The drive from Portobelo to Isla Grande is magnificient although the road is rough.

On the way to Isla Grande there is an island called "Mamey", named after a brown fruit with a rough skin and red flesh.  This island offers excellent diving and snorkeling.  Bohios can be rented for the day or overnight. You must take your own sheets or sleeping bag. Cots are available.  There are boats available every day, all day, to and from the island.

Isla Grande, another 30 minutes down the road, boasts two hotels and a number of cabin-style hostelries. It offers diving if you take your own equipment, snorkeling and even surfing. Isla Grande has been host to various international surf competitions. It is a beautiful island. A walk up to the lighthouse is definitely worth the time.

One of the most elegant resorts in Panama is Bananas Village , a small beach hotel on a coconut plantation on the very private seaward side of Isla Grande. Bananas offers comfort, quality and seclusion.

In recent years a good road has been cut through the jungle to Nombre De Dios, which has its place in the history books as the first Spanish settlement and of great importance to Panama's early development. But its glory is long-departed. At one time all the gold and silver from Peru was shipped to Panama and on to Nombre De Dios and then to Europe ,  before Portobelo was even thought of. There are no ruins to speak of but some old walls are still visible. The drive to Nombre De Dios is 25 minutes from Portobelo.