Portobelo, the town where we sat sail, is one of the oldest Spanish settlements in America. It got it’s name (which means beautiful port) by Columbus himself when he sailed along the Central American coast on his fourth and final journey in 1502. With time, as the Spanish found gold and other treasures, it grew to become one of the most important cities in Spanish America. For example was all gold that the Spanish got (maybe stole is a better word) from the Inca Empire in Peru sent to Europe via Portobelo. During the 16th century was one third of all gold in the world sent through Portobelos harbour.

All this gold created enormous riches in Portobelo, and riches like that obviously drew attention to the city. Even with four big fortresses guarding the city was Portobelo attacked and levelled to the ground several times by British pirates and the British Navy. In the end was the constant attacks on Portobelo (and Panama City on the Pacific Coast, where the treasures first landed before being transported to Portobelo) too much for the Spanish, and they started to sail all the way around the South American continent instead. Thereby Portobelo lost its importance and shrank to the small fishing village it’s today.

Portobelo as of today is not much more then one street along the coast and maybe a few hundred inhabitants. Two of the fortresses are still in place and interesting places to visit. Further more is the restored customs house (where the Spanish kept the gold while waiting for galleons from Europe to take it away), the church and the old hospital interesting places in Portobelo.

To summon Portobelo is it enough to say that it’s a city that was more then it is.