The Bocas del Toro Blog

Bocas del Toro Surfing has been described as one of the best in the world. Why is it? Read on to find out.

This group of ten tropical islands located on the coast of the Caribbean, close to the border with Costa Rica, is considered one of the rising stars for surf practice in the whole world. Though Bocas del Toro surfing is already very popular among residents in Panama, these islands are still a pearl to be found by most international surfers.

The unique and massive waves offer the visitor an experience that’s likely to be remembered –and no one will forget the surfing capital of the southwest Caribbean.

 

Bocas del Toro Surfing Tips

Conditions for surf in Panama

Surfers are welcomed to come visit our waves around all year. Since Panama City has become such an international hub, you can find a flight down here whenever you want. Bocas del Toro is a province of Panama that’s located about an hour flight from Panama City, with flights going out daily. It is required that you include Bocas del Toro surfing to the list of activities you already have on the schedule if you come down here. But if you like to plan ahead, have some insider tips:

- on the Pacific Coast, the most reliable weather conditions are verified between March and November. During June and July there’s also some wind and cold fronts coming from the north and though usually September and October are sometimes flat, the hurricanes in the Caribbean can push some swells in.

- on the Atlantic Coast expect some big waves from November till April. The wind blows out of the north on the dry season (December to April), which means the offshores will be clean and the swell will be strong. From December to February you can except some good times, with waves heights of 3 to 6 feet. On the western end of this coast is where you’ll find the prime Bocas del Toro surfing spots.

Besides the unforgettable waves, you can also expect clear blue waters that allow you to see the reef while surfing and some luscious green surroundings coming from the nearby jungle. And if you like it easy, keep in mind that most waves are reef breaks; but if you like to push it, there’s also some beach breaks and tubing waiting for you!

Bocas del Toro Surfing Top Spots

Not all of the islands that constitute this Central American’s archipelago face the open ocean. Our advice would be for you to try one of the three main islands: Isla Colon, Isla Bastimentos or Isla Caranero.


Isla Colon: Here you’ll find plenty of options. The Bluff Beach, near Bocas Town, is easily reached by car or water taxi. This beach is almost deserted all year round and it sure deserves a visit; La Curba may be the perfect Bocas del Toro surfing destination if you’re the lonely type of surfer and want to run from small crowds. This short beach break only starts to show when it’s over 3 feet and most of the days there’s not a single soul out there; Dumpers is a well-known beach between the surfing community but it’s never crowded. Here you can find some of the best freight-train lefts in the area and though it’s a long walk from town, it’s easily reachable by water taxi; Punch is a reef break, where you can find both rights and lefts. Don’t forget that here it’s common to have 100 yards lefts and even if it’s crowded sometimes, this is one of the best spots in the area.

Caranero: Smaller than the previous, in Caranero you can find a series of left-hand point breaks. When the swell is big, be sure you’ll find some heavy tubes and long rides. Again, water taxi is a good option to reach this paradise.

Silverbacks: placed between Caranero and Bastimentos, Silverbacks has been known for its big and heavy waves. It will make you think of the huge Hawaiian waves and it’s only recommended for long time experienced surfers.

Bastimentos: Here you can find a large amount of good beaches. Whenever there’s swell, the navigation can become difficult, so be sure your taxi driver knows his way. The best place is either Wizards or First Beach, where you can find some fast and powerful lefts and rights.

All in all you can’t go wrong picking the right spots to surf. Among all the other activities you can do over here, we hope you thoroughly enjoy Bocas del Toro surfing it’s really one of our “not-so-best” kept secrets.

Surf Fishing – The Quick Start Guide To This Exciting Sport
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Surf Fishing – The Quick Start Guide To This Exciting Sport

Isla Colon is the main island in the archipelago of Bocas Del Toro, the capital is Bocas Town. Bocas Town is extremely small and for its size has examples of the best dinner restaurants that may be found anywhere.

Take note lots of the restaurants are open Tuesday through Sunday and are generally closed on Monday nights.

