Travel Guide Fuerte San Lorenzo

On a rocky promontory 25 m above sea level, the fort of San Lorenzo el Real de Chagres dominates the mouth of the Río Chagres. The beauty of the site, its calm and the view of the river are remarkable. Nothing, apart from the fort itself, evokes the battles of the colonial era between Spanish soldiers and European freebooters. It is one of the oldest and best-preserved forts in America. The first fortifications were erected at the end of the 16th century, following the plans of engineer Bautista Antonelli de San Lorenzo and camp master Juan de Tejada. The aim was to protect the port of Chagres, at the mouth of the river, from pirates. This was the point of transit for wealth coming from Peru via the Camino de Cruces, before being sent to Portobelo, before a long journey to Spain.These fortifications were destroyed in 1671 by Captain Joseph Bradley on behalf of Henry Morgan, who himself rested here before sailing up the Río Chagres and sacking the city of Panamá (la Vieja). Rebuilt in 1678 at a higher elevation, the fort was again destroyed in 1742, this time by Admiral Vernon. Rebuilt in 1761, it served its purpose until independence in 1821, when it was used as a prison for a few years.Included in the Canal Zone, it remained in the American enclave until 1999, when it was returned to Panama. In 1980, along with the fortifications of Portobelo, it was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Around the fort, in the tropical rainforest, you'll find numerous ecosystems and almost a third of Panamá's entire forest fauna: jaguars, boas, crocodiles, poison frogs... You're unlikely to see all these friendly animals, but you'll easily come across iguanas, monkeys or coatis early in the morning. For birdwatching, the Camino de Achiote is a world-famous site where 420 species of birds have been recorded.