{"id":1699488,"date":"2026-11-03T16:36:07","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T15:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/?p=1699488"},"modified":"2026-11-03T16:40:43","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T15:40:43","slug":"portobelo-panama-sailors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/segelmagazin\/portobelo-panama-segler\/","title":{"rendered":"Portobelo in Panama: getting there, anchorage info and sailing destinations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Portobelo lies on Panama's Caribbean coast in Col\u00f3n Province, around 50 kilometres east of the city of Col\u00f3n, in a bay with colonial-era fortress ruins. Here you can read how to get to Portobelo from the airport and from Panama City, where to anchor and shop, what wind to expect, which sailing destinations lie along the coast and what skippers need to know about clearing in, safety and marine weather.<\/p>\n<h2>The essentials at a glance<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>International flights land at Tocumen airport near Panama City. From the capital it is a drive of around an hour and a half to two hours to Portobelo.<\/li>\n<li>Portobelo has no marina. Yachts anchor in the bay off the town; the nearest marina is in Puerto Lindo, around 20 minutes away by boat.<\/li>\n<li>In town there are small supermarkets and a pharmacy, and you will find more supermarkets in Col\u00f3n. Many shops accept cash only.<\/li>\n<li>From December to April the north-easterly trade wind blows, followed by the rainy season with frequent rain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Where is the anchorage in Portobelo?<\/h2>\n<p>Yachts anchor in Portobelo Bay directly off the town. On the shore are the main square with the church of San Felipe and the old customs house, and on the opposite side of the bay the ruins of Fuerte San Fernando.<\/p>\n<p>Portobelo National Park, with forest, mangroves and coral reefs, stretches around Portobelo. In town there are several boat jetties, from which small boats run to the beaches and islands in the area.<\/p>\n<h2>Arriving for the start of your sailing trip in Portobelo<\/h2>\n<p>Portobelo lies away from the big cities, and without a car you will have to rely on buses and taxis.<\/p>\n<h3>From Tocumen airport to Portobelo<\/h3>\n<p>International flights arrive at Tocumen airport (PTY) near Panama City. From there you take the Panam\u00e1\u2013Col\u00f3n motorway towards the Caribbean coast. The German Federal Foreign Office advises taking only registered taxis from the taxi rank in the arrivals hall or ride services booked online at the airport, and not hailing taxis on the street.<\/p>\n<p>Closer to the Caribbean coast is the small Enrique Adolfo Jim\u00e9nez airport (ONX) near Col\u00f3n.<\/p>\n<h3>By car or bus<\/h3>\n<p>By car, you take the Panam\u00e1\u2013Col\u00f3n motorway from Panama City. The toll booths on this route accept cash only. At Sabanitas you turn off onto the well-signposted country road to Portobelo and follow it all the way into town. Depending on traffic, the journey takes around an hour and a half to two hours.<\/p>\n<p>By bus, you travel from the Albrook bus terminal in Panama City to the bus terminal in Col\u00f3n, and from there continue to Portobelo by taxi or bus. You can also get off at Sabanitas and continue by local bus. In total, this takes two and a half to three hours.<\/p>\n<h3>Parking<\/h3>\n<p>With a rental car, you drive on the country road from Sabanitas straight into town. There is a car park on the country road west of town, around 1.6 kilometres from the anchorage.<\/p>\n<h3>Shopping for the trip<\/h3>\n<p>The nearest small supermarket, Mini Super Casa Mock, is in town, around 400 metres from the anchorage. You will find two more small supermarkets on the road towards La Guaira, around 450 and 600 metres away.<\/p>\n<p>There are more supermarkets in Col\u00f3n, around 50 kilometres away. Take enough cash in US dollars with you: many shops, restaurants and boatmen in Portobelo do not accept credit cards. In Panama you pay with US dollar notes and balboa coins, which are worth the same.<\/p>\n<h3>Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services<\/h3>\n<p>A pharmacy is on the main road in town, around 300 metres from the anchorage. The health centre Centro de Salud Portobelo is in town, around 500 metres from the anchorage. The nearest hospital is the Policl\u00ednica in Sabanitas, around 28 kilometres away.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>911: nationwide emergency number, available around the clock from any phone<\/li>\n<li>Harbour master of the AMP maritime authority, around the clock: +507 232-7734<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What does Portobelo Bay offer?<\/h2>\n<p>There is no marina in Portobelo Bay, so you anchor. You will find supplies, restaurants and small guesthouses in the town. Berths on pontoons and buoys are available at Linton Bay Marina in Puerto Lindo.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Feature<\/th>\n<th>Details<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Location<\/td>\n<td>Caribbean coast, Col\u00f3n Province, about 50 km east of Col\u00f3n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Berth<\/td>\n<td>Anchorage in the bay off the town, no marina<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Landing stage<\/td>\n<td>Several boat landing stages in the town<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nearest marina<\/td>\n<td>Linton Bay Marina, Puerto Lindo, about 20 minutes by boat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Authority<\/td>\n<td>Maritime authority AMP, Hafenkapitanie Crist\u00f3bal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Surroundings<\/td>\n<td>Portobelo National Park<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>World Heritage<\/td>\n<td>Fortifications of Portobelo, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>distress call<\/td>\n<td>911<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Facilities ashore<\/h3>\n<p>The narrow streets around the main square are home to restaurants serving Afro-Caribbean and international dishes, as well as small hotels, hostels and holiday homes with sea views. Typical dishes feature coconut milk, fish and seafood.