Hard to leave!

Once you get there it's hard to leave Panama's fabulous Bocas del Toro. It's a peaceful relaxing place with a funky, romantic charm that has something untamed about it. The place is full with colorful people nursing drinks in dilapidated wooden bars, going fishing or running rustic hotels on remote beaches. Bocas is beautiful and natural. It has an abundance of emerald islands, pristine beaches, turquoise waters, dense forests, barely explored mountains and rivers, extensive coral gardens, spooky mangrove channels, and exotic wildlife. It's the kind of Caribbean hideaway one expects to find only in old movies. Here it is though, all very real - a perfect paradise.

An archipeglio

Bocas del Toro is a province of Panama made up of a group of islands off the east coast, just 20 miles south of Costa Rica. It stretches about 100 kilometres from Boca del Drago in the west to Isla Escudo de Veraguas in the east. Christopher Columbus explored here in 1502 while searching for the passage for the Pasific Ocean.

The archipelago of Bocas del Toro has nine major islands, 59 smaller islands with names and a myriad of unnamed mangrove cays with a total population of 89,300. There is a protected Marine National Park here where four species of turtles come to lay their eggs. The islands are known for their incredible natural beauty, amazing flowers, animals, parrots & other birds, good weather, warm clear water full of coral, dolphins, colourful fish and sea turtles, great diving, sailing & surfing, great food and chilled out lifesyle all in a stable democratic country with a sound economy and friendly attitude to foreigners.

The People of Bocas

The people help make Bocas special. More ethnicities and nationalities are represented on the islands than anywhere in the country outside of Panama City and you will hear more English spoken here than anywhere in the country. The islands have long been home to the Ng'be-Bugl', as well as the descendents of Afro-Caribbean immigrants from the English-speaking islands of Jamaica, San Andr's, and Providencia, many of whom came down to work on the region's enormous banana plantations. The pace of life is slow and relaxed with nobody seeming to be in much of a hurry. Locals travel between the islands in dugout canoes, some with motors, but most without. These canoes, or pongas as they are called, litter the waterways and channels, especially in the morning when everybody is either going to the main island or the mainland. During this rush hour, most adults are traveling to the mainland to work in the banana fields and the children are going to school. Most of the hotels and restaurants on the islands are owned by Europeans and North Americans. Long-term expats are already grumbling that Bocas isn't what it used to be, but so far the new arrivals have mainly just brought a more international flavor and a broader range of lodging, dining, entertainment, and activity possibilities. For now though, backpackers and surfers can still find a bed for five bucks and a meal for $1.50, but those with more money to spend can stay in relatively luxurious surroundings and dine on surprisingly good Thai, Indian, Mexican, Italian, and other international cuisine.

The weather

The weather is warm and tropical all year round. Bocas's biggest shortcoming however is the rain. Bocas is one of the wettest regions in Panama. The rain never completely stops, though the best chance of a dry visit is in the min-dry seasons of September/October and February/March. Happily, that's during Bocas's low season, when prices are cheaper and everything less crowded. But as with the rest of Panama, even in the rainy season storms usually blow through quickly. Rainfall tends to be heaviest in December and July. Panama being less than 10 degrees from the equator means the sun here can be very hot. However, because of its location, Bocas del Toro usually has a cooling breeze. The trade winds blow from approximately December to March but Bocas is mostly sheltered by the outlying islands and the sea is virtually always calm. The water temperature varies only a degree or two year-round from its usual 29C (85F).

Bocas del Toro Real Estate

The real estate opportunities for beachfront properties, teak plantations, and island hideaways are here in abundance. Caribbean beach front property at prices that are still affordable is too good an opportunity to dismiss. Lots here start as low as $32,000! Wow! To see property in Bocas del Toro click here

Getting there

Bocas del Toro Marina

This is the newest and most up to date marina in Panama. It accommodates boats up to 100 ft. and the concrete floating docks provide stable platforms for walking and working, with aluminum ramps connecting the slips to the land. Both short term and long term visitors are welcomed by the owners and staff, whose extensive knowledge will help make your arrival and stay in Bocas del Toro smooth and comfortable. A great advantage to you the yacht owner is that you can leave your vessel in Panam' indefinitely, with NO taxes to pay! The only requirement is that you maintain a current cruising permit.

