“Beginning in the 1590s, the Spanish Crown built a series of forts along the Caribbean coast of Panama to protect transcontinental trade. Some of the forts were cleverly built to integrate the natural features of the coastline. Some have a medieval look about them, while others were designed in the neo-classical style.

Built over two centuries, the Portobelo-San Lorenzo forts are a standing lesson on the evolution of Spanish colonial military architecture. But natural forces threaten the heritage site from the coastal side, urbanization encroaches on the land, and maintenance issues have compromised the forts from within. The Portobelo-San Lorenzo fortifications were added to UNESCO’s danger list in 2012.”