Celebrate Afro-Panamian culture in Portobelo
Portobelo's impenetrable castle was once the Atlantic terminal of Spain's intercontinental supply networks. It is located in the middle of the Costa Arriba, a desolate Caribbean coastline east of Colón. Bars of plundering Peruvian gold flooded the customs house during the height of the Spanish colonial power. Like tremendous wealth attracted pirates such as Henry Morgan and Admiral Edward Vernon. Portobelo, steeped in languor and charm, is now a little fishing hamlet replete with rusty artifacts of a bygone period. The Afro-Panamanians, ancestors of Congolese people enslaved by the Spanish, are responsible for much of the town's character.
During two events, the town comes alive: the Festival del Cristo Negro and the Festival de Diablos y Congos. The Festival del Cristo Negro is celebrated in October and commemorates a 1.5-meter (5-foot) tall Black Christ. The statue is carried throughout town by pilgrims wearing thorn crowns and purple robes. Every two years, the Diablos y Congos event takes place. Through dances and diabolical costumes, the festival portrays the twin concepts of servitude and freedom. The custom may be traced back to slave trafficking, when Black people fled bondage and found refuge and, eventually, a community in the forest. It's a fantastic, colorful festival that attracts people from all across the region.
