Get Wet Quick, Panama-style

[This story -- my first crack at a "destination" piece -- appeared on Boatguide.com Dec. 15, 1999. I thought it was lost forever, but waddaya know?! I found it!]

Portobelo. Christopher Columbus named it in 1502, then left. Sir Francis Drake burned it 70 years later, then came back to die of dysentery in 1596. The transshipment point for Spain's South American riches, the city was plundered by pirate Henry Morgan in 1671.

It was pretty much downhill after that.

But after a hard-Iuck half-millennium, Portobelo lives up to its name: beautiful port. And while it doesn't have the rep of the Pacific side's Coiba Island, today it's one of Panama's hottest dive destinations

Enjoy a (dirt-cheap) romantic dive
Part of the allure is this: Portobelo is accessible. For quick jaunts, or for those who want to combine a weekend of reef diving with whitewater rafting on the Rio Chagres or a deep-sea fishing trip on the Pacific, a Portobelo itinerary can help maximize bottom time.

Six U.S. cities offer non-stops to Panama; flight time from Miami is under three hours. Rent a car at Tocumen International Airport, and it's a quick hour and twenty minutes to the dock if you're even anxious to get wet and load nitrogen.

But Portobelo's proximity isn't its only charm. It's the namesake of a lush, 86,000-acre national park that includes Spanish fortifications (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and more than 40 miles of protected coastline. The coral reefs are close to shore and in great shape. Wrecks - spanning four centuries of bad navigation and worse luck -litter the seabed.

Los Farollones, also known as the Lighthouse, is one of the most popular dives here and the plentiful snapper, lobster, and barracuda make it worth the boat ride. Closer-in, Drake's Island and Isla Coco offer shallow dives with lots of reef life, but suffer more during the rainy season when the bay silts up.

But, let's clarify: a really bad day here means 25-30 foot viz. More than twice that is typical, and good days offer 100-plus feet of visibility. Mid-

December through mid-April is officially the dry season, so conditions are best during the months most yanquis are dreaming of someplace better.

If you want to get real deep, real quick, try Punta Salmedina, but check the conditions first -the currents on the seaward side really rip. The inland side is a good dive any day. It stays shallow and offers lots of colorful wildlife

At the end of a three-tank day, or between dives, take a break at El Torre. The bi-Ievel cafe is on the right- hand side of the road between the dive shops and Portobelo, and features a bilingual menu. The friendly staff cooks up a mean $5 smoked chicken in the brick tower that gives the place its name.

Or, you can just kick back in a hammock on the dock or under a bojillo, Panama's ubiquitous thatched-roof gazebo. Watch the coconut palms sway in the breeze. Listen to some salsa or reggae. And reflect that old Chris, who never so much as put his head under the water here, named this place better than he knew.

Paradise at half the price
The mass exodus of the American military from Panama during 1999 has not resulted in greatly reduced prices for Caribbean diving in this country, but it has thinned the number of diving operations in the Portobelo area. With easy access from Panama City, Portobelo remains popular with locals -Panamanians and ex- pats alike. If you want to experience paradise at half the price of many other dive spots, head south before the rest of the world discovers this gem.

The dive shops
The best of the local dive shops is Panama Dive Adventures (011-507-448-2135, e-mail: panadive@hotmail.com), a new operation with old Portobelo hands Henry Moran and Fred Clark. Fred and Henry offer Spartan but adequate accommodations for less than the price of a steak dinner, as well as a limited menu. Dives range up to around $20, plus air (the first tank is just over $5 per day, with discount refills).

The equipment here is in good shape, and the friendly staff is committed to quality customer service. Panama Dive Adventures' biggest draw is on-site PADI instruction from a "resort" course that allows you to dive under close supervision, and Open Water through Divemaster and a number of specialties.

Scuba Portobelo (011-507-261-2841 or 4064), an affiliate of Scuba Panama in Panama City, also offers PADI instruction, but only at their Panama City Dive Center. Nautilus Dive Club (011-507 -448-2035), the first operation on the left before you hit the town of Portobelo, does not have instructors on-staff, but like the other two shops has rooms for rent. Javier Freiburghaus is the owner.

All of the Portobelo area dive operations have equipment for rent (non-diving guests can snorkel from the dock or catch the boat to one of the nearshore islands), and if the number of guests at one shop outstrips accommodations, they will arrange accommodations at the other shops or in town. All of the operations listed here offer meals, and there are a number of restaurants in the area. Call ahead for reservations and package deals.

Getting there
More than a dozen domestic and international carriers offer flights to Panama's Tocumen International Airport, and most connect through either Houston or Miami. A curious bonus of the Miami-Panama route is an overflight of Cuba. At five miles high, it's the closest many Americans will get until the embargo is lifted. Be aware that everybody passing through Tocumen –even Panamanians -must pay a $20 airport departure tax.

Both Panama Dive Adventures and Scuba Panama will make airport pick-ups as part of a dive package -be sure to ask about this when you call. Or, if you would like a little more flexibility, Avis,(800) 331-1084; Hertz (800) 654-3001; and Budget, (800) 472-3325, all have
rental operations at the airport in Panama City.

If you're renting a car, here's how to get to the dock: Take the Trans-lsthmus Highway (Highway 3) northwest out of Panama City and across the Continental Divide. About nine miles short of the port city of Colon, hang a right at the El Rey supermarket in Sabanitas. When you reach the end of the road (about 15 miles), you're at Portobelo. The dive shops are actually along a stretch of the road about five miles before Portobelo. Look for them on the left-hand (ocean) side.

The official currency of Panama is the Balboa, which "is freely interchanged with the U.S. dollar." That makes sense, because it is the U.S.dollar. There's no need -or way -to exchange money. Major credit cards are widely accepted.