Making the most of Portobelo
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
As cruise ships are not able to dock here you will be tendered ashore.
Printable map to take along.
Portobelo is located on the Caribbean coast of the province of Colon about halfway between the Panama Canal and the San Blas archipelago.
Available figures allow us to estimate that about 45 fleets of galleons sailed between 1574 and 1702 and each of them carried at least 30 million pesos. That's why the city was fortified with three defense levels to prevent any pirate attack, becoming what it is now: a Historical Monumental Complex with civilian and religious samples of colonial era architecture.
Portobelo is also famous for it's Black Christ - kept in the church just off the main square.
Money
Panama uses the Balboa and the US Dollar as its currencies. The;balboa is equivalent to the US dollar and has exactly the same value;but in reality the Balboas only exist as coins that are equivalent;to the US coins.
Staying connected
Portuguese spoken.
Cafes which offer free WiFi for customers are sparse.
Opening Hours and
Basic hours for most stores and businesses are from 9am to 6pm, with an extended lunch hour from around noon to 2pm.
Many museums are closed on monday.