Page 117 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

Portobelo The Panama Canal and CenTral isThmus 115
PORTOBELO FESTIVALS
two very different festivals bring this otherwise lethargic town to life, causing traffic to grind
to a halt well before the first fort, and streets to heave with people, as you find yourself
knee-deep in discarded polystyrene containers, beer cans and chicken bones.
EL FESTIVAL DEL NAZAREÑO
In mid-october, Portobelo bursts into a frenzy of religious fervour and wild partying at the
Festival del Nazareño – more commonly dubbed the Festival del Cristo Negro (black Christ
Festival) after Panama’s most revered religious icon, a striking, dark-skinned Christ with a 2
penetrating gaze and bearing the Cross, which resides in the Iglesia de San Felipe. the effigy’s
iconic status was cemented in 1821 when it apparently spared the townsfolk from an
epidemic that was sweeping the isthmus.
though the main procession occurs on october 21, the build-up begins days before as up to
forty thousand pilgrims, including general party-goers and a small number of criminals wanting
to atone for their crimes, march into town. thousands walk the 35km from Sabanitas and a
handful hoof it from further afield, many in ankle-length purple robes. Some crawl the last stretch
on their hands and knees, urged on by faithful companions wafting incense, rocking miniature
shrines in front of their eyes or even pouring hot wax on their backs. to compound the suffering,
the pilgrims are frequently overdosing on carbon monoxide from the festival traffic, which
weaves in and out of the bodies struggling along the scorching asphalt. Shelters, food stalls and
medical posts are set up along the route while the town itself is jam-packed with makeshift
casinos, stalls selling religious paraphernalia and food outlets dishing out chicken and rice.
At 8pm an ever-changing cohort of robed men begin to parade the icon, bedecked in a claret
robe, round the packed town in a rhythmical swaying, to the accompaniment of brass and drum,
followed by the penitents. once the candlelit litter has been returned to the church around
midnight, the pilgrims discard their robes at the entrance as an explosion of fireworks marks the
start of a hedonistic feast of drinking, gambling and dancing that continues through the night.
“El Naza”, as the statue is affectionately known, gets another celebratory town outing on the
Wednesday of Holy Week, this time clothed in purple, though the festivities are not quite as grand.
CONGOS AND DEVILS
In the weekends leading up to Carnaval, Congo societies along the Costa Arriba erupt in
colourful explosions of traditional song, dance and satirical play-acting that originated in the
sixteenth century among outlawed communities of escaped slaves, known as cimarrones.
Congregating in mock palaces, each with its king (Juan de Dios) and queen (Mecé) togged out
in extravagant costumes and ludicrously large crowns, they communicate in their own dialect.
the general view is that the characters represent a parody of the Spanish court, though a
more recent interpretation maintains that they refer back to the Kingdom of Konga in Central
Africa. the men sport painted faces, conical hats and outlandish tattered clothes, worn
inside-out and decorated with everything from empty beer cans to teddy bears; the women
wear multicoloured polleras, their hair garlanded with flowers, and dance to beating drums
and choral chants. In the many comic rituals, “prisoners”, including the odd unsuspecting
tourist, are taken and released for ransom – a few coins or an offer of a beer will usually do. the
celebrations reach their climax on Ash Wednesday with the Festival de los Diablos. the
ferocious scarlet-and-black devils (representing the evil spirits of the Spanish colonials), who
have been previously running amok in frightening masks, brandishing whips, are captured by
a posse of angels, who drag them off to be baptized.
Aware of its potential to generate tourist income, the Portobelo authorities support a more
formalized biennial Festival de los Diablos y Congos in March, which is well worth seeing.

arriVal and inFOrmaTiOn POrTOBelO
Most people visit Portobelo as a day-trip from Panama City, though there is an increasing number of places to stay.
By bus Take any Colón-bound express bus, getting off at the Portobelo bus (Mon–Sat 6am–9pm, Sun 6am–6.30pm;
El Rey supermarket at the Sabanitas junction (the last every 30min–1hr; 1hr). At busy festival or holiday times, it’s
chance to get money from an ATM). Here you can hop on a worth going into Colón itself to make sure of a seat. Return

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