Portobelo was founded in 1597. In its heyday it was probably the most important town on the continent.  All the gold and silver gathered from Peru and destined for the coffers of the King of  Spain crossed the isthmus by mule and  was stored in Portobelo's Custom's House to be loaded onto galleons. The annual Portobelo Fair was a huge gathering each year for the exchange of merchandise.  Naturally the Spanish fort here was a strong garrison to ward off the attacks of British buccaneers who wanted to get their hands on all those riches.  Sir Francis Drake died of fever before he could capture it and was buried in the bay but Portobelo was sacked by William Parker in 1601, Sir Henry Morgan in 1688, and Edward Vernon in 1739.

The remains of the fort are impressive, its canons pointing out over the bay with the jungle as a backdrop.  Imagine how isolated and exotic it must have appeared to its soldiers over 400 years ago.

The Customs House in Portobelo has been restored and contains a substantial museum dedicated to the area.