Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
relaxing drink. You can tuck into some tasty tacos for $5-6 or try something more substantial
such as chicken curry with coconut rice for around $10.
Daily 8am-10pm.
Restaurante El Pacifíco
Just before the village beach on the main road.
Local restaurant at
local prices serving filling Panamanian favourites - fish and chicken with beans, rice and
salad (around $3 for lunch), and a fry-up breakfast for much the same. Can fix up boat trips
too.
Daily 7am-7pm.
La Vieja Panadería
Main road before the junction 6549 7464.
Get here early to catch the
croissants, muffins and
pain chocolats
; otherwise enjoy the great home-made bread and tasty
breakfasts ($4-6). Filling packed lunches to order ($7).
Tues-Sun 6.30am-4pm.
Parque Nacional Coiba
Some say “Panama” means “abundance of fish”, and nowhere is this more apparent than in
the crystalline waters of the
Parque Nacional de Coiba
. The 2700 square kilometres of re-
serve encompass Panama's largest island,
Isla Coiba
, plus eight smaller islands and forty is-
lets, but the vast majority consists of ocean brimming with spectacular sea life, including the
second-largest coral reef along the Eastern Pacific. As part of the nutrient-rich Central Pacific
Marine Corridor, the park is on the migration route of humpbacks (June-Sept), orcas, pilot
and sperm whales. Diving conditions are good year-round, but for land-based activities, it's
better to visit the island in the
dry season
since the trails are less boggy and there's a better
chance of spotting mammals.
The island still possesses large tracts of
virgin forest
, most of it still unexplored, home to
numerous mammal and bird species. Of the estimated 2000 different types of plant, under
half have so far been formally classified. The surrounding
oceans
contain countless varieties
of fish, ranging from delicate sea horses to vast manta rays, with 33 species of shark - in-
cluding tiger, hammerhead and whale sharks, though most are harmless reef varieties.
For years, the island's gruesome history as a
penal colony
helped protect its forests and wa-
ters, but the colony's animals (cattle, buffalo and dogs) are now roaming free, threatening
the
ecological balance
. Incursions by large fishing vessels (limited artesanal fishing is per-
mitted), illegal timber extraction and resort development could also damage the reserve, and
ongoing negotiations between the government, environmental pressure groups and interested
businesses will have a critical impact on Coiba's future.
