Casa Corazón

Bocas (capital of the province), on Isla Colón, is home to the airport and an interweaving of dirt streets that all lead to Calle Tercera, the main thoroughfare. Away from the center, we find the wooden houses that served as accommodation in the days of the large banana plantations. The island has only two roads, only one of which is partially paved. The only “town” of Isla Colón is Bocas del Toro, a place of almost obligatory passage in terms of accommodation and catering. 

Like many other islands in the archipelago, Isla San Cristóbal is surrounded by waters rich in marine life; in the north of the island, where large areas are made up of mangroves, you can observe many dolphins. San Cristóbal is also the name of a ngöbe-buglé village, an indigenous people of Panama, which is the subject of excursions offered by some agencies.  

Located 300 m in front of the town of Bocas del Toro, the Isla Carenero, without road or car, will delight travelers who want to escape the stress of modern life. Unspoiled beaches cover this little piece of land, and surf lovers seem to have met there!

If you opt for lunch in these places, be sure to take a short stroll through the small village of Carenero. This visit will allow you to dive directly into the daily universe of the inhabitants of the island and to observe the small dwellings on stilts so particular to the archipelago. In some cases, they seem to stand up by a miracle!  

Off Bastimentos Island, at  Bocas del Toro , the Marino Isla Bastimentos National Park occupies a large portion of the territory of this island and preserves the ecosystems of its beaches, mangroves and coral reefs. With its rich marine fauna and its gigantic beaches which welcome up to four species of sea turtles, it remains unique in the country.   

An integral part of the park, the Zapatillas Islands are entirely surrounded by a coral reef and are renowned for the beauty of their beautiful white sand beaches. There are two of them, bathing in dreamy crystalline waters which, moreover, are shallow and therefore ideal for snorkelling. On the coast of Red Frog Island, the sand is so white and so beautifully rippling that one would almost hesitate to step on it, but the warm, turquoise waters are too tempting. Palm trees line the beach and small paths crisscross the forest ...  

The Playa Bluff ( Bocas del Toro ), suitable for surfing because of its big waves, is famous as a place to observe sea turtles. From June to September, several of them, notably the leatherback turtle, come to lay their eggs there at night. Since these are protected species, visiting the premises during this season is subject to certain rules of respect for the environment. For those who wish to witness any of these phenomena, the Panama Department of the Environment offers night tours in the company of a guide.
 

In the province of  Bocas del Toro , the tiny Isla de los Pájaros, also known by its English name of Swan Cay and which should rather be called a "big rock", constitutes a  ornithological reserve . You guessed it, the places will be of particular interest to bird lovers.