
On your way to the
==Do==
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*Rent a kayak.
*Horseback riding.
*'''Anfibia board:''' Go anfibia
*'''Kayuko:'''
*'''Mangroves + Jungle + Beach + Snorkle + Kayak-Kayuko:''' Contact Francesco
*Waterfalls
*Fishing
*Hike the National Park
*'''Black Christ Festival''', Oct 19-21.
*'''Congos and Diablos Festival''' (same time as carnival)
*{{do
| name=Panama Divers | alt=Octopus Garden | url=http://www.panamadivers.com/ | email=
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*{{do
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* {{do
| name=Panamore | alt= | url=http://www.panamore.org | [email protected]
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*{{eat
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==Drink==
There are several bars around Portobelo. Captain Jack's is the most lively and full of backpackers, but also the most expensive at $2 a beer ($1 during Happy Hour,
To make new friends, head to Captain Jack's, if you already have some you'll save some money by starting your own party elsewhere.
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==Sleep==
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* {{sleep
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| content=Bright colors make this inn on the waterfront of Portobelo stand out. Wifi and breakfast included.
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Jack, in Captain Jacks, is a wealth of local knowledge.
If you're on a boat, or have a VHF radio for some other reason, tune in to The Net on channel 72 at
==Go next==
Buses run from Portobelo to Colon every 20-30
A cheap taxi boat service (''langcha'' in Spanish) opened in November 2016, running weekly from Portobelo to Capurgana (a village on the Colombian side of the border, where you get a second langcha to the major city named Turbo). The ride is
Regular boats leave to Cartagenia for around
If you are lucky, you can also find cheapest passage on boats from Portobelo to [[Kuna Yala]] (around
Remember that the only other way to reach Kuna Yala is come back to [[Panama City]] and do another
{{IsPartOf|Central Panama}}
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