Panama - Pacific Crossing Notes: A Sailor's Guide to the Coconut Milk Run - page 189

Portobelo, Panama
Panama's Portobelo is a gem of a place, the perfect intermediary stop between the San Blas
Islands and gritty Colon, the Caribbean gateway to the Panama Canal. Originally, this quiet
port - a deep indentation open only to the southwest - wasn't even on our cruising radar.
But after an enjoyable week's stay there, it was hard to understand why this fascinating port
and safe harbor hasn't achieved a higher profile among Caribbean cruisers.
Christopher Columbus was the first European to note the inviting, spacious bay, which he
named “Puerto Bello.” It quickly became a key New World port, not only for the Spaniards
bringing South American silver across the isthmus by mule train, but also for the English
privateers stalking them. In its heyday, Portobelo's Customs House saw one-third of the
world's silver passing through its doors. The 1638 structure is one of several colonial build-
ings still standing in town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Today's visitors can climb
creaky wooden steps to the second-story porch for an overview of the bay and the town.
From there, it's easy for the imagination to populate the cobblestoned streets with Spanish
soldiers - some optimistically counting their pieces of eight, others only counting down the
sweltering days of their posting in one of the many fortifications ringing the harbor.
Just outside the bay lies a striking, rocky islet named Isla Drake after the famous privateer;
his compatriot, Captain Henry Morgan, besieged this stronghold in the seventeenth century.
Their relentless attacks eventually convinced Spain to abandon the dangerous overland
route for a safer alternative: sailing around Cape Horn!