Portobelo
Discover Portobelo
Portobelo is a port city in Central Panama. It is located on the northern part of the Isthmus of Panama. 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.
Taste of Portobelo...
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, 16:00-17:00 every day and 14:00-18:00 on Sunday), most others have beers from $1. 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. 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 09:00 every morning (run by Jack) to get in touch with the other boats in the area. Buses run from Portobelo to Colon every 20-30 min from 04:30 until 6PM. They leave from in front of the church, but you can flag them down anywhere along the main road. 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 $160 per person and the langcha is named Naturalstour and is about 400 meters before the entrance of Porotobelo when arriving from the city of Colon. Regular boats leave to Cartagenia for around $300-500. Captain Jack is selling tours for $550. You may all ask your hostel for info. If you are lucky, you can also find cheapest passage on boats from Portobelo to Kuna Yala (around 100 km) for around $70 (specify that you need only the transport, no lunch or other amenities).
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsVisitors could drive from Panama City to Portobelo, taking the Transisthmian highway (Auto Pista) to Sabanitas and then turn right on the road that leads to Portobelo. It takes around one and a half-hour. By bus from Panama City Albrooke terminal, take the Colon Express (45 min, $3.15) and get off at the Rey supermarket in Sabanitas. There switch to the Portobelo bus (1 hr, $1.30). The Portobelo bus can be caught by the front entrance of the Rey supermarket around the corner. In addition, you need to have a card to enter the bus bay area at Allbrooke terminal. You can borrow that from someone and pay them $0.25 Buses depart Portobelo every half hour from 04:30 to 18:00 making many stops along the way to Sabanitas (Rey Supermarket) (1 hr, $1.30) en route to Colon (total 1½ hr, $1.35). In Sabanitas, cross the highway on the pedestrian bridge and catch the Panama City Express bus (1 hr, $3.15). To guarantee a seat on the Panama bus, continue on to Colon and catch it there (1½ hr, $3.15)....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
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. You can see the sights in Portobelo in an hour. Start at the west end fort ruin. From there head east on the left hand side of the road and you'll see a staircase up to the watch tower with great views of the bay. On your way to the eastern side stop off at the Church and Old Customs House. The Customs House has a wonderful museum which tells us the story of how the Congolese people came to get settled in here, why they chose a dark icon for Jesus, etc. 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, 16:00-17:00 every day and 14:00-18:00 on Sunday), most others have beers from $1.
Where to Stay
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 09:00 every morning (run by Jack) to get in touch with the other boats in the area. Buses run from Portobelo to Colon every 20-30 min from 04:30 until 6PM. They leave from in front of the church, but you can flag them down anywhere along the main road. 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 $160 per person and the langcha is named Naturalstour and is about 400 meters before the entrance of Porotobelo when arriving from the city of Colon. Regular boats leave to Cartagenia for around $300-500. Captain Jack is selling tours for $550. You may all ask your hostel for info.
Money & Budget
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, 16:00-17:00 every day and 14:00-18:00 on Sunday), most others have beers from $1. 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. 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 09:00 every morning (run by Jack) to get in touch with the other boats in the area. Buses run from Portobelo to Colon every 20-30 min from 04:30 until 6PM. They leave from in front of the church, but you can flag them down anywhere along the main road.