Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Boats to El Porvenir
In Miramar, you can negotiate passage to El Porvenir in Kuna Yala but
you'd be well advised to find out in advance about possible departures - ring
Bohío Miramar
- since they are irregular and rare in the storm season (Dec-Feb).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
NOMBRE DE DIOS
Casita Rio Indio
5min along the Nombre de Dios road from Portobelo after the fork to La
Guaira
panama-casitarioindio.chez-alice.fr
.
Set well back from the road in verdant sur-
roundings by a stream is a simple wooden
cabaña
with two very rustic rooms at bargain
rates. The friendly French owners can provide inexpensive breakfast and dinner but you'll
need to venture out to the kiosk down the road, or bring supplies, for lunch. Activities such
as horseriding ($20) or night outings to look for caimans can be o
rga
nized. Ask the Nombre
de Dios bus to drop you off, or catch a taxi ($10) from Portobelo.
$12
MIRAMAR AND AROUND
Bohío Miramar
On the beach 6549 3556.
If you need to overnight in the village, this place
right overlooking the
se
a offers four small, spotless rooms with good beds, a/c, TV and an
adjoining restaurant.
$40
Coral Lodge
Near the community of Santa Isabel, close to the border with Guna Yala 838
9988,
corallodge.com
.
At the far eastern tip of the province lies this luxury eco-resort
com
-
prising seven bungalows set over water, which can be accessed by boat from Miramar.
$335
Archipiélago de las Perlas
Set in coral-rich crystalline waters in the Golfo de Panamá only a twenty-minute flight south-
east of Panama City, the 220 islands and islets that comprise the
Archipiélago de las Perlas
(Pearl Islands) were named by Vasco Nuñez de Balboa in 1513 after their once prolific black-
lipped pearl oysters. Sprinkled over an area of around 1700 square kilometres, only a handful
of islands are inhabited and many remain under-explored, though various controversial de-
velopment projects are threatening to change that.
Currently, the attractive
Isla Contadora
is the only island with a developed tourist infra-
structure though
Isla Saboga
, with its golden beaches, holds plenty of appeal. With time to
explore, you could also visit the vast
Isla del Rey
, which supports only a rudimentary hotel
in its main settlement, San Miguel. On the other hand, if you're not on a budget, then con-
sider the wonderful coral and sand of
Isla San José
, only accessible via the exclusive
Ha-
cienda del Mar
(
haciendadelmar.net
). Air Panama has flights to both and Sea Las Perlas (
sealasperlas.com
) provides a ferry service to Isla del Rey.
In addition to the lure of countless deserted sugar-sand
beaches
and
reefs
teeming with mul-
ticoloured fish, a visit to the archipelago between June and October can be rewarded with
