Bocas del Toro

The ferry.

Bocas del Toro is a province located in the extreme northwest of the country. It's also an archipelago of magnificent islands with beautiful beaches and a lush jungle.

To get there, a ferry connects the mainland to Isla Colón. The departure is from the port of Almirante, a town without any great interest, from where are shipped great quantity of bananas, one of the main wealth of the region.

A water taxi vs. a container ship.

Most of the visitors travel to the archipelago using water taxis capable of carrying 10-15 people. Notice the size of the container ship loaded with dozens of containers from the Chiquita company.

Chiquita's Banana.

Isla Colón

Bocas seen from the ferry.

The island of Colón is the gateway to the archipelago with the only settlement deserving the name of town; it is also named Bocas del Toro or simply Bocas.

The town is disorderly cluster of old houses, bars, restaurants, and numerous tourism agencies.

Near town, the beaches aren't very appealing.

Isla Colón - Boca del Drago

The bay of Boca del Drago is home to a beach with the same name as well as the Starfish Beach. These two beaches are lined with jungle and mangrove where lots of animals can be observed. I had the chance to see a sloth and howler monkeys.

A ray, only a few metres from the shore. The water is very clear in the bay.

The Starfish Beach is aptly named. Some specimens can be seen just by walking along the shore.

Howler monkeys.

Isla Colón - La Gruta

This cave, in the middle of the island and the jungle, protects a small colony of bats. A small stream springs from the depths of the cave, and it's possible to explore the first few metres.

It was a nice place to hunt frogs and other critters.

Strawberry Poison Frog - Oophaga pumilio.

Isla Colón - Landscapes

It's victim is a frog.

Isla Caranero

The tiny island of Caranero is located in front of the town of Bocas. The island is not the most attractive, but the views it offers on Bocas are fantastic. On the other side of the islands, there are some nice beaches.

The town of Bocas.

The town of Bocas.

The town of Bocas.

Small hotel with a superb view of the town.

The island is home to a small village where the people are very poor. Without wanting to criticize or judge the people, I wonder why, when people are poor, it's a synonym of uncleanliness and trash....

Isla Bastimentos

The island of Bastimentos is a superb place, scarcely populated, with jungle teeming with animals, and the famous beaches of Red Frog, Wizard, and more.

The Red Frog Beach is named for the tiny tree frog with hues of red and orange, once abundant on the island. Nowadays, it's more rarely encountered, but with some effort, it can still be found.

Strawberry Poison Frog - Oophaga pumilio.

Going back to the mainland

After a nice week on the islands of the archipelago, it's time to return to the mainland.