Casbah

Casbah only has a few tables in a small building on the main road just around the corner from downtown Bocas Del Toro. The menu is Mediterranean and you can always count on getting good sized portions. The cost of meals is mid-range and costs between -.

Nine Degrees

Nine Degrees, named for the distance Bocas is from the equator, is an extremely elegant restaurant located on the water within the Tropical Market building in downtown Bocas Del Toro. The menu is similar to what you would see in a nice American style steak and seafood house. The menu now incorporates a full Sushi bar and there’s a fantastic little bar upstairs that is a favorite of island expats and locals alike on Saturday nights. Prices vary from to for an entrée, cheap in comparison with comparable American and European restaurants.

Lemon Grass

This is one of the best choices in Bocas Del Toro every day but Thursday (because it’s closed). It has a Asian Fusion inspired menu with lots of good curry and seafood dishes. The bar at Lemongrass is small but can be lively and a good place to chat with some locals. The atmosphere food and view are all great and the prices are typical for Bocas Del Toro and range from -.

El Ultimo Refugio

El Refugio is on the water towards the end of downtown Bocas Del Toro near the ferry dock. The meals here is always fun and surprising, no menu, only a blackboard. They cook everyday a great idea is to get there early before they run out of things. When they have buffalo calamari don’t pass it up. The price of a meal here is in the to range and the atmosphere is comfortable and intimate.

OM

OM is an Indian Restaurant with various traditional Indian dishes and a choice concerning how spicy you desire to have your curry prepared. This restaurant is situated upstairs across from the Bocas Del Toro municipal government building within the park. Even our Indian visitors rate the food as excellent. Prices are mid-range.

El Pecado

El Pecado can be found within the Hotel Laguna, its third location that I know of in Bocas Del Toro, but it just keeps improving, maybe the top restaurant in Panama. The entrees consist of pizza to gourmet dinners with unique and delicious appetizers. Prices cover anything from for a small pizza to for a dinner entrée.

Guari Guari

Guari Guari is situated outside of Bocas town but is a simple taxi ride and more than worth it. Recommended by Moon and Frommer’s Guide Books, Guari Guari serves a six-course gourmet dinner to those with reservations cooked to perfection. There’s no menu but in case you have food allergies or perhaps cannot eat something let Guari Guari know while you make your reservation and they will adapt the meal that night to meet your requirements. The price is .50 per person plus drinks.

Bocas del Toro, located on the western Caribbean Coast, is a province of Panama centered around the water. Over the years, the Hispanic influence in this region has diminished and the native Ngöbe and Buglé people still make up the most of its population. The other section of inhabitants descends of 19^thcentury immigrants from Jamaica and these two distinct cultures (plus the Hispanics from other parts of the Panama) give to Bocas del Toro a lively cultural diversity.

Known for the natural landscapes and exuberant nature, Bocas del Toro is also notorious for the top quality beaches it as to offer.

Surf in Red Frog Beach

Considered one of Bocas del Toro’s treasures, the Red Frog Beach is set in the North end of Isla Bastimentos. The curious name derives from the tiny red frogs you can spot right near the beach – don’t worry, they’re harmless and not bigger than a thumbnail. Beside the frogs, it’s also very common to appreciate sloths, alligators and monkeys which provide this beach unique surroundings.

If you are a fan of surfing, this may be the right place for you since there is an almost perfect surf break nearby. Keep in mind that the water taxis only can dock here if the water is (very) calm, so in most cases you’ll probably have to take a boat to the other side of the island and hike a few miles across. But it is worth the walking and be sure you will sight some impossibly postcard views.

Snorkeling at Boca del Drago Beach

If instead of waves, you prefer snorkeling and starfish sightings, you should come to Boca Del Drago Beach. About an hour and 15 minutes away from the main town (Bocas Town) or a 20-mile drive, this beach offers you one of the clearest waters in the region and a nearby coral reef. Located on a small fishing community, Boca delDrago offers calm waters perfect for swimming and a narrow beach fringed with tree palms.

