Portobelo, Panama
Portobelo (formerly Porto Bello) is a port in Panama.
From the 16th to the 18th centuries it was an important silver-exporting port in New Granada on the Spanish Main and one of the ports on the route of the Spanish treasure fleets.
On 1739-11-21 the port was attacked and captured by a British fleet commanded by Admiral Edward Vernon. The battle demonstrated the vulnerability of Spanish trading practices, and led to a fundamental change them. The Spanish switch from large fleets calling at few ports to small fleets trading at a wide variety of ports. They also began to travel around Cape Horn to trade on the West coast. Porto Bello's economy was severely damaged, and did not recover until the building of the Panama Canal.
The street of Portobello Road in London is named in honour of the 1739 battle.
