Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Isolated on the Costa Rican border between the Caribbean and the forested slopes of
the Cordillera de Talamanca, Bocas del Toro (“Mouths of the Bull”) is one of the most
beautiful areas in Panama. It's also one of the most remote - the mainland portion of the
province is connected to the rest of Panama by a single spectacular road that carves its
way over the continental divide, often blocked by landslides during the heaviest rains,
while the island chain offshore requires a ferry ride to reach.
For most people, Bocas - confusingly, the abbreviation for the province, archipelago, pro-
vincial capital and even sometimes Isla Colón - means the
tropical islands
, which attract
more visitors than anywhere else outside Panama City, offering opportunities for relaxing on
pristine
beaches
and snorkelling and diving among
coral reefs
in a maze of tangled
man-
groves
and undisturbed
rainforest
. The archipelago's unique history has made it the most
ethnically diverse region in Panama outside the capital, its Afro-Caribbean, Panamanian-
Chinese,
mestizo
and indigenous Ngäbe residents recently joined by North American retirees
and US and European hotel owners. English is the dominant language, though Spanish is still
widespread. However cosmopolitan Bocas has become, it is the languid pace of the dominant
Afro-Caribbean culture
and its distinctive vernacular wooden architecture that most clearly
defines the place.
Yet the archipelago only constitutes a small percentage of the province, much of which is
taken up by the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé in the east and the inaccessible but spectacular Tala-
manca mountain range to the southwest, whose lofty peaks form the backbone of the vast
Parque Internacional La Amistad
, which boasts an awe-inspiring array of wildlife. The
lowlands of the mainland, often dismissed as an endless stream of banana plantations, also of-
fer a couple of notable attractions. Panama's banana capital and the province's main commer-
cial centre,
Changuinola
, provides access to the magical
Humedales de San San Pond Sak
,
the country's main refuge for the manatee and an important beach for nesting marine turtles.
Inland, on the banks of the picturesque Río Teribe, a stay with the
Naso
, one of the less
well-known indigenous peoples, provides a unique opportunity for intercultural exchange in
a stunning natural setting.
