If I Had to Choose Just One Beach in Panama...

The view from the "Island of the Birds," just one of many popular spots in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago.

Monday, Nov. 19, 2007
Bocas del Toro, Panama

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A dread-locked surfer ambles past the café's outdoor terrace…I watch him with mild curiosity as I sip my piña colada (made with fresh pineapple and coconut). Drowsy and slightly sunburned after a day of boating from island to island, snorkeling and splashing along the way, I plop myself in a nearby hammock.

In the distance the waves are crashing and the faint reggae music can be heard…Bob Marley, maybe. Surrounding me is lush rainforest greenery, bikini-clad beachgoers, and bottle-blue and green waters. As well as the sweet aroma of coconut, there is also a slight sewage smell (and bits of trash and coconut littering the gutters)…but somehow, here, these things seem unimportant. This is Bocas del Toro…colorful, diverse, and isolated…and despite its many faults, I am hooked.

Perhaps the most beautiful of Panama's nine provinces, Bocas del Toro used to be the least known. As recently as 10 years ago, few Panamanians visited Bocas del Toro. The part-mainland, part-island province is on Panama’s Caribbean coast and bordering Costa Rica. Of the archipelago's nearly 10,000 islands, there are about nine main islands that have recently been getting a great deal of attention--both locally and internationally. Despite this recent fame, the islands are still wild enough to have hosted the Italian and Russian versions of the popular reality series Survivor.

The capital of Bocas del Toro--or Bocas, as it is commonly called--is the town of Bocas del Toro on Isla Colon. Isla Colon and its surrounding islands boast relatively untouched beaches, primary and secondary rainforest, and a marine eco-system that is among the world's most varied.

Bocas has a rich ethnic heritage and lively and unique cultural diversity. Thanks to the colonial British influence here, English is widely spoken. Many locals also speak a hard-to-understand patois that is mostly English, with some Spanish incorporated. The people of Bocas town are primarily of African and Caribbean descent. The Ngobe-Bugle, however, are among the region's original inhabitants. With some 164,000 members, it is Panama's largest indigenous group.

There are many restaurants…the most popular are the hut-like structures suspended above the water on stilts. They offer simple, ultra-fresh seafood--usually with a side of either coconut rice, lentils, plantains, johnny cake, or a bit of salad. You'll usually be able to choose from local fare like fish, octopus, shrimp, and lobster. Prices range from about $7 for fish to around $15 for lobster.

As for the nightlife, islands and beaches in Panama tend to be quiet…but Isla Colon is lively. My favorite place to have a drink and people-watch is Mondo Taitu (a block or two from Hotel Las Brisas). You’ll typically find a hip, surfer-dude crowd there.

Jessica Ramesch
Panama Insider, International Living

P.S. If you are interested in dancing the night away in a pick-up joint with thumping music, bad drinks, and bad service, then Barco Hundido is the place to go.

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