A 20-minute, US$45 return boat ride from Portobelo will bring you to this lovely white-sand beach on a tranquil cove surrounded by dense wilderness. It boasts some of the least disturbed reefs between Colón and the Archipiélago de San Blas, and its sheltered waters offer better visibility than beaches closer to Portobelo. There’s a colorful reef in the center of the cove near the beach, as well as a second reef that sits in deeper waters about 100m offshore.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
27.45 MILES
The impressive Gatún Locks, 10km south of Colón, raise southbound ships 30m from Caribbean waters to Lago Gatún. Just the size of them is mind-boggling:…
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28.38 MILES
Constructed in 1908 to shore up the Río Chagres and create Lago Gatún, the Gatún Dam was once the world’s largest earthen dam, while Lago Gatún was also…
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1.72 MILES
Fuerte San Jerónimo, close to the center of Portobelo, was the largest fortress ever built to protect the bay. Some two dozen embrasures with 16 cannons…
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29.92 MILES
Centered on the ruins of the crumbling Spanish colonial fortress of Fuerte San Lorenzo, the 120-sq-km San Lorenzo Protected Area includes the former US…
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25.67 MILES
The third most visited Emberá village in the park – and all the more interesting for that reason alone – is where you'll learn all about the history and…
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1.81 MILES
Atop a hill overlooking much of the bay is a small but well-preserved watchtower called Mirador Perú, which was built at the same time as Fuerte Santiago…
29.01 MILES
Declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1980, Fuerte San Lorenzo is perched at the mouth of the Río Chagres on a promontory west of the canal. Despite…
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1.76 MILES
Under renovation at the time of research, the handsome, two-story Royal Customs House of Portobelo was originally built in 1638 to serve as the contaduría…
Nearby Portobelo attractions
1.32 MILES
In 1601 Fuerte San Felipe and Fuerte San Diego were built near the mouth of the bay but were subsequently destroyed by Admiral Vernon in 1739. Fuerte San…
1.72 MILES
Fuerte San Jerónimo, close to the center of Portobelo, was the largest fortress ever built to protect the bay. Some two dozen embrasures with 16 cannons…
3. Capilla de San Juan de Dios
1.75 MILES
This small chapel is all that remains of a Catholic church dating back to 1589.
1.76 MILES
Under renovation at the time of research, the handsome, two-story Royal Customs House of Portobelo was originally built in 1638 to serve as the contaduría…
1.78 MILES
This Roman Catholic church dating from 1814 is home to Portobelo's famed Black Christ; it's to the left of the main altar. The faithful attribute scores…
1.78 MILES
Approaching from the west, Portobelo's first fort is Fuerte Santiago. Built in 1753, some 14 years after Vernon’s attack, some walls were 3m thick and…
1.81 MILES
Atop a hill overlooking much of the bay is a small but well-preserved watchtower called Mirador Perú, which was built at the same time as Fuerte Santiago…
25.67 MILES
The third most visited Emberá village in the park – and all the more interesting for that reason alone – is where you'll learn all about the history and…