Portobelo & The  Canal Expansion

DURATION

8 hrs. approx.

HIGHLIGHTS

Portobelo historical sites
Snorkeling
Caribbean cuisine

INCLUDES

Private Bilingual Guide
Private Transportation
Fort Portobelo
The Canal Expansion
Entrance fees

BRING

Light Clothing
Swimming suite and towel

DESCRIPTION

Early pick up at your hotel and transfer across the Isthmus to the Caribbean side, reaching Portobelo.

Here the Spanish conquerors were compelled to build forts for protection and customs clearance as the gold from Peru was transported by mules through the Camino de Cruces, Panama, continuing along the Chagres River by small boats, up to Portobelo, where it was shipped to Spain. Because of this accumulation of wealth, Portobelo was attacked and plundered by pirates Sir Francis Drake, William Parker and Henry Morgan.

Lets visit their Forts, Church San Juan de Dios, Church San Felipe de Portobelo and the Customs House, for your appointment with Caribbean pirates and famous privateers in history.

At noon, we will stop for lunch (not included) at a traditional Caribbean cuisine restaurant for a delightful meal.

After lunch, we will visit Gatun´s new visitors center which overlooks the new Panama Canal Expansion, one of the largest construction in the recent years, a multibillion-dollar effort that added a third channel to the waterway.

The new locks are bigger, allowing massive cargo ships access. Work on the expansion began in 2007, and the new channel was open in 2016.

Return to your hotel in the afternoon.