<\/p>\n<p>If you need a harbour for longer work on the boat, diesel or a berth on a pontoon, head for Puerto Lindo. Linton Bay Marina has 81 berths on floating pontoons, 16 mooring buoys, a floating fuel station, a 160-tonne travel lift, two restaurants and a dinghy dock. The grounds are guarded around the clock, and the marina can be reached on VHF channel 74.<\/p>\n<h2>What winds can you expect on Panama's Caribbean coast?<\/h2>\n<p>From December to April, the north-east trade wind determines the weather, and this is also the dry season.<\/p>\n<p>The rainy season follows. The Intertropical Convergence Zone, a belt of clouds and humid air, then often brings rain, sometimes with thunderstorms.<\/p>\n<p>Panama lies south of the zone where hurricanes usually pass through. Even so, the hurricane season runs from May to November, so tropical storms and heavy rain are possible here too.<\/p>\n<h2>Which sailing destinations can you reach from Portobelo?<\/h2>\n<p>From Portobelo, sailing trips lead east along the coast towards Guna Yala, or west towards Col\u00f3n and the Panama Canal. Use the nautical chart for detailed route planning.<\/p>\n<h3>Beaches and islands off Portobelo<\/h3>\n<p>The uninhabited beach at Puerto Franc\u00e9s is about 20 minutes by boat from the landing stage in the bay. The small bay of Playa Huerta has coral reefs for snorkelling. Off the coast lies Isla de Drake, a dive site named after the English privateer Francis Drake.<\/p>\n<h3>Linton Bay and Puerto Lindo<\/h3>\n<p>The nearest marina lies in the sheltered bay of Puerto Lindo, still within the Portobelo district and the national park. It is the last place to stock up before Guna Yala, as you can hardly get any provisions on the islands themselves.<\/p>\n<h3>Isla Grande<\/h3>\n<p>The small island in the Portobelo district has no roads and no cars, but it does have beaches, coral reefs and a lighthouse. The walk up takes about 25 minutes, and at the top you climb 112 steps to the viewpoint. On the reef off the island's approach, a large statue of the Black Christ stands in the water. If you do not have your own boat, you can cross from the La Guaira landing stage, where you park for a fee, payable in cash.<\/p>\n<h3>Guna Yala (San Blas)<\/h3>\n<p>The archipelago of more than 365 islands is an autonomous territory of the Guna, who live there according to their own laws. The Guna charge fees for entry, use of boats and staying on the islands. Before you enter the waters of Guna Yala with your own boat, you need permission from the Congreso General Guna and the migration authority. From Linton Bay, depending on conditions and your destination in the archipelago, it takes roughly four to eight hours to sail to Guna Yala.<\/p>\n<h3>Col\u00f3n and the Panama Canal<\/h3>\n<p>West of Portobelo lies the Bay of Col\u00f3n, with the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal. The passage into the Pacific starts there. You will find the details on registration and fees in our profile of the <a href=\"\/en\/sailing-magazine\/shelter-bay-marina-colon\/\">Shelter Bay Marina<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Bocas del Toro<\/h3>\n<p>Far to the west lies the Bocas del Toro archipelago, a destination for longer sailing trips along the coast. You can read more in the profile of the <a href=\"\/en\/sailing-magazine\/marinas-bocas-del-toro\/\">marinas in Bocas del Toro<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>What can you do on a day in port in Portobelo?<\/h2>\n<p>The fortresses, church and museum are in the town right on the waterfront and are within walking distance.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fortresses: Since its foundation in 1597, Portobelo has been one of the most important ports of the Spanish colonies. The fortresses that protected the harbour against pirates and buccaneers have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, together with the San Lorenzo fortress near Col\u00f3n. At the entrance to the town stand the walls of the Castillo Santiago de la Gloria from 1600, with cannon pointing out to sea, and in the town itself the Fuerte San Jer\u00f3nimo.<\/li>\n<li>San Felipe Church and the Black Christ: The church on the main square houses the Nazareno, the Black Christ of Portobelo, to whom thousands of pilgrims travel every year. His feast day is 21 October. As things stand (November 2026), the church, together with the San Juan de Dios chapel and the surrounding squares, is being restored and is due to be finished in early 2027.<\/li>\n<li>Museum in the old customs house: The large colonial-era customs house stands on the main square. Today a museum there tells the story of the people from Africa who came to this coast during the colonial period.<\/li>\n<li>Congo culture: The Congo culture of the Afro-Panamanian population, with its drums, dances and theatre, is part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. There are galleries with Congo art in the town, and the San Felipe parish celebrates a Congo Mass on the last Sunday of the month. From January until Ash Wednesday, the Diablos and Congos parade through the town on Saturdays.<\/li>\n<li>By kayak across the bay: From the water you can see the ruins of the Fuerte San Fernando and paddle into the mangroves on the R\u00edo Cascajal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>For skippers: anchoring, clearing in and marine weather in Portobelo<\/h2>\n<p>The rules of the maritime authority AMP apply to arrival and the navigation permit, and those of the immigration authority to the entry of the crew.