Portobelo Culture: Caribbean Colonial Experience

Discover Portobelo’s colonial charm and Mamey Island’s pristine beaches. Dive into history and nature on this all-inclusive Caribbean adventure.

Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Portobelo - After driving for an hour and a half from the city, visiting Portobelo can be a fascinating cultural experience. The town’s central square features a majestic Customs building, which has been converted into a museum that vividly displays the history of African people who arrived on these shores during the Spanish colonial era. Many…
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
  • $25 fee per person for a round trip boat ride through Venas Azules and staying on Playa Blanca
  • Tocumen Airport and hotels nearby pick-up fee - $30, Round Trip Transportation Service -$60
  • Playa Bonita hotels ( Dreams and Westin ) area pick up - $20 /Round trip service $35
Additional Information

If you’re interested in immersing yourself in the captivating culture of the Spanish colonial era in Portobelo, then this tour is an excellent choice for you. Portobelo was once the trading hub of the Americas and was a melting pot of Caribbean and African cultures. You’ll also get to explore a tropical paradise that boasts of stunning beaches and…

Location
Portobelo
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(18 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Curious31420
Apr 16, 2025
Book this tour! - Amazing and caring company. Roderick is a fantastic person to work with. I highly recommend. Easy and fast communication. Will use again for sure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maria_c
Apr 8, 2025
The Best Tour of the Panamanian Caribbean - I gifted this tour to my mom, and it was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. She was picked up on time, and the transportation was comfortable and safe. The guides, Roderick and Charlie, were absolutely amazing, attentive, friendly, and very knowledgeable. They made the entire tour interesting and fun. My mom truly enjoyed learning about the history of Portobelo, visiting Fort San Jerónimo, Casa Congo, and the museum, where she discovered more about the colonial era and African influence. She was also fascinated by Playa Blanca and the Venas Azules; the crystal clear water and scenery were like a dream. It was a day full of culture, nature, and peace. Thank you, Roderick and Charlie, for making this an unforgettable experience! Definitely the best tour to explore this Caribbean gem.
Review provided by Viator
Mariacp8613om
Apr 8, 2025
Best Tour of the Panamanian Caribbean/The Best Tour of the Panamanian Caribbean - I gave this tour to my mom and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. She was picked up on time and transport was comfortable and safe. The guides, Roderick and Charlie, were simply spectacular: attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. They made the whole tour interesting and fun. My mom really enjoyed knowing the history of Portobelo, visiting Fort San Jerónimo, Casa Congo and the museum, where she learned about the colonial era and African influence. She was also fascinated with Playa Blanca and the Blue Veins; the crystal clear water and landscape were dreamy. It was a day full of culture, nature and tranquility. Thank you Roderick and Charlie for making this experience unforgettable! Without a doubt, the best tour to know this gem of the Panamanian Caribbean. I gifted this tour to my mom, and it was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. She was picked up on time, and the transportation was comfortable and safe. The guides, Roderick and Charlie, were absolutely amazing, attentive, friendly, and very knowledgeable. They made the entire tour interesting and fun. My mom really enjoyed learning about the history of Portobelo, visiting Fort San Jerónimo, Casa Congo, and the museum, where she discovered more about the colonial era and African influence. She was also fascinated by Playa Blanca and the Venas Azules; the crystal-clear water and scenery were like a dream. It was a day full of culture, nature, and peace. Thank you, Roderick and Charlie, for making this an unforgettable experience! Definitely the best tour to explore this Caribbean gem.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lynn_m
Apr 7, 2025
An unforgettable experience with the BEST tour guide in Panama! - This was a wonderful private experience. We started the adventure with a prompt pick up at our designated location. We had a comfortable ride to our first stop, we even were given an opportunity about half way through the ride to go to the restroom and grab snacks and drinks for our beach day. Charlie was extremely informative and taught us a lot about Panama’s history and culture. We had an AMAZINGLY flavorful lunch, got a private boat ride to and from Isla Mamey. We even did a tour on the boat and saw even more amazing sites before we even made it to Mamey. We (2 women) felt extremely comfortable in Charlie’s care, he looked out for us the entire time. The entire day was better than we could even imagine. We hope to stick with Charlie for any future tours! Well worth the money!
Review provided by Viator
Monicawn8528rm
Mar 19, 2025
Great fun in Portobelo and Isla Mamey! - Aura our guide was amazing. She is super friendly and full of fun facts along the way. So much history to soak in. I will caution this is a cash only excursion so go to ATM before hand. Lunch was so good I would have licked my styrofoam plate! Even my 13yr old tore up his food! Bring water shoes too! Isla Mamey was a little rocky in parts of water.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shaynef615
Mar 16, 2025
Great time in Mamey Island - We had a great excursion to Mamet Island with Charlie. The trip was for my father’s 80th birthday. We were well looked after and they took especially good care with my dad getting in and out of the boat and walking around the island. Mamey Island was spectacular and the picture perfect beach to spend the day. The beach is sandy and easy to get in and out of with very few waves in the middle of the Caribbean. We definitely recommend. Highlight of the trip. And Charlie was the best guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Travel492640
Mar 4, 2025
Amazing Day - The views were amazing, we took so many photos. Awesome day trip outside of Panama City. Hidden gem where locals go when they enjoy their own country. So much history. The lunch was delicious, variety of options available. The boat ride over was actually a boat tour to beautiful isolated sections as we made our way over. Much more than expected. This tour can be and was catered to our specific interests. Would do again 100 percent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Arnita_b
Mar 3, 2025
Unforgettable Day - This was a fantastic day trip out of Panama City. Our driver and tour guide Roderick were very attentive and knowledgeable. We were given the option of which parts of the tour we wanted to concentrate on and where we wanted to spend the most time. We opted for equal time between Colon, Portobello and Mamey Island since it was our first visit to Panama. The views from the Forts were beautiful, they are also UNESCO sites. It was also a great cultural experience visiting the museums and church. The boat ride over to the Island was not just a straight shot. It’s a boat your we went through the mangroves and hidden coves on the way over. The Caribbean Sea side of Panama is a must, the water was clear and perfect temperature. The meal that was provided was actually the best food we had while in Panama. Everything was delicious, and there is a variety of options. Seeing all the locals enjoying the food was a great sign. There was majority locals everywhere we went which made it a very authentic experience. I know there are things I’m forgetting, It was a great day memorable day with no regrets. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
629mariusl
Jan 12, 2025
Awesome day in Panama - Had a great time visiting the Caribbean side of Panama with Aura. Lots of great sightseeing and a beautiful afternoon at the beach!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deborahm_s
Feb 4, 2025
Portobello and Mamey Island - Our guide Aura was fabulous- professional, knowledgeable and friendly. We were excited to travel outside Panama City to the Caribbean. What we didn’t know was that Mamey Island gets very crowded on the weekends. We went on a Saturday and pretty packed. The water was also very choppy ( this is unusual), so I was nervous but have to say the boat drivers were excellent.
Review provided by Viator
From $165
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).