Page 118 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

116 The Panama Canal and CenTral isThmus Portobelo
buses to Colón leave from the square in front of the Iglesia restored old merchant’s house at the corner where the road
de San Felipe (every 30min–1hr); the last bus is at 6.30pm. forks coming into town (daily 8am–4pm; T448 2200);
Tourist information The tourist office is in a beautifully information is limited.
aCCOmmOdaTiOn
If you’re hitting town for a festival, you will need to make a reservation well in advance, or book a homestay through the
tourist office (see above). There’s nowhere safe to camp around the town itself but you could pitch a tent on one of the
2 beaches if you get a boat out there.

Casa Blanca Portobelo La Escucha, north of the main Aduana T202 0800, Einfo.casacongo@gmail.com.
road, 2.5km west of Portobelo, by the police sub- Four light, modern en-suite rooms filled with local Congo
station T6989 9218. Lovely waterside spot out of town, art, plus a/c and fan and a mini-fridge. It’s worth splashing
with a grassy outdoor area dotted with picnic tables and out the extra $10 for a room with a private balcony
hammocks – a great place to chill – and an alfresco overlooking the bay. $100
kitchen-barbecue area. The three four-bed dorms and two El Castillo 2km west of Portobelo on the main road
simple doubles (with a/c) all have shared bathrooms. Bike T448 2244, Welcastillopanama.com. This long-
rental available, with boat trips to come. Breakfast standing restaurant (see opposite) now offers hostel
included. Dorms $18, doubles $40 accommodation: a dorm and one private room, which
Casa Congo Waterfront, west of the Casa Real de la share a rudimentary cold-water shower. With no mosquito

ACTIVITIES AROUND PORTOBELO
Portobelo may be famed for its forts and festivals, but there are plenty of outdoor activities to
keep you occupied.
DIVING AND SNORKELLING
With numerous reefs and scuttled ships in the waters round Portobelo, this is one of the
country’s top diving and snorkelling destinations – though you won’t get the diversity and
quantity of fish that you can find in the Pacific. Popular dive spots include a b-45 plane
wreck by Drake’s Island, where some still hold out hope of uncovering the privateer’s sunken
lead coffin amid the encrusted coral; the varied marine flora and fauna of the three Sister
Islands; and the labyrinth of canyons off Isla Grande. the two main scuba companies are
on the main road on the left shortly before you reach Portobelo from the west; both are
PADI-certified with good reputations. Panama Dive Adventure (T6747 3297, Wdive.com.pa)
operates out of Coco-Plum Eco-Lodge Resort, offering a two-tank dive for $107 (equipment
rental extra), whereas the pricier Scuba Panama (T261 3841, Wscubapanama.com; $155), a
little further out, includes equipment rental and has its own lodgings.
KAYAKING, HIKING AND BIRDWATCHING
For kayaking in the mangroves or hiking, camping or birdwatching in the rainforest,
contact Jason (english- and Spanish-speaking) of Portobelo Adventures (T6954 7847,
Wportobeloadventures.com; or ask at Coco-Plum), who charges around $10 per person per
hour for most activities (minimum two people).
BOAT TRIPS
You can contract boatmen hanging round the main jetty by Fuerte Santiago: a two-hour trip
around the bay and up the mouth of the río Congo will be around $40–50 (one to three
people) whereas a drop-off and pickup at Playa Blanca, Portobelo’s prettiest beach, reachable
only by boat, usually costs around $50 per boat.
ACTIVITIES IN RÍO PEDRA
twenty kilometres west of Portobelo, and 4km up a dirt track along the picturesque río Piedra
valley – 4WD or high-clearance truck necessary – Panama Outdoor Adventures (T6605
8175, Wpanamaoutdooradventures.com) offers a nine-line Canopy Tour ($60), along with
river tubing ($25) and a day’s horseriding ($85; lunch extra). You can hike in from the road
or arrange a pickup or transport from Panama City, but should contact them at least a day in
advance, especially if you want to avoid the tour groups for which they predominantly cater.

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