Where we are
Located in the northwest of Panama, at the Costa Rica border, is the Province of Bocas del Toro. The capitol of the Province is the town of Bocas del Toro on the "Colón Island" (oficial name), but it is commonly known as Bocas Island or Bocas Isla.
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A 45 min. flight from Panama City or a 45 min. flight from San Jose, Costa Rica. A 20 min. boat ride from Almirante, which is the closest town on the mainland.
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The archipelago consists of many Islands and keys. Bocas Island, Carenero, Solarte, Bastimentos and San Cristobal are all in close proximity. Popa Island and Ojo de Agua are further away, about a 30-40 min. boat ride.
La Gruta
La Gruta is a bat cave. The people who discovered it dedicated it to the virgin Mary and to this day it is a place of religious ceremonies and worship. The virgin Mary is highly worshiped in Panama and Mothers day in Panama is celebrated on December 8. Accessible only by road from Bocas Island.
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Starfish Beach
Starfish beach is about a 15-20 min. boat ride from our property. The beach is littered with Starfish and is extremely popular with tourists. The removing of starfish from the water, for the purpose of picture taking, has had a negative impact on the beach and the starfish.
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Zapatilla Islands
Zapatillas are about a 20 min. boat ride from our property. The islands are part of the Bastimentos Marine National Park. Visitors must pay for admission to the islands. Calm clear waters make this a great snorkeling and swimming spot. Hawksbill Turtles nest here from May through September.
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Red Frog Beach
Red Frog Beach is the home of the poison dart frog. Red Frog is a 20 min. boat ride from our property. Most of the year the open ocean side of the beach is not accessible by boat. Boats arrive at the lagoon side of Bastimentos and from the dock it is a 10 min. walk to get to the beach. There is also a high end vacation and residential home development, called the Red Frog Beach Resort. Bastimentos is also nesting ground for the Hawksbill turtles.
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Bluff Beach
Bluff Beach is only accessible by road from Bocas Town. It is not considered a beach for swimming. It is most popular with surfers. Several restaurants and hotels are located at Bluff Beach. Bluff beach is a nesting ground for sea turtles. The giant Leatherback Turtle nesting season is from March until July.
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Bocas Town
Bocas Town a 10 min. Boat ride from our property. This is a back packers hip town. From $ 8.00 hostels to $ 200.00 hotels and everything in between. At last count there were at least 30 mini supermarkets, all of which are in Chinese hands. Logically it is impossible for a town as small as Bocas to support this many stores, but it looks like the Chinese have other sources of income than from their stores. 4 hardware stores and an avalanche of restaurants. Bocas Town is very small, has too many cars and taxis and is not the place to live. Lot sizes in town are mostly only 200 m² (2,250 ft²) and cost a fortune. For this reason a lot of people chose one of the surrounding islands to live, to build hotels or eco resorts. Although Bocas Town is the official Capitol of the province, most important government offices are in the Town of Changuinola on the mainland.
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Almirante
Almirante is the nearest town on the mainland, about 30 min. boat ride from our property. There are no attractions in Almirante, but it is the nearest port to access the rest of Panama. Water taxis operate between Almirante and Bocas Town. From Tuesday through Sunday a ferry makes two trips daily from Almirante to Bocas Town. Chiquita Banana is loading their ships in the port of Almirante. From here the bananas are transported to the US and to Europe.
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