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.
As a child, my family would talk about my maternal grandfather, and two of my grandfathers went to work in Panama for many years, leaving their families behind for so many years. These stories gave me curiosity to learn more about Panama and ultimately what they were doing there. arrived in Panama 1905 Over the years, I learned they started off their lives there in 1905, with my grandfather Hukam Singh was last to leave for Panama. My maternal grandfather (grandmother's brother) Amar Singh left India, was headed to Canada, was the first one to arrive in Colon, Panama in 1905 purely by accident. Though he may have struggled in the start, he eventually started a profitable business in Colon - and when my grandfather made it over, he worked in the canal zone. Amer Singh and Company, Colon, Panama My grandfather's brother Dharam Singh was the only person, whose wife joined him in Panama with his 5 year old son, Tara Singh from Punjab, I...
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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...
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