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.