Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cayos Zapatillas
Southeast of Isla Bastimentos, but still within the park boundary, are the
Cayos Zapatillas
(Little Shoes), so named because they resemble a pair of footprints in the sea. The two
dreamy, coral-fringed islands, encircled by powdery white sand, offer snorkelling off the
beach, where you'll find more and larger fish than in Cayo Crawl. The main reef is exposed
to the ocean, often with strong currents and choppy water. An ANAM officer will usually
find you to collect the entry fee. On the prettier northern island, camping is also possible with
permission from ANAM in Bocas Town, where you can watch the stars and share the sand
with nesting turtles.
ARRIVAL AND ACCOMMODATION: PARQUE NACIONAL ISLA
BASTIMENTOS
By tour or boat
The easiest way to visit is with a
tour operator
(see
Tours from Bocas
) on a
day-trip (though the park fee is always additional to the price) or by contracting a boat. If the
latter, arrange for an early start to miss the tour groups at Laguna Bocatorito and Cayo Crawl.
Camping
To camp ($10) at the Playa Larga refuge or on Cayos Zapatillas you will need per-
mission from
ANAM
in Bocas Town; if you arrive between March and July, ANAM is likely
to refer you to the
Endangered Wildlife Trust
since the refuge will be occupied by conserva-
tion volunteers, though you could overnight in more comfort at
Quebrada Sal
.
Isla Solarte
Other islands in the archipelago are far less frequently visited and far less populated, though
some
of
the
scattered
Ngäbe
communities
are
now
opening
up
to
visitors
through
community-based tourism projects.
Sheltered in the leeward crook of Isla Bastimentos, thin, hilly
ISLA SOLARTE
is surroun-
ded by tranquil waters. Its most famous feature,
Hospital Point
, at its northwestern tip, was
the location of a hospital built by the United Fruit Company in 1900 during the banana boom
to quarantine malaria and yellow-fever sufferers. The point is now one the most popular dive
and snorkel spots, at the end of many day-trip itineraries, with a healthy reef of cauliflower
and brain coral and an impressive wall full of tropical fish, shelving off a pencil-thin strip of
beach.
Solarte
, also known as Cayo Nancy, a corruption of “nance”, the cherry-sized yellow fruit
much in evidence on the island, is home to a Ngäbe village of around 250, which has a school
and even a football field. Most of the villagers live from fishing and subsistence agriculture.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: ISLA SOLARTE
By water-taxi
A 10min ride from Bocas ($5) will get you to Hospital Point on Isla Solarte.
