THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Panama - page 343

CULTURAL ECO-TOURISM IN BOCAS DEL TORO
Several Ngäbe communities in the province have initiated cultural eco-tourism projects
to supplement their subsistence livelihood: Bahía Honda and Quebrada Sal (Salt Creek) on
Bastimentos, Sandubidi on Isla Popa and Silico Creek and Río Oeste Arriba on the main-
land are all trying to attract visitors. The less well-known and less numerous Naso , too, are
also active in community-based tourism . While several day tours from Bocas Town now
include communities in some of their itineraries, you learn and experience much more by
staying overnight (see Tour operators , Bahía Honda , Isla Solarte & Silico Creek ) . In ad-
dition to the obvious interest of being able to interact with the Ngäbe (or Naso) and learn
about their culture, the communities often offer traditional dishes, crafts for sale and guided
walks into the rainforest, with good wildlife-spotting opportunities and the chance to learn
about medicinal plants. With some of the mainland communities, you can undertake more
strenuous hiking.
Details of how to contact the communities directly, and therefore ensure that all your
money goes directly to them, are to be found in English and Spanish on the Red de Turismo
Comunitario Bocas del Toro website

redtucombo.bocasdeltoro.org .

ARRIVAL AND GETTING AROUND: ISLA BASTIMENTOS
BY WATER-TAXI
To Old Bank Old Bank is a 10min ($3) ride by water-taxi with Boteros Bastimentos from
their jetty on C 3 at Av “C”, Bocas Town.
To Red Frog Beach Jampan Tours, C 3 at Av “B”, runs a regular service at set times to a
marina on the south side of Bastimentos ($4 one way, $7 return), from where it's a 10min
walk (or 3min shuttle) across the island to the beach. There's a controversial $3 landing fee
imposed by developers, which ostensibly goes towards maintaining the path across the island.
To avoid the fee, you can take the beach path from Old Bank though be mindful of security
issues .
REACHING THE NGÄBE COMMUNITIES
If you want to visit one of the Ngäbe communities and are struggling to make your own
arrangements,

contact the Bocas del Toro Community Tourism Network (

redtucombo.bocasdeltoro.org ).
ACCOMMODATION
The handful of lodgings in Old Bank are budget-oriented and attract those wanting to experi-
ence the “real” Bocas, who need to be prepared to be lulled to sleep by ear-splitting music on
occasions. They are all to be found along, or just off, the cement path that winds through the