Case file · Apparition / miracle
The Black Christ of Portobelo
Panamanian legend says a dark wooden Christ washed ashore at Portobelo, or was left by a ship that could not sail until it was unloaded; in 1821 it was credited with ending a cholera epidemic. The arrival year is the traditional one.
1658 CE · 9.55, -79.66 · status: legend
The account
Each 21 October tens of thousands of pilgrims, many dressed in purple, walk to Portobelo for El Nazareno. The cult is especially strong among Afro-Panamanian communities.