The fun fact about this beach is that it was here that Christopher Columbus first stopped in Panama as he sailed south from Costa Rica.

Peace at Playa Bluff

Considered by many the best hidden beach in Bocas del Toro, the Playa Bluff doesn’t have an easy access. Located about 25 minutes away from Boca’s Town, it’s absolutely breathtaking and often deserted during week. If it’s true that Playa Bluff’s waves often make for a rough swim, the beach is still very popular among surfers.

This is also an important nesting site for endangered sea turtles and depending on the time of the year, it may be possible to arrange a night visit to the beach in order to watch huge, endangered sea turtles laying their eggs or, instead, the tiny hatchlings emerging and scurrying down to the sea.

Overall, this province of 9 major islands, plus a couple of hundred islets and cays, is an exquisite land. Home for many luxurious beaches of white sands and turquoise blue waters, you can choose between a day of surfing, snorkeling or just relaxing sunbathing.

A couple things come to mind when planning out what the best places to stay in Bocas del Toro are for your vacation down here.  You’ll obviously need somewhere to stay in Bocas, to be able to move around and enjoy everything that’s around.  To do this, you should look at the next couple of factors to make sure you’re staying at the best place you can.

How to find the Best Places to Stay in Bocas del Toro?

First off, you should look at the hotel location when creating your travel package to Bocas.  Basically when looking at this you’ll want to have something in Isla Colon since it’s where most of the action happens for tourists.  However, some visitors choose to go to other islands to make their getaway at a quieter place.

Does it really matter that you find yourself a list of good places to stay in Bocas?

Absolutely. Listen, it’s all about comfort, you know it and I know it too. Moreover, we can stress that as we try more and more to achieve a greater level of success, trust me you don’t want to go through the process of picking some hole to stay in. Figure out what the best places to stay in Bocas are before you get here!!!. You might find out you have less than you really need, but you thought you were going to get and that’s never a good thing.

What to look for when contacting these guys?

Look for their attention to detail. It says a lot about someone doing business. And this shows up in the way they email you. If they have a website, you should look for it. Higher quality websites mean more budget which means they’re successful (or at least making a good attempt at it).

How can I suit Bocas to me?

You can choose whether you want to be in the “busy” environment that is Isla Colon, or you wish to make your experience different by staying at another one of the islands. The choice for your Bocas vacation is yours but we hope we helped you figure out the best places to stay in Bocas del Toro.

Finding a hotel in Bocas del Toro is something that’s quite easy.  With a lot of hotels to choose from, it is very easy to find the nicer ones around.  When you’re thinking of a trip down to Panama, you have to think of a couple of things.

First off, you’ll be in Panama City (all international flights arrive at the Tocumen – PTY airport on a regular basis).

If you look at the way some of the hotels in Bocas del Toro are set up, you’ll see that they have today’s modern accomodations available in most of them.  Some of them even offer wi-fi connections and everything.

The most important thing is to figure out what kind of trip are you planning on going on.  Is it a party trip?  Do you just want to vacation in Bocas?  Do you want to explore Bocas?  What do you feel like doing, because I’ll tell you what, there’s nothing you can’t do over here.  Especially if you add in the city component in Panama city, which is a major international destination renowned for shopping and tourism.

If you feel like making your next great vacation in Bocas happen sometime soon, book your hotel today.  We’re just a plane ride away and trust us, the experience here is awesome.

When you’re thinking of visiting the beautiful destination that is Panama’s Bocas del Toro province (and islands) one of the things that you should certainly look into is making sure that your trip happens without any sort of hiccups that could damage your experience in Bocas del Toro.  We think that once you visit Bocas del Toro, you’ll be able to delight yourself in the wonder that is Bocas.

First off, we have to come up with a couple of tips for you when you visit.

