Panama City to Colon and Portobelo

View of the Caribbean from Colon

Our last day in Panama, we took the train from Panama City (south--on the Pacific Ocean) to Colon (north--on the Caribbean Coast).  The train goes along the Canal, takes passengers twice a day and containers the rest of the day.  To get the view car (the right thing to do), you have to leave your hotel at 6 a.m., but it's worth it for the wonderful views of the Canal, construction along the Canal, forest, and locks.

Bay of Portobelo

Colon is a world apart from Panama City, a morass of poverty and crime.  Our guide did not want us to stop, take photos, or really even visit Colon.  Panama City, on the other hand, is the largest financial center south of the United States, has hundreds of high rise apartment and office buildings, most of the government's investment in business development and infrastructure, and the country's wealth.  The residents of Colon greatly resent this.  Even so, there are some relatively high end, gated communities in Colon.  We visited the locks on the Colon end of the Canal before heading to Portobelo, a lovely bay where the Spanish conducted their Caribbean trade.  Portobelo was attacked by Sir Francis Drake, among others and is now a tiny, impoverished village with faded charm and lots of tourism potential. 




Upper reaches of Santiago de la Gloria Fort, Portobelo

Portobelo was protected, unsuccessfully, by forts on both sides of the bay.  Sir Francis Drake died here of dysentery, on his fourth visit, and is buried nearby.  He was not alone in ravishing the commercial port, but was instrumental in its demise as a key center of Panamanian commerce.

Today, you can still visit the Customs House, with its interesting museum, and a couple of 16th century churches.  There is a tiny market with locally made crafts.  Not much else, but well worth a visit.

Public transit in Portobelo



Portobelo graffiti