SCUBA DIVING:
There are three scuba diving main operators (Bocas Water Sports, Starfleet Scuba and La Buga Dive) and many spots to visit with them. The operators offer convenient all inclusive packages that take you to two different sites per day. They offer also PADI diving courses at convenient prices.
SNORKELLING:
Because of the shallowness of the Bocas del Toro coral reefs, there are many more sites for snorkelling than for scuba diving. The main tour and dive operators bring you to this unique experience.
SPORT FISHING:
If your wish is sport fishing, the Caribbean Sea outside of the islands is very generous with the fishers: dorado, mackerel, king fish, red snapper, blue marlin, are only a few of the catches available. Consult with the tour operators.
RAINFOREST HIKING:
Many trails are available in the Archipelago.
The Trail of the Sloth is located in the vicinity of the Bahia Honda comunity, Bastimentos island, and the tours leave from the village's restaurant. It is a mix of water and land trails. Main attractions are the sloths, easy to find here, and the bats in a grout at the end of the trail. To go there contact the community project at TIMOROGO website.
The Trail of the Red Frog is also in the Bastimentos island and crosses from the southern coast to the nothern coast, the main attraction being the red dart frogs. Served by the tour operators.
The Trails of Salt Creek, also in the Bastimentos island, in the vicinity of the Quebrada Sal village. This is another community tourism project, ALIATUR website, and they offer not only four trails but also ngobe indians cultural activities like dances and handicrafts.
The Trail of Sandubidi, in the Popa island, in the vicinity of the Popa 2 (Sandubidi) village, runs from the community through the rain forest for around 2 kilometers. Good site for birdwatching, small mammals
and to look for medicinal plants. Restaurant and lodging of the community project MERI NGOBE are available on site. Also in this community is a short demonstrative trail of the mangroves life.
The trail "The forest behind the reef", in the Large Zapatilla Cay inside of the Marine Park. Even though its route is easy and short, it is worth to visit it, complemented with the beautiful beach and turquoise waters that surround the cay.
BIRDWATCHING:
The tourist who wishes to birdwatch can, by sea, observe the many sea birds along the islands coasts. And can also by land, observe the various birds of the rainforest. The absolute attraction for birdwatchers is the Red-billed Tropic Bird (Phaeton aethereus), that nests in the Swan Cay, only known place in the Caribbean.
In that same cay, declared a Birds Sanctuary, also nests the brown booby (Sula leucogaster etesiaca), whereas other important sea birds like the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis carolinensis), the frigate (Fregata
magnificens) and diverse gulls and terns, have active presences but without nesting.
In the coasts of mangroves it is possible to observe, in addition to the mentioned ones, the sandpipers, diverse herons and egrets, the neotropic cormoran (Phalocrocorax o. olivaceus), the kiskadee and the
kingfisher. In the forests it is possible to observe hummingbirds, tiles, hawks, doves, parrots, owls, oropendolas, woodpeckers, toucans (Popa island), tanagers and many others.
SURFING:
Isla Colon (Bluff Beach and The Dump)and Bastimentos (First and Second Beach plus Old Point) are two of the three big spots. The other is the northern tip of the Carenero Cay. The Dump and Carenero are the favorites of local surfers.
MARINE TURTLES NESTING:
Four species of marine turtles arrive at our beaches to nest: the hawskbill, the logerhead, the leatherback and the green.
This last one makes an important migration during the months of July and August going to nest on the beaches of
Tortuguero, Costa Rica. However some of them also stop to nest in Bocas. The main nesting season begins at the end of March and runs until September.
The observation of the nesting during the night requires patience and a caring attitude. The closest project to see the nesting runs at Bluff Beach. Specialized guides always accompany those persons wanting to observe. Do not bring your flashlights, because lights are startling to the nesting turtles and also for the small young at time of birth. For this
reason the use of lights is strictly prohibited when observing marine turtles nesting.
NGOBE INDIANS VILLAGES:
If you are interested in indian cultures, then it is a good idea to visit San Cristobal, Popa 2 or Quebrada Sal, where any local person will tell you about their communities and culture. Indian communities in the islands are very poor, depending almost exclusively on fishing activity that is complemented with survival agriculture. They receive any visitor with kindness. Because their productive activities are decaying, some of the communities are getting involved in the tourism business to improve their incomes.
A good and cooperative idea is, during your tours by the archipelago, to have lunch in Bahia Honda or Popa 2 restaurants, run by the local people, or to buy the beautiful ngobe handicrafts, especially their bags (mochilas or
chacaras) made with a vegetal fiber called pita and painted with vegetal colorants.
LEARNING SPANISH IN PANAMA:
You can learn Spanish at Habla Ya Spanish School in Bocas del Toro, which is accredited as an Official DELE Examination Center by the Cervantes Institute. The beaches of Bocas del Toro are certainly the perfect scenario to learn Spanish in Central America.
OTHER ACTIVITIES:
There are other interesting things to do in the Archipelago, one of them simply resting in a hamock at the shade of a palm tree reading a good book, lye on a secluded beach or simply observing a beautiful sunset.
And you can see other attractions by renting a bike in Bocas del Toro town and following the beach road to Bluff Beach, or take a cab and ask the driver to bring you to the middle of the Colon island, to Colonia Santeña, and visit a well known spot: the Virgin Grout (La Gruta) where thousands of bats live therin.
Do visit the town of Bastimentos, in the western side of Bastimentos island, which is a typical Caribbean village inhabited by descendants of people descendant of west-indies natives. This is a place that is changing very fast due to the
influence of tourism. Walk through the town, which has no streets and, of course, no cars or trucks, or just sit in a bar on the sea with a cold drink and a delicious seafood plate. Very pleasant experiences.
MAIN LAND:
To see more attractions run by indian communities (ngobes and nasos) look at COMMUNITY TOURISM NET web site, where are listed seven projects of community tourism, three on the archipelago and four on the main land. Don't miss the trip to the Teribe River (where inhabit the naso indians) and to San San Pond Sak Wetland reserve, workplace of other community organization, AAMVECONA, protecting the marine turtles and the manatis.
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