The Wayro route from Santa Catalina to Portobelo is 270 miles (435 km), about 7 h 24 min of driving without stops.
Full advisory: Panama. Advisory issued: Panama August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Panama: “Driving at night can be dangerous, especially on the old Panama City–Colon highway.”
| Distance | 270 mi (435 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 24 min |
| Provinces on the route | Veraguas, Herrera, Coclé, Panama, Colón |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
On the road from Santa Catalina to Portobelo
It runs through 5 provinces: Veraguas, Herrera, Coclé, Panama, Colón. Of the 6 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Santa Catalina to Portobelo
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–246 | 246 | Veraguas, Herrera, Coclé, Panama, Colón |
| connecting roads | 246–249 | 3 | Colón |
| local roads | 249–270 | 21 | Colón |
- Mile 86 of this route: Veraguas → Herrera (province line)
- Mile 91 of this route: Herrera → Coclé (province line)
- Mile 157 of this route: Coclé → Panama (province line)
- Mile 230 of this route: Panama → Colón (province line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Santa Catalina and Portobelo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): St. James the Apostle Cathedral, Santiago de Veraguas (mile 68), St. John Baptist Cathedral, Penonomé (mile 130), Parque Municipal Summit (mile 221)
- Nature and outdoors: Altos de Campana National Park (mile 186)
- Museums and history: St. James the Apostle Cathedral, Santiago de Veraguas (mile 68), St. John Baptist Cathedral, Penonomé (mile 130), Panamá Viejo (mile 218)
- With kids: Parque Municipal Summit (mile 221)
St. James the Apostle Cathedral, Santiago de Veraguas
Santiago de Veraguas Cathedral, dedicated to St. James the Apostle, is the Catholic cathedral of Santiago, a city in Panama's Veraguas province.
St. John Baptist Cathedral, Penonomé
Also called Penonomé Cathedral, St. John Baptist Cathedral is a Catholic church in the city of Penonomé, in Panama's Coclé Province.
Altos de Campana National Park
About 50 km west of Panama City in Panamá Oeste province, Altos de Campana National Park was established in 1966 and covers 11,901 acres of mountain terrain.
Casco Viejo
Casco Viejo (Casco Antiguo or San Felipe) is Panama City's historic district, settled in 1673 after pirates nearly destroyed the original city, Panamá Viejo, in 1671.
Panamá Viejo
Panamá Viejo is what remains of the original Panama City, the former capital destroyed in 1671 by privateer Henry Morgan, now within the suburbs of the current capital.
Parque Municipal Summit
Parque Municipal Summit in central Panama combines a botanical garden with a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility. Rescued native and exotic animals that cannot be released back into the wild are displayed to visitors in its zoo.
Arriving in Portobelo
San Jeronimo Castle
Part of Spain's defenses for transatlantic trade, San Jerónimo Castle in Portobelo shows 17th- and 18th-century military architecture and was declared a national historic monument in 1941.
More drives to Portobelo
- Balboa to Portobelo
- Santiago de Veraguas to Portobelo
- Limón to Portobelo, Panama
- San Isidro to Portobelo, Panama
- Cartago, Costa Rica to Portobelo, Panama
- Dominical to Portobelo, Panama
From Santa Catalina to other places in Panama
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Santa Catalina to Portobelo?
About 7 h 24 min of driving without stops, over 270 miles.
What is the driving distance from Santa Catalina to Portobelo?
About 270 miles (435 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Is it safe to drive from Santa Catalina to Portobelo?
The U.S. State Department rates Panama Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Where can you stop on the way from Santa Catalina to Portobelo?
Closest to the road: St. James the Apostle Cathedral, Santiago de Veraguas (cathedral, mile 68, 0.1 mi from the route); St. John Baptist Cathedral, Penonomé (cathedral, mile 130, 0.5 mi from the route); Parque Municipal Summit (zoo, mile 221, 0.7 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.