Tourism in Bocas del Toro

Over the last few years the entire province has seen the beginnings of a tourist boom, with a number of middle range hotels and restaurants being opened in and around Bocas town. The town now boasts of three different PADI dive shops, many different styles of restaurants, a deep sea fishing outfit, numerous sailboat and catamaran cruises, mountain bike and moped rentals and a lot of fabulous seafood. Various half, full and multiple day trips can be arranged that combine different elements of what is available in the region.

Excursions in Bocas

Catamaran A good example of the type of excursion one can find is a very popular day trip that takes place on a 34-foot catamaran that cruises tourists throughout the archipelago through deeply vegetated islands and coral reefs, stopping along the way at different spots to snorkel and scuba dive. Once they reach their destination, a secluded and deserted white sand beach on the island of Bastimentos, the picnic baskets are unloaded and a typical Caribbean lunch is served with white rice, beans, fish, fruit and juices. After resting and swimming in the light crystal blue waters, it is time for the jungle hike into the island's nature preserve. Sloths, howler monkeys, toucans, parrots, iguanas and tiny, brightly colored, poison dart frogs are among the island's different animal inhabitants. The day trip ends with another cruise through the islands with one more stop for snorkeling and then pulls back into Bocas town just before sunset.

Mountain bikes A fun and distinct excursion to take on Isla Colon is to rent mountain bikes in Bocas town and cycle into the interior. There is a dirt road that goes from the town all the way through the heart of the island to its other side. Many areas of this 20-mile long and 8-mile wide island are still primary and secondary rain forests with a number of pastures and small pueblos of thatched roofed huts. It is in one of these villages along the road in the middle of the island where you can find one of Bocas hidden treasures.

The cave Across the street from the town's lone soda (small store) is a plain cement walkway that veers off the road and down the slope of a hill. Nestled to one side, at the bottom of the ravine, near the mouth of a cave and a fresh water spring is a shrine to the Virgin Mary. The area is shaded by a grove of trees and is quite cool even at midday in the middle of summer. Situated at the entrance to the cave, and placed all around the statue, are dozens of different colored glass candles. As you enter into the cave, the light from these candles flickers and bounce off the walls in a kaleidoscope of shifting colors. Further into the cave, it is possible to look up and see thousands of small fruit bats sleeping upside down and hanging from the ceiling. There is a quiet serenity to the place that allows visitors to relax and enjoy the beauty of its surroundings.

Deep-sea fishing Deep sea fishing is a fairly new addition to the different excursions available in the region, but that does not mean that it isn't world class. For years locals have been fishing in the province's warm and bounteous waters catching all types of fish and seafood including the local delicacy, langusta, or lobster. For the avid sports fisherman there are sailfish, blue and black marlin, shark, barracuda, red snapper and snook. Half and full day trips are very inexpensive when compared with other sports fishing destinations such as Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica.

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling Scuba Diving & snorkeling in Bocas del Toro is in some of the best and most diverse waters in all of Central America. The cost however is about half what you would expect to pay in places like Roatan, Honduras. You can find over two dozen different types of corals, hundreds of species of fish, kelp forests, shipwrecks, caves and reefs all within an hour of Bocas town. With so many different types of diving experiences to be had, it is the perfect place to spend a couple of weeks exploring them all. One popular destination for divers and snorkelers a like, is Hospital Point. At only five minute by boat from Bocas, this point is easily accessible and a great place to get your feet wet. The water is warm and clear and it is possible to see many different examples of coral such as brain and elk. For those on a budget, a mask, snorkel and fins can be rented in town for as little as $12 for the day. They can then hire one of the many locals along the wharf to take them over by boat and then pick them up later in the day for no more the three dollars.

Bocas del Toro Animals

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