The Agua Clara Visitor Center is the Canal’s newest visitor center and the only place along the Canal offering views of Gatun Lake. It is perched on a hilltop, overlooking the southern entrance to Agua Clara Locks. They have a wonderful picture of their viewing platform on their website. Vessels entering into and departing from Agua Clara Locks pass right in front of you, so you’ll get a close-up view of these monstrous vessels, as they enter into or depart from the locks. Keep in mind, the largest ships that transit the Canal pass through Agua Clara Locks. Just in front is the anchorage, you should see dozens of vessels anchored waiting to recommence transit.
It’s a beautiful complex that offers panoramic views, a projection room, and a gift shop. It is a very different experience than the visitor center at Miraflores Locks. At Miraflores, you are much closer to the locks, but you don’t have views of Gatun Lake.
There are no pubic buses that will take you directly to the Agua Clara Visitor Center, so you will need to take a taxi.
The town of Portobelo is one of the oldest Spanish settlements along the Caribbean coast and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981.
The ruins are split into three distinct sections.
The first and largest section overlooks Portobelo Bay and straddles the main road as you enter the town. To the left, when looking out over the water, there is a deep moat that runs the entire length of the fortification wall. Atop the wall, there is a long row of cannons. And at the far end, there is a sole look-out tower. Further to the right, there is a large open courtyard where you’ll find small fragments of ruins dispersed throughout the sod.
Further up the road and off to the left is the Customs House, which is just one of several historical sites in Portobelo. Behind the Customs House, you will find the second set of ruins. It consists of a large fortification wall and a long row of cannons that extend out into Portobelo Bay. At the far end, there is a large outcropping that includes a single look-out tower. To the right of the wall is an open courtyard. It’s impressive and well worth a visit. You can walk from the first set of ruins to the Customs House in just a few minutes. At the moment, the Customs House is closed for renovation.
Across the bay and separated into three distinct parts, you'll find the third section of ruins. A stone trail connects the lowest portion, which resides along the water's edge, to the middle sector, which is nearby and visible from below. It's an easy, short walk. To visit the third and highest installation, you'll need to hike up a steep trail. The upper fort provides no views of the two lower sections but offers stunning views of Portobelo and its surroundings. To visit these ruins, you will need to take a water taxi from the public dock, which resides just to the left of the first section or ruins you encounter when entering Portobelo.
Photo Gallery of Portobelo - Most of the pictures were taken in the first section of ruins. Only the last three were taken of the fortification behind the Custom’s House
This photograph was taken from the main road when looking out over the water.
The ruins at Portobelo have just one cavern, which contains three long, rectangular chambers. There is a opening near the end of the upper fortification wall, which you can see in the above photograph (it's just above the cannon lying on the ground). It is the only entrance along the wall, so you should have no difficulty finding it.
Across from the ruins, there is a short, unmarked path that leads to a look-out area. As you are nearing the ruins, the road climbs ever so slightly and bends to the right. After passing the entrance to the ruins, the road turns left and begins to descend. The path entrance is off to the right, where the road initiates its descent. The floor is comprised primarily of cement cinder blocks and relatively easy to climb. Along the left side of the path are a series of steel posts connected by a thick rope, which serves as the handrail. It’s not very well cared for, and the views aren’t spectacular, but it will give you an elevated point of view of the ruins. To reach the top of the trail, it shouldn’t take any more than a minute or two.
From Colon, buses to Portobelo depart regularly throughout the day. Buses to "La Guaria" also pass through Portobelo. If you're traveling by bus from Panama City, there is no need to as far as Colon. Get off in "Sabanilla," which resides approximately 30 minutes outside of Colon; most buses traveling between Panama City and Colon stop there. The same buses that depart Colon for Portobelo and La Guaria pass through Sabanilla. From Sabanilla, the trip to Portobelo takes about 40-60 minutes.
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981, the San Lorenzo ruins are perched high on a cliff overlooking the Chagres River, offering spectacular views of the entire coastline. While smaller in size than Portobelo, San Lorenzo is different in that it has a deep moat and numerous caverns on the lower level.
The San Lorenzo ruins are located within a National Park, which also contains numerous walking trails unrelated to the ruins. You can request a trail guide at the park entrance. If you wish to view the Chagres River, turn left at the intersection before reaching the ruins, and follow this road down to the water's edge. There are no public restrooms or stores inside the national park, so bring everything you need.
Unlike Portobelo, there is no public transportation to the San Lorenzo ruins, so you will need to hire a taxi.
