 It’s hard to leave Bocas del Toro. It’s a terribly relaxing place,
and at the same time it exudes a funky, romantic charm that has
something untamed about it. The place is filled with colorful
characters nursing drinks in dilapidated wooden bars or running rustic
hotels on remote beaches. It’s the kind of Caribbean hideaway one
expects to find only in old Bogart films.
And it’s just
gorgeous. 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.
Four species of endangered sea turtles still visit the waters of Bocas.
They come ashore by the hundreds during nesting season to lay their
eggs on the north side of the islands and some stretches of the
mainland coast. Little Swan’s Cay, really just a rock in the ocean, is
the only Panamanian nesting site of the beautiful red-billed
tropicbird. It’s just one of the more than 350 species of birds
attracted to the region. Sloths, caimans, dolphins, neon-colored frogs,
and, of course, lots of small tropical fish are easy to spot in the
archipelago. No wonder a dozen countries have shot their versions of
the Survivor TV series here.
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
one is more likely to hear English spoken here than anywhere in the
country, period. The islands have long been home to the Ngöbe-Buglé, as
well as the descendents of Afro-Caribbean immigrants from the
English-speaking islands of Jamaica, San Andrés, and Providencia, many
of whom came down to work on the region’s enormous banana plantations.
Most of the hotels and restaurants on the islands are owned by
Europeans and North Americans. And the mostly young and boho tourists
Bocas attracts are coming from all over the world.
For
most visitors, Bocas del Toro means the archipelago that stretches
about 100 kilometers from Boca del Drago in the west to Isla Escudo de
Veraguas in the east. For them the mainland is just a place to fly over
or drive through on the way to the islands. But the rest of the
province of Bocas del Toro has plenty of spectacular natural beauty,
such as the Caribbean side of the enormous Parque Internacional la
Amistad and the wetlands of San San Pondsack. Lucky hikers, at least
those who venture far up into the mainland forests, may encounter
endangered mammals such as Baird’s tapir. All five species of cats
found on the isthmus, including jaguars, are hanging on in the most
remote reaches of the forest, but the chance of coming across one is
slim. The forests are also still home to indigenous peoples trying to
hold onto their culture and ancestral lands. This includes the
little-known Naso, who welcome visitors to a unique ecotourist project
on the edge of their communities up the Rio Teribe.
More
than just about anyplace else in Panama, the Bocas archipelago is
taking off as a tourist destination. Backpackers are spilling over from
Costa Rica, and more affluent expatriates from the United States and
Canada are buying up beachfront property and building their fantasy
tropical getaways. Everyone is in the real-estate business these days.
There are even luxurious planned communities in the works. But the funk
factor is still strong and the islands are hardly a tourist trap.
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 more
international flavor and a broader range of lodging, dining,
entertainment, and activity possibilities. For now, 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.
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Bocas Del Toro 
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