Portobelo Road is famous for the antique half of its mile-long market. As soon as the calendar hits Saturday, the streets transform into a beautiful and colorful market. Even if you are visiting the market for the first time, it might look familiar as it has been featured in some top-rated movies.
During summer, the crowd can be quite overwhelming and you may see a lot of trash,
too. The area is known to have maintained its character even though it has been gentrified.
What is the Portobello Road Market?
The Portobelo Market is based on the road of the same name. It runs parallel to Colon and it does act as a perfect road for traveling through the iconic city, but it has its own beautiful market that sells a one-of-a-kind range of products.
Highlights Of The Portobello Market:
The half a mile of road full of antique stalls is Portobelo’s biggest attraction and no other place nearby is as famous as it is. The market is known to change constantly and the items that are sold depend on what day of the week it is.
Saturday
Saturdays are the busiest as it is the main day for antique trading. The day is also packed with a lot of street performers and visitors. The market features its best items during this day, and as such, people want to go on Saturday, even when it is known to be crowded. The market layout is as follows:
- Antique stalls between Portobelo Road and Kensington Park Road
- Forecourt traders near the southern part of Portobelo Road
- Vintage clothing stalls in the Portobelo Green
Friday
The second busiest day is Friday. On this day, you can buy a range of items like antiques, accessories, vintage clothing, furniture, and food. The quality is always good and you will have so many choices, allowing you to find the best one for you. The market layout is as follows:
- Furniture, bric-a-brac items and food on Golborne Road
- Vintage clothing, accessories, and antiques in the northern and southern parts of Portobelo Road and Portobelo Green
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
The rest of the days of the week are focused more on household goods, vegetables and fruits in the area of Elgin Crescent, Westway, and Golborne Road. You can see a few vintage clothing stalls scattered about, too.
Tips And Tricks Of The Portobello Market
- Try to avoid the busy crowd by going before 11:30 on Saturday mornings. If you go any later than that, you might have to face heavy traffic throughout the market and that traffic will gradually increase the later it gets.
- You can pick up unique artifacts, antiques, and vintage items if you visit early, before they get snagged by someone else.
- Remember to haggle any time you buy stuff. The prices are not always fixed and the sellers often give discounts to tourists if they haggle. It is good to save money so you can buy more stuff!
- Do not bother to look at the “New Goods” section as they are quite overpriced and you already have a lot of options to buy from. You can visit many nearby stalls, instead of looking for these new items that will eventually fall in the regular category after some time.
- If you are unable to find the wares you want, just go on looking in a nearby street as the market is divided into various sections. You can find different variety on different streets so do not give up on what you are looking for as you will not go home disappointed if you check thoroughly.
What Time Is Good For Visiting Portobello?
The main attraction for Portobelo is its market and it is open for anyone to enter. The market is kept closed on every bank holiday, Christmas Day and December 26th (Boxing Day). However, it is kept open on Good Friday. The times are listed below:
- Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: 9 AM to 6 PM
- Thursday: 9 AM to 1 PM
- Friday and Saturday: 9 AM to 7 PM
How To Reach Portobelo?
Portobelo is easy to get to, and as such, there are many ways for tourists to reach it, including by bus, train, or taxi.
- By Road: You can take any one of the buses leaving almost every hour between Panama City and Colon that has a stop at Sabanitas. Try to travel earlier in the day. If you are traveling from Colon to Portobelo, then it is around half an hour drive if you are planning to hire a car or already have one.
- By Train: The train ride up to Panama or Colon is good, but if you want to reach Portobelo, you have to exit at either of the stations, and then the best way is to rent a car or taxi.
Notes To Check Before Heading Towards Portobello
- Reserve your entire day for the market if you are making a visit on Saturday as the market is so crowded.
- Portobelo has an open-air market, so make sure to carry an umbrella for protection from rain. The market usually closes a bit early in case of rain.
- Keep a good amount of cash with you as there is a large queue at the cashpoint located alongside the main drag. However, you may use this cashpoint in case you need to.
- Keep a close eye on your belongings as you might encounter a pick-pocket, especially during a Saturday rush.
- There are public toilets available, but if you do not want to use them, you can visit restaurants and pubs, and get yourself a drink or food and use their washrooms.
History Of Portobello
During the mid-eighteenth century, Portobelo Road was known as Green’s Lane. A farm named Portobelo farm was built in 1740 in an area that is currently named Golborne Road. After the mid-nineteenth century, this farm was sold when the railways arrived.
Portobelo Road was a construction from the Victorian era. In the second part of the nineteenth century, development happened on Portobelo Road. Its shops served the wealthy inhabitants of terraces and elegant crescents while it gave employment to the working-class residents.
Conclusion
A visit to Portobelo Road is often interesting and exciting. The street is beautiful and you can discover a range of products from antiques, vintage clothing, household goods, and a lot more at the market. The people of Portobelo are also very friendly. The beauty of this place has even been featured in many films, and it continually grows bigger each year as it attracts more and more tourists.
What’s Nearby?
