At 3pm we will return to the port, making our way back to Portobelo, giving us the opportunity to explore the rich historical buildings around town. ‘Puerto Bello, ’the Beautiful Port, was named by Christopher Columbus in 1502, when he landed here on his fourth New World voyage. Since it was common during that time to abbreviate Spanish names, the beautiful port quickly became known as simply ‘Portobelo.’ During the 16th to the 18th centuries Portobelo was an important silver-exporting town and one of the two Atlantic ports on the route of the Spanish treasure fleets. The city of San Felipe de Portobelo was officially founded in 1597 and its ensuing 200-year history was riddled with various invasions by English privateers and the Royal Navy. The first attack on Portobelo happened in 1602 by the English pirate William Parker, but it was the infamous Sir Henry Morgan who managed to sack the city in 1671. Attacks on Portobelo continued unabated until the city was ultimately destroyed in 1739 by an attack led by Admiral Edward Vernon. Although Portobelo was rebuilt in 1751, it never attained its former glory and over time became a virtual ruin. Later, much of the outermost fortress was dismantled to help building the Panama Canal. Many of the larger stones were used in the construction of the Gatún Locks. There are, however, still considerable parts of the town and fortresses left to explore and take pictures of. Portobelo is now protected as a national park and as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Today Portobelo’s residents make a living by fishing, growing crops or raising livestock. Though economically depressed, Portobelo is experiencing somewhat of a cultural revival, with renewed interest in Congo art, music (especially punta, better known abroad as reggaetón) and dancing. Each year the town bursts to life on October 21 for the Festival del Cristo Negro, one of the country’s most vibrant and spiritual celebrations.