Port Sae La Fortaleza "El Mayor Culto a la Historia de la Pirateria"

Portal Contacto Correo

America III

América Central Mar Caribe

América III - Fortalezas - Panamá

Portobelo

10 HECHOS NOTORIOS SOBRE PORTOBELO
1.-Portobelo fue descubierto hace 499 años por el Almirante Cristobal Colón, y fundada hace 404 años.
2.-Al año de fundado Portobelo (1598) fue salvajemente atacada y saqueada por Sir Francis Drake.
3.-El Edificio de la ADUANA, con 367 años es del mas fino estilo Renacentista y el edificio mas representativo de Portobelo, y el mas conocido a nivel mundial.

4.- Portobelo fue el emporio de las riquezas y el depósito comercial más grande entre el Nuevo Mundo y el Viejo Mundo-
5.-Sus conocidas y famosas Ferias perduraron 133 años.
6.-Se estima que a Portobelo entro, en 128 años, más de un BILLON y casi UN MILLON anual en cada feria.
7.-Portobelo fue la ciudad con más Fortificaciones y Castillos levantados en todo el Pais.

8.-Portobelo fue sido declarado PATRIMONIO DE LA HUMANIDAD.
9.-Portobelo ha sido la ciudad que más ha sido atacada por piratas en toda America.
10.-Durante las conocidas y famosas ferias celebrabas en Portobelo, la habitaciones para alojar a los comerciantes y turistas llegaron a tener un valor hasta de MIL PESOS.

1750 Map of Panama Showing San Lorenzo,

Nombre de Diós & Porto Bello

Christopher Columbus sailed on his fourth and last voyage of exploration, from Cadiz on May 11, 1502. With him on this voyage was Bartolomé Columbus, his brother, and his second son, Fernando. Stopping off in Española, he had the opportunity to confer with Bastidas, and examine his charts. He sailed west, past Cuba, and landed on the northern coast of Honduras, east of the Yucatan. Skirting the coast of Tierra Firme, he sailed east over the Honduras hump and then south east. He continued skirting the coast of Central America, past Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. On October 6, 1502, they entered Almirante Bay, in what is now known as Panamá. Columbus continued along the coast, eastward, past Chiriqui and Veraguas, past the Chagres River, and the Bay of Limon, until he reached a beautiful bay, that he named Puerto Bello on November 2nd, 1502. They were forced to stay there 7 days, due to inclement weather. By November 24, he had reached the most eastward he would travel on the coast of Panama, at a harbor, that he named El Retrete.

Rodrigo de Bastidas, was a leader of an expedition of exploration, that set sail from Spain in October, 1500, in two ships. Vasco Nuñez de Balboa and Juan de la Cosa, were members of the expedition. They reached what is now know has Venezuela, and continued sailing west along it coast. They sailed past el Cabo de Vela, and reaching el Golfo de Darien, explored it, and the Atrato River. They continued north, along the coast as far as El Retrete, possibly as far as the site were Nombre de Diós, would be founded years later, and even as far as the future site of Porto Bello. Bastidas did not name these two, sites, and it would be up to others, to name them. Because of this, Bastidas has been given the credit for the discovery of Panamá.

The next person to enter Puerto Bello, was Diego de Nicuesa, the appointed governor of Castilla del Oro. He had the benefits of both Bastides and Columbus' charts, and was headed to Veraguas, where Columbus had discovered much gold. He had sailed west to the Almirante Bay, and then turned east, in search of Veraguas, and his new lands. They entered the harbor of Puerto Bello, and some of his men were killed by the natives. Nicuesa was given the distinction by the Spanish as the discoverer of "Puerto Bello", what he officially named it, since he actually entered the harbor and explored the area in 1509. Fearful of the belligerent natives in the area, he continued east, searching for a friendly place to settle, and establish his capital. He eventually arrived in a harbor, where the land appeared fertile, and the coast was building a fort, and Nicuesa ordered, "Paremos aquí, en el nombre de Diós". Here they founded the town of Nombre de Diós, the first permanent Spanish settlement in Tierra Firme. From here, Nicuesa sailed to Nuestra Señora de Antigua del Darien, to oust Balboa, but was ousted himself, and on March 1, 1511, he was set adrift in a leaky boat, and was never heard from again. At this point, all of the settlers at Nombre de Diós, accepted Balboa's offer, to relocate to Antigua, and the settlement of Nombre de Diós, was abandoned.

Diego de Albites, a captain who had accompanied Pedrarias from Spain to Tierra Firme, helped establish Panamá in 1517. With permission from Pedrarias, to colonize Veraguas, he sailed form Antigua in 1518. He never reached Veraguas, but he attempted to establish a settlement at Puerto Bello in 1518. In 1519 moved and refounded the settlement that Nicuesa abandoned, Nombre de Diós. This settlement remained as the northern terminus of the trans-isthmian trade. Panama and Nombre de Diós are opposite each other, and gradually, a paved road (El Camino Real) was built connecting both settlement. When the gold from Peru, was shipped to Spain, it was shipped to Panama, on the Pacific, and crossed the isthmus on El Camino Real, to Nombre de Diós, and then shipped to Spain yearly on the Treasure Fleet. The history of Tierra Firme, was controlled by these two settlements for the next 60 years.

1700 Map of Darien, Panamá, showing Porto Bello

This map appeared in Le Neptune Francois, Vol. 2, No. 28, Amsterdam 1700 by Pierre Mortier. This map shows the Bay of Porto Bello, on the North Sea (Caribbean Sea)

A is Castillo de San Felipe
B is Castillo Santiago
C is Castillo de San Jeronimo

1768 Map of Porto Bello by Issak Tirion appearing in the Nieuwe en Beknopte Hand-Atlas published in Amsterdam.

On July 29, 1572, Francis Drake, captured the town of Nombre de Diós. He attacked the town, with a force of 73 men, in three pinnaces and a shallop. After a bloody battle, he was able to defeat the defenders. Shortly there after, reinforcements arrived from Panamá, Drake was wounded, and they had to retreat, without much loot. The left behind silver bars, valued at a million pounds sterling, and other treasures. In their fighting, they reached the doors of the Kings Treasure House, but were not able to enter it, before the Spaniards counter attacked.

On April 1, 1573, Drake attacked Nombre de Diós again, this time capturing a mule train, loaded with treasure, outside of Nombre de Diós. This time, they took every thing they could carry. In August, 1595, with a fleet of 26 ships, Drake set out to Panama again, hoping to take Nombre de Diós and the city of Panama. Crossing the isthmus on the Camino Real, his forces were stopped, by well prepared Spaniards. When they got back to Nombre de Diós, they proceeded to burn the city, and then sailed to Puerto Bello. Drake got sick on the way, and died. On January 29, 1596, he was buried at sea in the harbor.