Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo and San Lorenzo, World Heritage Site in Panama

Part of the fortifications near the Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, are registered. In order for ships to safely cross the canal, the fortresses of Portobelo and San Lorenzo were built by Spain on the Caribbean coast. They are regarded as masterpieces of 17th and 18th century military architecture.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why the Caribbean Coastal Fortresses of Panama : Portobelo and San Lorenzo is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner.Read this and you will definitely learn more about Portobelo and San Lorenzo!

What are Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo?

Portobelo and San Lorenzo are port towns on the coast of the state of Colon. The ruins of fortresses in these two port towns are registered as World Heritage sites. These incorporated European architecture, which in turn changed the architectural style of Central America.

Portobello

Portobelo was built in the 16th century and prospered as a silver shipping port. To defend the port town against pirates and other pirates who targeted it, five fortresses were built in the first half of the 17th century. Fortresses San Felipe Todo Fierro and Santiago de la Gloria were built at the entrance to the port, Fortresses San Cristobal and San Fernando inside the port, and Fortress San Jerónimo in the port town.

Built to take advantage of the topography of the Panama Gorge, the fortifications were simple and medieval in their early stages, but in the late 17th century they were invaded by the English pirate Henry Morgan, and after continued destruction, they were rebuilt in the 18th century in the neoclassical style. Portobelo became one of the major Caribbean ports because of this military fortress.

San Lorenzo

Located 60 km southwest of Portobelo and built near the mouth of the Chagres River is the fortress of San Lorenzo. Unlike Portobelo, this site has not been destroyed since the 17th century, so the fortifications, turrets, and cannons remain as they were when they were built.

Heritage in danger

Portobelo and San Lorenzo are heritage sites that preserve the appearance of the colonial fortifications to the present day, but since around 1989, UNESCO has warned that the environment for their preservation was not good enough, including inadequate restoration and development that damaged the landscape. Eventually, as the situation has not improved, the site was registered as a Crisis Heritage Site in 2012. It remains on the list of Critically Endangered Heritage Sites to this day.

Fortresses on the Caribbean Coast of Panama : Portobelo and San Lorenzo are on the World Heritage List for what reason?

Portobello and San Lorenzo was recognized for

Registration Criteria (i)
The fortresses of Portobelo and San Lorenzo are masterpieces in which the creative genius of mankind can be seen.

Registration Criteria (iv)
That the fortifications were the most adapted Spanish military architecture to the local environment.

Conclusions and Thoughts of a World Heritage Maniac

Anyway, the only thing I can say about these two fortresses is that they are overwhelmingly beautiful. San Lorenzo is from the 17th century colonial period, and Portobelo was rebuilt in the 18th century neoclassical style, so you can see the changes in military architecture in the Caribbean Sea.

Incidentally, although the Panama Canal did not open until 1914, the city was recognized in the 16th century as a place where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans were close together, and in fact, before the canal was completed, a railroad was built in 1855.In a sense, it is a “transcontinental railroad,” which makes it the shortest transcontinental railroad in the world.

*The contents here are considerations derived through research by World Heritage enthusiasts.As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.