Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro is located on the island of Colon, which is part of the archipelago Bocas del Toro with the similar name and it is the capital of the eponymous province, located in the northwest of Panama. Local people simply call this place “Bocas”. The place is small and it is possible to walk though the entire town within 1 hour.
Bocas del Toro is truly one of the most beautiful destinations in Panama. It can offer amazing diving, snorkeling and surfing. The islands are easily accessible with the boat connections from Changuinola and Almirante. The archipelago was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1502. It consists of 9 relatively large islands, 52 small islands and more than 200 tiny islands. The most common destinations are the islands of Colon in the beach area of Bocas del Drago, Bastimentos island and Red Frog beach. There is also a Dolphin Bay near San Cristobal island, where regular dolphin appearances make it so attractive for visitors.
Bastmentos island is one of the few protected areas in Latin America, where wildlife, indigenous tribes “Ngobe Bugle” and coral reef blend in amazing diversity. Many of the beaches here are home to lay eggs for some endangered species of turtles.
The archipelago has unlimited opportunities for diving. The main dive sites in Bocas del Toro are located at the northwestern tip of the island of Colon. Here you can see underwater coral gardens, coral walls, caves and tunnels. It is also a very good place to surf and fish.
Directions
By air: Air Panama offers domestic flights to Bocas del Toro from Albrook Airport (the journey takes about 1 hour).
By bus: From the terminal Albrook daily.
By car: From Panama City need to go west on the Pan-American Highway before entering the Gualaca exit (404 km) .Turn right and drive to the city of Chiriqui Grande (98 km) in Punta Peña. Then you will need to get to the port of Almirante (another 68 km). In there you can leave the car at the parking lot or also there is a ferry available.
Boats to the island of Colon leave every 20-30 min, ferry leave daily at 8:00 AM, except Sunday.
What to bring?
- Sunscreen
- Water
- Swimwear
- Hat / Cap
Activities
- Diving, snorkeling
- Watching starfish
- Sport Fishing
- Surfing