• Make sure there’s running water.  Believe it or not, it does become an issue during the high seasons and it becomes a problem for all who are there since you’ll be experiencing so much of Bocas right away that this is something you don’t want to worry about.
• Double check your reservations.  Sometimes the hotels overbook and you don’t want to arrive at the hotel and have them tell you it’s overbooked, that’s not good for you or the hotels, and even though we don’t want them to do it, it’s been known to happen.
• Plan your experience.  This experience should be good for you on all days, and if you plan ahead you can certainly talk to a guy with a boat to take you and your group to the different places in Bocas.
• Look for the best experience.  If you want to do Nightlife, there are a bunch of different places available for clubbing, pretty much every night of the week.

All in all, Bocas del Toro is a premier vacation destination.  You will not regret your visit.

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RealTravel Reveals Top Ten Ways to Love Latin America

Los Altos, CA (PRWEB) August 2, 2007

RealTravel (http://realtravel.com ), a travel blogging and travel guide site that helps more than half a million people plan trips with advice from other travelers every month, today announces top 10 ways to love Latin America, according to RealTravel editors and blogger Ciccia.

1) Learn to speak Spanish.

One fantastic ability that people have is the gift of communication. Though it’s not necessary for a trip to South or Central America, it can certainly enhance your travels. And you don’t need to be fluent before you arrive, either, as language courses are offered in plenty. Ciccia writes in her travel blog: “Some of my most amazing experiences have been simply speaking to normal people on the bus, in isolated villages or shady plazas. If you want to really discover something amazing, try to get past language barriers and embrace a way of thinking and a culture that is so far removed from what you know. I had a few lessons at the Academia Latinoamericana de Espanol in Sucre, Bolivia. I would recommend this school for its professionalism, its price ($ 5 to $ 10 US depending on group size) and the variety of other cultural activities they have such as salsa and cookery.”

2) Immerse yourself in culture.

A great way to experience another person’s way of life is to become involved in cultural exchanges. “I visited Isla Amantani on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca,” Ciccia shares, “and I stayed with a family who had not changed their lives to fit in with modern ways. Their farming techniques, their dress, and their customs have not changed for centuries. The family treated me as a daughter and talked about how difficult life can be on this splash of land in the world’s highest inland sea. I would also encourage staying in a Casa Particolar in Cuba if possible, as you will meet the most sincere people around.”

3) Dance!

A trip to any country in Central or South American will be lacking unless you put your dancing shoes on and partake in the dancing culture. Learn how to salsa in Cuba, to tango on the streets of Buenos Aires, or to samba in Rio de Janeiro. Dancing can feel infectious throughout the continent. Ciccia shares a story about a night out in Cordoba, Argentina: “This city is brimming with students who make it their mission to party all night every night. I was taken to what can only be described as a refugee shelter where the young and beautiful come to dance to live Quarteto music. I have never seen so many people dance!”

4) Taste the food.

If travel is about discovery, then why not send your taste buds on their own adventure along the way? Food and drink are an essential part of Latin American culture. “While visiting Venezuela I have become addicted to fried yucca and green plantain,” writes Ciccia. “I have also never quite been able to get over how good the meat is in Argentina and how fabulous Chilean wine is. Peru has some delights too; anything Creole is delicious! Eating and drinking are to be enjoyed with new-found friends so why not accept that invitation to drink with a mate in Argentina to the strumming of a guitar in the park? If you go to Lima visit Baranco, the artisan’s neighbourhood, to sample national Peruvian dishes at a daily food market. The desserts will actually make you think you have died and gone to heaven’s kitchen.” Check your South American travel guide to get some great dining ideas.

5) Learn to love nature.

South and Central America have some of the most diverse landscapes in the world. One example of a unique terrain is the Salt Flats of Uyuni. Ciccia describes her experience visiting Uyuni in her travel blog: “This vast terrain of nothingness tricks you into thinking that you have stepped into a hall of mirrors and leaves you feeling that this land full of contradictions has changed every notion you had of the Earth. Green, yellow, red, white and turquoise lakes and moon-like rocks will inspire you. Prepare yourself for the mythical flight of the condor, heights that will leave you literally breathless and apparently bottomless canyons.”

