El Castillo de San Lorenzo and Portobelo Fortresses - Full-Day Tour

Informazioni generali

Destinazione
Panama City, Panama

Il programma nel dettaglio

The ruins of El Castillo de San Lorenzo and Portobelo once formed the strategic points of defences of San Lorenzo at the Mouth of the Chagres River and the two fortifications of Portobelo.



They depict Panama's wealth in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as its strategic geographical location, which benefitted the Spanish Crown and provided possibilities for global marine commerce.



This journey answers many historical questions, focusing on the people, culture, wealth, and historical facts of Portobelo, San Lorenzo, and Panama in general. The Panama Canal and its expansion in both the 20th and 21st centuries



The now-UNESCO World Heritage sites in Panama, date back to the 16th century and built to protect the Spanish Crown's interests and ensure the safe transfer of gold and silver from one city to another and ocean to ocean. These fortifications were attacked numerous times and witnessed the bloody wars of the Caribbean against the Spaniards by buccaneers, mercenaries, corsairs, privateers, and pirates.



The Dry Canal, which was created as a result of the claim that the Pacific Ocean had been discovered in the early 16th century, and was made possible by the Camino Reales from Portobelo and the Caminos de Cruces from San Lorenzo, as well as Panama Viejo, which together formed the Historical Triangle Routes. This also led to the construction of the first interoceanic railway in the region during the 19th century and the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 20th century.



Aside from the abundance of wealth that was accumulated in Panama Viejo, Portobelo and San Lorenzo, it is worth mentioning the courage and contribution of the enslaved persons, the Cimarrons and how they brought freedom to their fellowmen and how they shaped the future and culture for generations.