We contacted Francesco with no notice and luckily he was able to accommodate us. We had a great experience in the Portobelo Bay visiting the ruins of the fortifications, with... read more Francesco providing the history of this really significant bay in the history of the world between 1500-1650 when pirates, explorers and privateers, especially Captain Henry Morgan fought over the seas near the connection point between the Atlantic and Pacific.

Francesco can provide kayaking, hiking, tours of the mangroves and all in one tour if you want. Our agenda was pretty simple because we don't have a lot of time, but he made sure we made the most of our experience. Do contact him a few days in advance! His style and storytelling is super chill. He's from Italy and also speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French and English. As an anthropologist, he loves talking and teaching.

And make sure at the end of your tour you have lunch at Francesco's Italian restaurant (Casa Vela) located right on the bay. The pasta and pizza recipes come right from his mom's home in southern Italy and are are so delicious in a beautiful, casual atmosphere. Prices are good, but expect to wait awhile for your food.

  We had a few days in the wonderful town of Portobelo and Francesco's tour company was fantastic! He offers a lot of different options and has a real enthusiasm... read more for both the nature and culture of Portobelo. We had a great day on the kayak - hike - beach tour. It is a fascinating kayak trip across Portobelo bay and then through some mangroves. This is followed by an easy hike through spectacular jungle - we saw two different types of monkeys, many birds etc. Then you arrive at a picture perfect beach for snorkelling. What a day!
Thank you Francesco - you made it a real fun day!
Call into Francesco's restaurant "Casa Vela" for great Italian food with a spectacular view of the bay.

  Beautiful place to take some awesome pictures. Get your land legs and just take in the views. Just off the main road.

  If you are looking for a special family friendly tour of Portobelo then you should contact Panamore. Francesco the delightful owner / operator of Panamore is a knowledgeable guide... read more and also runs a little Italian pizza/ pasta dockside cafe there . He took us kayaking around the bay and along a river telling us all about the local history -all while also keeping our 3 young children giggling and paddling ( quite a feat!) We then had a little walk through the mangrove forest ( boots provided) to a lovely secluded beach cove. Our very own little Panamanian paradise . Perfect for young children to swim and paddle and snorkeling also possible a short swim from the beach. Because we had little ones we had opted for a boat to pick us up rather than paddle back. The friendly boat driver was prompt and delivered us back to the cafe . There Francesco made us some really delicious Italian pizzas and the kids also enjoyed some desserts made by the lovely Gabriella. We left feeling like part of his family with happy memories and full bellies! Francesco offers other local tours too and I’m sure he will tailor make you an amazing experience. Just Do it!

  My husband and I decided to take a kayaking trip in Portobelo bay in Panama. We searched online and came across Panamore which said they provided private tours which included... read more kayaking, hiking through a swamp forest and rain forest and then a private beach. It had only a couple of reviews but was so cheap (only about $45 per person).
On the day of the tour, we were picked up by a taxi, arranged by Panamore (paid $150) that drove us from Panama city to Portobelo bay. There, at a local restaurant, we met Francesco, the tour guide (I think he owns the restaurant too). We had never been kayaking before, but had the most amazing experience that we're looking forward to doing it again. We kayaked for about and hour through the bay and then through a swamp forest. We left the kayak and went hiking with rubber boots provided by Francesco. After about an hour of hiking we arrived at a beautiful private beach where we were even provided with snorkeling gear. We spent about two hours there and were taken back to where we had started with a beautiful speedboat ride.The entire trip Francesco told us about history and culture, showed us things and kept us company.
After getting back, we cleaned up in the bathroom there which wasn't the best bathroom but was okay I guess . We then had lunch at the restaurant (it was so good! Cost about $20 each) and were taken back to our hotel with the same taxi driven by Luis.
Overall, it was an incredible trip and Francesco is an amazing tour guide. We highly recommend it to anyone travelling to Panama. This is one activity you have to do!

  My husband and I decided to take a kayaking trip in Portobelo bay in Panama. We searched online and came across Panamore which said they provided private tours which included... read more kayaking, hiking through a swamp forest and rain forest and then a private beach. It had only a couple of reviews but was so cheap (only about $45 per person). On the day of the tour, we were picked up by a taxi, arranged by Panamore (paid $150) that drove us from Panama city to Portobelo bay. There, at a local restaurant, we met Francesco, the tour guide (I think he owns the restaurant too). We had never been kayaking before, but had the most amazing experience that we're looking forward to doing it again. We kayaked for about and hour through the bay and then through a swamp forest. We left the kayak and went hiking with rubber boots provided by Francesco. After about an hour of hiking we arrived at a beautiful private beach where we were even provided with snorkeling gear. We spent about two hours there and were taken back to where we had started with a beautiful speedboat ride.The entire trip Francesco told us about history and culture, showed us things and kept us company. After getting back, we cleaned up in the bathroom there which wasn't the best bathroom but was okay I guess . We then had lunch at the restaurant (it was so good! Cost about $20 each) and were taken back to our hotel with the same taxi driven by Luis. Overall, it was an incredible trip and Francesco is an amazing tour guide. We highly recommend it to anyone travelling to Panama. This is one activity you have to do!

  We spent a few days in Portobelo and Francesco's Bar Casa Vela became our regular place. Sailors, Backpackers and globetrotters from all over the world meet here. It was always... read more funny and we heard incredible stories. For one day we rented kayaks and got the best tips for our trip through the mangroves directly from Francesco. The tour was wonderful and renting was totally uncomplicated. Besides Francesco makes super tasty pizza and pasta. So be sure to stop by Francesco's when you are in Portobelo!

  Great variety of activities you can do at Panamore. I did the kayak tour with a walk through the jungle and it was one of the best experiences ever. I... read more had the chance to see different animals from the region as well as natural environments.