From Panama City’s small Albrook Airport, Air Panama flies to Bocas del Toro.
In the departure hall you can admire a huge, beautiful puzzle showing landmarks from almost every country in the world. (Sadly, I couldn’t spot anything from Luxembourg 😉.) The Brandenburg Gate and Neuschwanstein Castle are on it, though.
Right after take-off the plane flies over the impressive Puente Centenario. The bridge opened in 2004 and spans the Panama Canal with a length of 1,052 metres. With a bit of luck you will see a ship passing through the canal below.
Arriving in Bocas del Toro
The flight to Bocas del Toro takes just under an hour.
On arrival, airport staff guide the passengers into a small hall, where the suitcases are set down one by one. An older man with a guitar welcomes everyone with a song, and the mood is instantly great. Then a sniffer dog appears with a police officer and checks every suitcase thoroughly. Once the dog has done its job and found nothing, passengers can take their luggage, put it through the scanner once more and leave the airport building.
Bocas del Toro welcomes you with small colourful houses and lively streets. You have arrived on the Caribbean side of Panama.
We rented a quad bike to explore the island; there are also buses, or you can take a taxi. Riding a quad is quite uncomfortable at the moment, because almost every road on Isla Colón has turned into a building site … which reminds me a lot of home 😉.
Dream beaches on Isla Colón
After a bumpy ride you are rewarded with wonderful beaches. Crystal-clear, pleasantly warm water and golden sand as far as you can see, for example at Playa Bluff in the east of Isla Colón. I want to stay here, it is so beautiful. Small beach bars invite you to enjoy a cocktail.
Playa Bocas del Drago is lovely, a dream beach for swimming and relaxing. Playa Estrella right next to it is a little more secluded. Here you can watch lots of starfish lying in the shallow water near the shore.
Dolphins and snorkelling
In Bocas del Toro you can also book boat trips, for example to Bahía de los Delfines. The dolphins swim freely here and you can watch them quietly from the boat. They live in their natural habitat and are not fed to put on a show for tourists.
Next stop is Crawl Cay, one of the best-known snorkelling spots, with lush coral gardens. The shallow water is perfect for snorkelling: you simply slip off the boat into the sea.
At a restaurant built on stilts right on the beach, serving fresh fish, seafood and chicken, I also made friends with Daniel 😉
From the terrace you can watch all kinds of fish, countless of them swimming in the bay. Maybe they already know that a little rice finds its way from the plate into the water now and then. A real treat for the fish.
Bocas del Toro and Isla Colón are perfect for nature lovers, water sports fans and anyone longing for a relaxed Caribbean atmosphere. The stunning nature and the many activities make sure you take home memories you won’t forget.
