Portobelo was discovered by Columbus in 1502, and on arrival he exclaimed, "Porto", "Belo" meaning "Beautiful". By 1597, Portobelo became the main crossroads for merchandise between Europe and the Americas. Portobelo was invaded many times by pirates, Henry Morgan and Francis Drake in the 1600. The Forts and the historic churches now in ruins are what remains as the reminder of the town's history.
We started our day trip at 5am from Casa Mar, San Carlos, and we reached Portobelo around 9am.
Portobelo
Ruins of Fort San Fernando, Portobelo
Entrance to the Fort
Gun Battery
Fort San Fernando and its 14 gun battery, is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Sentry Post with View of Charges River
Treasure Vault
Breakfast at Rico Rico, Portobelo
After breakfast, we drove approximately for 1 hour to La Guaira to get a boat to Isla Grande.
Isla Grande
Isla Grande is a small island in Portobelo district, Colon Province, Panama, off the Caribbean coast with a population of around 1400 of which majority are of African descent. Now it is a popular tourist destination with many hotels.
Colorful Wooden Boats
Relaxing at the Beach
Hotel with a Private Beach
Fun Filled Ride
After spending few hours at Isla Grande, we returned to the car. Then we drove to Viento Frio.
Viento Frio
Viento Frio is small district in the Colon Province of Panama. Its population is approximately 500 people. It has quiet and clean hotels on the beach.
A Short walk to the Beach
Beautiful Scenery
Freshly Picked Coconuts
Drinking Fresh Coconut Water at the Beach
A Famous Panamanian Photographer Jose Angel Murillo
We had a wonderful and enjoyable day learning about colonial history of Portobelo, Isla Grande and the province of Colon.
We always day dreamt about sunshine, tropical beaches and welcoming local people in a country to retire, and after so many visits since 2002, we fell in love with Panama. Then we decided to apply for the Panama Pensionado Visa after our retirement in Canada. Residency in Panama as a Retiree and Benefits Retirees with “lifetime” benefits may meet all the requirements for the Panama Retirement Program, better known as "Panama Pensionado Visa”. The applicant’s retirement income should be more than $1000 monthly. If your lifetime annuity pay is under $1000, with an equivalent retirement benefit of $750, you may buy any Panama property with a minimum value of 100,000 USD to complete the application requirements locally. If the applicant is married to a retiree, the amount of $1000 can be reached as a couple with their combined pensions. Requirements Local Authorities Requirements to Apply for this Immigration Program: a. Letter from a foreign company tha...
Panama Pensionado Visa allows foreigners to obtain legal residency in Panama. There is no minimum or maximum age required for this visa. You must provide the required documents. Steps to get the Pensionado Visa 1. Retain a Good lawyer in Panama and do your diligence or get a recommendations from a trustworthy source 2. Follow the required recommendations of the lawyer for the documents 3. Proof of Life Time pension from a trusted and authentic source. A government pension, a private pension or an Annuity that states the pension is for life 4. Have a security/Police check done by RCMP 5. Make sure all the required documents are dated with in the previous six months or less if possible 6. Photo copy of all the pages of your passport 7. Have all the documents (APOSTILLED) NOTARIZED by a lawyer in Canada 8. Once Notarized, have the documents authenticated by "Official Document Service" in Canada 9. Have all the above documents authenticated by Panama Embassy/Consulate near you....
Panama is one of the best countries in the world to retire. With its laid back Latin culture, all year round tropical climate, beautiful sandy beaches, lower cost of living and affordable healthcare invites retirees, expats and even digital nomads to Panama. 1. Tropical Weather Panama's weather can be categorised in two seasons, dry and wet. The dry summer season begins in December and wraps up before the end of April. That leaves April to December as rainy season. The best time to visit Panama is between January to April. The temperatures vary by region and altitude. The south side of Panama is on the Pacific ocean where day time temperatures rise to an average of 30 ° C and night time temperatures average to 25 ° C. In the n orth of Panama is the Caribbean Sea, and the temperatures in the mountains average between 21 ° C to 24 ° C. We chose to retire in Panama to get away from the cold winters in Canada. 2. Accessibility There's a direc...
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