panama canal cruises fort portobelo ruins, colon, panama
The historical site of Portobelo is one of the oldest Spanish settlements along the Caribbean coast.
There are three sections of ruins over an expanded area. Two of them — those most commonly visited — entwine with the community. The third section, which resides on the hillside across Portobelo Bay, is less frequented and not included in your excursion.
Despite being widely dispersed, the ruins at Portobelo feel less significant than those at Fort San Lorenzo because they lie entirely at ground level. There are plenty of photographic opportunities, however. The cannons and lookouts are in good shape and make interesting subjects.
Fort Portobelo Ruins – five cannons along the main fortification wall. In the background one of the first section's two lookouts. The primary entrance is to its left — just out of the picture.
The first and largest section — Fuerte Santiago — overlooks Portobelo Bay and straddles the main road as you enter the town. Along the left side is a shallow moat that runs the entire length of the fortification wall, which is in surprisingly good condition. It culminates at a lookout tower situated along the shoreline. To the right and atop the wall is a long row of cannons. Further to the right, you will find a large, open courtyard with fragments of ruins dispersed throughout the sod. There is a single cavern containing three long, rectangular chambers. The opening faces the courtyard and resides midway along the fortification wall. It is the only entrance along the wall, making it easy to find.
The terrain in and around the courtyard is flat and accessible, though it can be a bit muddy/soggy when wet. Generally speaking, you should be fine walking around and seeing what interests you.
Across from the ruins is a short, unmarked path that leads to a lookout area on the hillside. As you are nearing the ruins from Colon, the road climbs ever so slightly and bends to the right, and then, as you pass the ruins, the road descends and turns left. The path entrance resides just after the road turns left, off to the right side. The steps are comprised primarily of cement cinder blocks. Along the left side is a row of steel posts connected by a 2"-3" wide rope, which serves as the handrail. The trail is not particularly well cared for, and the vista is not spectacular, but it will give you an elevated view of the ruins and surroundings. It should take a maximum of a minute or two to reach the summit.
Fort Portobelo Ruins – looking down at the ruins from the lookout.
Further up the road is the Customs House, just one of several historical sites you will likely visit during your excursion to Portobelo. Behind it and to the left lies the second set of ruins — Port San Jeronimo. It consists of a massive fortification wall and a long row of cannons extending into Portobelo Bay. At the far end is a large outcropping that includes a single lookout. To the right of the wall is an expansive open courtyard. The formation is impressive and considerable in size but not unlike anything in the first set of ruins. The layout is different, but the ruins themselves are similar.
You can walk from the first set of ruins to the Customs House in just a few minutes, but in all likelihood, you will be ferried there by bus.
Fort Portobelo Ruins – a view of the long row of cannons along the fortification wall. Some are missing, others are in poor shape, but there are over a dozen in total.
Fort Portobelo Ruins – one of the cannons isolated, pointing out over Portobelo Bay.
A wide-angle zoom (15-60mm) and medium telephoto (70-200mm) should be all you need.
A wide-angle lens will be handy for scenic pictures of the courtyards, rows of cannons, lookouts, and the moat on the fort's perimeter. Bordering the first section of ruins — across the road — is dense verdant foliage, which serves as a beautiful backdrop. The courtyard is open and spacious — you can position yourself just about anywhere; be careful walking on the moss because it can be soggy. When photographing the moat, you don't have as much freedom of movement, and that's when having a wide-angle lens will come in handy. The second section of ruins along the bay — the long row of cannons — makes for a beautiful picture.
With a long telephoto lens, you can isolate individual cannons, lookouts, and sections of the fortification walls. Many of them are in surprisingly good condition and make magnificent subjects.
Overall, there is a lot to photograph in Portobelo.