Portobello Panama

Founded in the late 15th century, Portobello is situated in the province of Colon, Panama. Its role in Panamanian history is significant, being that Portobello was used as a port for Spanish colonials to store and transfer their vast treasures back to Spain. It is also the setting for the pillaging by various pirates, and their battles with the Spanish explorers.

In 1980, world organization UNESCO declared Portobello as a world heritage site. Visitors can bear witness to this world heritage through its old historical ruins, dating from the Spanish invasion to their battles with English privateers. Some of these ruins include the Santiago Fort and Battery, which still has intact cannons and fortifications to this present day. Another is the Santiago Trench fort at the Portobello Bay entrance, which was twice built and twice attacked by the European invaders. The Santiago De La Gloria Castle and the San Jeronimo Fort are other ruins within the vicinity of these ruins and bear testimony to the vicious attacks from the pirates.
 
The Portobello National Park is a popular attraction for tourists, with this vast area filled with various species of birds, diverse flora, lush forests, and abundant wildlife. A fifth of the more than 86,000 acre park is devoted to marine life. Ecotourism, naturalists, and historians will each find their niche interest in this park.

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