Historic site and tourist attraction, Portobelo is a town located in the Caribbean in the Province of Colon, in which its inhabitants have jealously guarded their customs and traditions. Central point of the life of Portobello is the celebration of the Black Christ festival, which attracts not only Panamanians from all corners of the Republic but also to foreigners who travel to Panama just to attend the festival.
Although currently Portobelo is a small town, it was originally one of the most important Spanish ports in Central America. Important commodities such as gold from Peru and treasures from the East came to the city of Panama and were taken to Portobelo by mules for shipment to its destination. An annual fair was held, during which galleons laden with goods from Spain came to market their products. Perhaps because of its importance, Portobelo was constantly under attack by British pirates and was destroyed several times throughout its history.
