Central America
Panama
Colon Province
Colon
Things to Do in Colon
Portobelo National Park
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Portobelo National Park

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See all things to do
Portobelo National Park
4
About
Picturesque bayside village features the ruins of five Spanish forts, a restored treasure house and the burial place of Sir Francis Drake.
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The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
9 within 5 kms
Casa Vela
89
0.2 km₱ • Italian • Pizza • International
Bakery and Restaurant Rico&Rico
47
0.3 km₱ • Italian • Cafe • Vegetarian Friendly
Casa Congo Restaurante
52
0.3 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • Seafood
El Castillo
118
1.4 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • Caribbean • Vegetarian Friendly
Restaurant La Torre
43
1.6 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • Caribbean • Seafood • South American
Las Anclas
40
2.1 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • Caribbean • Seafood • South American
Restaurant Los Canones
39
2.3 km₱₱ - ₱₱₱ • Caribbean • Seafood • South American
Criollo
2.3 kmCaribbean • Cajun & Creole • Cafe • Barbecue
Restaurante Criollo
2.4 kmMexican • American
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Attractions
10 within 10 kms
Je_trip507
15 mBeaches
Museo de La Real Aduana de Portobelo
40
0.4 kmMilitary Museums • Speciality Museums
Black Christ
128
0.6 kmMonuments & Statues
Fuerte San Jeronimo
5
0.5 kmHistoric Sites
Fuente Santiago
1
0.9 kmHistoric Sites
Playa Blanca
43
3.8 kmBeaches
Complejo De Fuertes De Portobelo, Panamá
1
Ancient Ruins
Mirador Peru Portobelo
0.9 kmLookouts
Tour Playero Portobelo
0.9 kmBeaches
Tour Playa Blanca Venas Azules
3.8 kmBeaches
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
201 reviews
Excellent
54
Very good
80
Average
48
Poor
11
Terrible
8
Kevin
Chicago, IL217 contributions
pirates if the Caribbean
Dec 2022 • Family
if you understand the history it’s a must see, your classic pirates of the Caribbean location - Spanish gold and silver sailed from here back to Europe
Written 10 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lincoln K
1 contribution
Lot's of potential.
Jan 2023
Portobelo is a quiet town seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It's steeped in history, bright colors and charm I liked the place. I enjoyed walking through the Spanish ruins imagining what things must have been like in the 1700's. You won't find fancy hotels and food, but a little search here and there and will get you somewhere. Casa Congo is a great start.

This place has a lot of potential, especially given the ruins and their history. The people are extremely nice. Make sure to pay a visit to the only catholic church in town and meet christo de Negro!
Written 9 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CharlieinTexas
Austin, TX3,911 contributions
Ruins ... Fort and water view
Feb 2020 • Friends
Quite, Nice water views. Ruins of a fort. Cannons and parapets. On the outskirts of town. No entry fee.
Written 26 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joseph D
10 contributions
Portobelo Visit
Jan 2020
Portobello is a long drive from Colon (90 minutes) for little return. The Portobello National Park covers a small area in the town and is in pretty poor condition. It does look like some work has been started to update the conditions but much more is needed to make the trip worth the effort. The fortifications and the custom house are maybe a 15 minute stop.
Written 3 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cynthia A
Miami, FL30 contributions
Wonderful views
Sep 2019 • Couples
This place was really nice to take pictures on any occasion, but nothing else really. You can sit around and take in the scenery, but after that its kinda boring if you don't prepare. We took a picnic basket with our lunch and a cooler with wine and beer and we had a wonderful time. We heard people complaining that there was nothing to see or do, so if you take this trip go prepared and make it fun.
Written 27 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Resort545463
1 contribution
My quiet adventure to Portobelo
Feb 2019
Portobelo is a quiet town seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It's steeped in history, bright colors and third world charm I fell in love instantly. I enjoyed walking through the Spanish ruins imagining what things must have been like in the 1600's sitting by the bay drinking rum and walking the streets and taking in the sights. You won't find fancy hotels here YET its still an unspoiled hub of culture.
Written 15 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FunOnly
Calgary, Canada3,913 contributions
A long drive to a poor attraction
Nov 2018 • Couples
The bus trip from Colon was long and delayed because of road closure associated with a local religious procession. To make matters worse it was pouring rain as frequently happens in this region of Panama. The ruined forts were in a poor state of repair and unimpressive compared to other seventeenth century fortresses in the Caribbean.

We took a tour that combined Portobelo with the Panama Canal Locks and we wished that we had just gone to the locks. The town of Colon was very run down and is best described as “The Colon of Central America”.

This is the least enjoyable port of call that we have experienced in the Caribbean.
Written 21 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy Salie
Oakdale, CA62 contributions
Fort ruins
Feb 2019 • Friends
Spent a couple hours wondering around, guessing at what we saw as there was no signage. Park up by the road for free or in the bar parking lot for $1 so your vehicle doesn’t get keyed. Not much to see. The drive in is slow and you need to drive around the questionable dancers in the road. For the drive, traffic and filth, I would advise do not go here. A time waste.
Written 13 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lwilliams88
La Romana, Dominican Republic3 contributions
Huge missed opportunity
Jan 2019 • Couples
It's such a shame that the Panamaniam Government don't value tourism, their people or their nation's history. The forts could be incredible and a huge asset to the country and the local population. There are nearby beaches and opportunities for museums, hiking, historical tours etc. Unfortunately the town is relying on a few expats and entrepreneurs, who simply do not have the means to make this a wide reaching success.
Francis Drake was buried at sea here! Literally one of the most famous people in history and all there is, is an island named after him.
Shame. Worth a visit but consider the potential.
Written 1 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
normanf230
Las Vegas, NV263 contributions
Interesting History
Oct 2018 • Couples
I have visited the fort ruins several times over the last twenty years and it always fascinates me. Not much to really learn at the fort but if you read about it on-line you can visualize the purpose of the fort by wondering the grounds. Would be useful if they installed more billboards through the area for those that don't know the background.
Written 8 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PORTOBELO NATIONAL PARK: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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