15971597–1739 · Portobelo, Colón
Portobelo and the Spanish treasure fleets
Silver from Peru and Potosí was shipped north to Panama, carried across the isthmus by mule train and loaded at Portobelo onto galleons bound for Spain, during trade fairs that could last for weeks. Spain ringed the bay with stone forts, yet Henry Morgan sacked the town in 1668 and a British fleet under Edward Vernon took it in 1739, after which the great fairs came to an end.
Sites
- Site 1: Santiago de la Gloria and San Jerónimo fortsCannon-lined stone batteries along the shore of the bay.Map ↗
- Site 2: Real Aduana (Royal Customs House)Restored 17th-century customs house where royal treasure was registered.Map ↗
- Site 3: Fort San Lorenzo, mouth of the ChagresClifftop fort over the Chagres River, taken by Morgan's men in 1671.Map ↗
Guides who take you there
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