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Title: Avoid the Hustle in Bocas del Toro
Author: Mark Kanty
Article:
A quick 50 minute flight from Panama City and we found ourselves
in the tropical Caribbean paradise of Bocas Del Toro (a.k.a.
Bocas). There are two regional airlines with daily flights to
Bocas. Currently the cost for a one way flight to or from the
city is $75 as of '07. (Be sure to read my Letter: "Getting
Around Panama" at http://www.LearnAboutPanama.com for all kinds
of tips on how to get around the country).
Bocas del Toro is an island community. Instead of a car most
people own and get around by boat. I've heard Bocas referred to
as 'Venice of Caribbean". Although the only similarity I notice
is the getting around by boat part! I would describe Bocas more
like the Wild West than Venice. In fact, when we arrived in
Bocas is was a little intimidating. Although there are a number
of restaurants and bars in the town of Bocas on Isla Colon there
is really little to do. If you are not planning on getting away
from the main town don't bother going! That said, getting out
into the protected waters of the archipelago is a real treat.
You will experience the beautiful blue Caribbean waters and
white sand beaches; wildlife including the famous Red Frogs of
Isla Bastimentos and the Porpoises of Dolphin Bay, to name a few
and even some of the best surfing in the Caribbean, I am told.
Bocas is one of the only parts of Panama where we encountered a
bit of 'street hustle'. We were tempted by one of the local
tricks - More than one fisherman, through with his morning
catch, approached us and offered his 'private boat' for the day.
He promised to take us to the same places as the tour operators
for the same or maybe even less money, he was willing to
negotiate. It sounded like a bargain especially when he talked
about the tour company filling their boat with strangers and how
nice it would be to have his boat to ourselves. Fortunately, we
had some good advice and just said 'No thank you'. We learned
that a private boat often turns out to be a leaky boat with no
protection from the sun and it's not uncommon for the captain to
pick up "friends who just need a lift" i.e. other unsuspecting
tourists. (There are other little tricks like this about Bocas
that we learned the hard way. Watch for those tips in my next
Bocas letter.) So, we followed another piece of advice and went
directly to the well known pro in Bocas, JJ's Tours. Their
reputation is well deserved. It truly is the best place in Bocas
to go on a snorkelling or island tour. We spent an entire day in
and around the islands chasing dolphins and snorkelling with our
bilingual guide. We even stopped for a lunch of fresh caught
seafood at a restaurant built on pilings in the middle of the
mangrove.
There is this great little hotel on the main street but away
from the dock where the water taxis come and go. It's quieter
back here. The wood work in this little inn is incredible and
they make a pretty good pizza too! The town of Bocas has a
Jamaican flavor. The restaurants in town are plentiful. Our
favorite one serves to tables right on the dock and we enjoyed
fresh caught Pargo Rojo (Red Snapper) which is so big it hangs
over each side of the plate and all for under $10! The real
estate bargains appear to be everywhere here as do the real
estate street vendors... "PST, hey mister. Want to buy some
land, cheap!" Bocas has a well earned reputation of being the
shadiest part of Panama and I don't mean the Palm trees. It's
tough making smart decisions here. The people are so friendly
and the waters so lovely. The emotions kick in but beware there
is little law enforcement to protect you from the unscrupulous.
I was fortunate to have my lovely wife with me. After almost
signing on the dotted line I bowed to my wife's intuition and
narrowly escaped a $100,000 Teak & Noni farm (scam). Without
proper guidance many a life's savings have been lost in these
magical waters.
After a couple of days of snorkelling and exploring the wonders
of the rain forest we were off in the air again. This time north
to the Pacific and into the highlands of Chiriqui and the
village of Boquete.
Hasta Luego!
Mark has been there and done it! He moved to the warm, stable
Republic of Panama. With his wife and two sons he travelled
throughout the country and learned how to Safely Invest in
Panama Real Estate. Panama City, Bocas del Toro & Boquete - Now
you can follow this family journey discovering the best places
to eat, stay, live and invest. Learn more about Mark's
adventures at http://www.LearnAboutPanama.com
About the author:
Mark has been there and done it! He moved to the warm, stable
Republic of Panama. With his wife and two sons he travelled
throughout the country and learned how to Safely Invest in
Panama Real Estate. Panama City, Bocas del Toro & Boquete - Now
you can follow this family journey discovering the best places
to eat, stay, live and invest. Learn more about Mark's
adventures at http://www.LearnAboutPanama.com
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