<\/p>\n<h3>Safety at anchor<\/h3>\n<p>The German Foreign Office points out that yachts anchored freely near the coast in Panama's Caribbean waters are a possible target for criminal gangs, and advises using guarded harbour facilities. Guarded berths are available at the Linton Bay Marina in Puerto Lindo and at the Shelter Bay Marina near Col\u00f3n. For Col\u00f3n itself, the German Foreign Office advises taking shore excursions only if they are organised.<\/p>\n<h3>Reporting your arrival and clearing in<\/h3>\n<p>Sailing yachts on international voyages report their arrival in Panama using the AMP's Smallcraft Arrival Report, before or on arrival. This obligation expressly also applies to yachts that do not go into a marina but anchor instead. The report includes, among other things, the boat's papers, the list of crew and passengers, and the last six ports before Panama. The AMP passes the information on to customs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Security. If you have no internet on board, you hand in the report at the nearest AMP office.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone arriving by sea must complete the crew's entry formalities with the immigration authority within 72 hours of arriving in Panamanian waters, and register the boat with the port authority. Some immigration offices in ports only issue an entry permit for 72 hours; for a longer stay, you go to the higher-level office within that period. Make sure your passport is stamped.<\/p>\n<p>Foreign-flagged boats up to 14 metres in length receive a navigation permit from the AMP for sailing in Panama's waters, the Permiso de Navegaci\u00f3n. It only permits navigation, not any other activities. Before leaving for another country, you submit the Smallcraft Departure Report, but it does not replace the clearance out (Zarpe).<\/p>\n<h3>Registration and contact<\/h3>\n<p>Portobelo falls within the area of the AMP's Crist\u00f3bal harbour master's office. The emergency number of the AMP harbour master is staffed around the clock: +507 232-7734. You register with the Linton Bay Marina before arrival on VHF channel 74 or by telephone on +507 6493-1511; its entrance is around 4 metres deep, and the berths up to 10 metres.<\/p>\n<h3>Which marine weather forecast applies off Portobelo?<\/h3>\n<p>The weather service IMHPA is responsible. It publishes daily updated forecasts on its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imhpa.gob.pa\/es\/actualizacion-del-pronostico-del-tiempo\">Website<\/a> (in Spanish), with wind direction, wind strength and wave height for the Caribbean coast. The forecast highlights heavy rain and thunderstorms separately. The current travel and safety advice can be found at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.auswaertiges-amt.de\/de\/service\/laender\/panama-node\/panamasicherheit-206378\">Foreign Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Sailing trips from Portobelo on T\u00f6rnfinder<\/h2>\n<p>You can find sailing trips from Portobelo and along Panama's Caribbean coast under <a href=\"\/en\/cabin-charter-caribbean\/\">Sailing in the Caribbean<\/a>, and all sailing trips worldwide in the <a href=\"\/en\/sailing-trips\/\">trip overview<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>How do I get from Tocumen Airport to Portobelo?<\/h3>\n<p>The easiest way is by hire car or registered taxi along the Panam\u00e1\u2013Col\u00f3n motorway and then, from Sabanitas, along the country road to Portobelo. From Panama City the journey takes about one and a half to two hours, and by bus via Col\u00f3n two and a half to three hours.<\/p>\n<h3>Is there a marina in Portobelo?<\/h3>\n<p>No, yachts anchor in the bay off the town. The nearest marina is the Linton Bay Marina in Puerto Lindo, around 20 minutes away by boat.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I go shopping in Portobelo?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, for the basics. There are small supermarkets and a pharmacy in the town, and you will find more supermarkets in Col\u00f3n. Take cash with you, as many shops do not accept cards.<\/p>\n<h3>Where do I clear in near Portobelo?<\/h3>\n<p>You report your arrival with the AMP's Smallcraft Arrival Report, even if you only anchor. Within 72 hours, you clear the crew in with the immigration authority and register the boat with the port authority.<\/p>\n<h3>Is anchoring in Portobelo safe?<\/h3>\n<p>The German Federal Foreign Office advises against anchoring freely near the coast in Panama's Caribbean waters and recommends using guarded port facilities. Guarded berths are available at Linton Bay Marina and Shelter Bay Marina.<\/p>\n<h3>When do the trade winds blow on Panama's Caribbean coast?<\/h3>\n<p>The north-east trade wind blows from December to April, which is the dry season. The rainy season follows, with frequent rain, and hurricane season runs from May to November.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Portobelo on Panama's Caribbean coast: getting there from Tocumen, anchorage, shopping, wind, clearing in and sailing destinations as far as Guna Yala.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":1699358,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tf_mag_toernhinweis":"karibik","footnotes":""},"categories":[536],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1699488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviere-haefen","category-536","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1699488"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1699535,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699488\/revisions\/1699535"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1699358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1699488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1699488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1699488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}