6) Be adventurous.

Traveling is the perfect opportunity to try activities that you would never do at home. When creating your trip planner, leave room for the unexpected. Ciccia had her fair share of adventures: “Though I felt as though my heart was going to leap out of my chest at any moment, sand buggying in the desert of Ica was one of the most thrilling activities ever. After a wild ride over what used to be a vast sea millions of years ago, we stopped and watched a perfect sunset before going home. Diving in Utila, Honduras is not only the cheapest place in the world to do this but also so much fun and stunningly beautiful. What I loved about diving was learning something so new and different to anything I could experience in my country.”

7) Understand a region’s history.

Learning about a country’s history yields a better understanding of its current state. Seek out museums, guided tours, or read books on the places you are visiting to enrich your experiences. “The highlight of my trip was the Inca Trail in Peru,” Ciccia shares. “Not only is it a scenic hike but it is fundamental to Peru’s Incan past. Full of mystery and spirituality, Macchu Picchu was the home to the Incan intellectual elite. This fascinating walk left me in awe of a culture which apparently escaped to another dimension. Potosi in Bolivia is another interesting city if you are interested in colonial development, and Tikal in Guatamala is a breathtaking long lost Mayan city which peaks above the jungle canopy. To get a good idea of Incan history then I would highly recommend visiting the Museo de la Alta Montana in Salta, Argentina and the Museo del Inka in Cusco, Peru.”

Be pro-active about poverty.

To add meaning to your travels, seek out volunteer opportunities. Ciccia writes: “I chose to volunteer for Project Peru (http://www.projectperu.org.uk), an organization which has provided a home for a number of children born into extreme poverty and it organizes other social projects which directly benefit Peru’s most vulnerable sectors of society. If you are considering doing the Inca trail, why not get a few friends to sponsor you and use it to say thank you to a country which will offer you so much hospitality and warmth? I also visited Project Peru’s refuge in the shanty towns around Lima and I spent a few days entertaining (and being entertained by) the children there. Volunteering is a fantastic way to get yourself involved with local culture and to do something really productive with your time.”

9) Accept things as they are.

Some travelers will find Latin America to move at a slower pace than what they’re accustomed to in their fast-paced lifestyles. Remind yourself that every culture has a different sense of time, and etiquette around schedules varies not only between areas of the world, but also from country to country within South and Central America. Understanding is key: find a travel guide for the country you are visiting and read about what to expect in terms of transportation, customs, and attitudes around time.

10) Find the time to take a break from the chaos of travel.

Travel can be tiring. Relaxation is the perfect antidote, and there is nowhere better than the Caribbean coast of Central America for that. Ciccia advises: “My ultimate favourite spot for doing just that is Bocas del Toro in Panama. This group of islands gives you the option to party on Isla Colon or to mix exclusively with the locals on Isla Bastimento. There is not much to do there but sunbathe, visit paradise desert islands and snooze in a hammock as you watch the sun go down over the warm Caribbean ocean.”

RealTraveler Ciccia, an England native, shares her travel stories in her blog, South and Central America in 5ish months.

About RealTravel

Named “Best of the Web” by Forbes and BusinessWeek in 2006 and Best Online Travel Community of the Year in 2007 by the Association of Travel Marketing Executives, RealTravel is a travel blogging and travel guide site that helps more than half a million people plan trips with advice from other travelers every month. Visit us at http://realtravel.com.

Media Contacts:

Christina Brzica

RealTravel.com

christina @ realtravel.com

650-694-4970

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BOCAS del TORO: A Novel

Billy Starkey is sent to prison at age 18 when he refuses to provide testimony against reputed mobsters, after two of his friends who agree to cooperate with law enforcement authorities are found shot to death. Upon his release, he finds himself back in a world of crime. He and his girl friend flee to Cedar Key, Florida, take on new identities and hide. When they are discovered by an intrepid Federal agent, after being set-up by a confidential informant gone bad, Billy must infiltrate a gang of

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