Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 757-9093; mains US$5.50-10; 11am-9pm)
Locals claim this seaside deck restaurant
serves the best food on the island. Burgers with blue cheese, stuffed chilies, firecracker
shrimp and
ceviche
(seafood marinated in lemon or lime juice, garlic and seasonings) are
lovingly prepared by a cantankerous chef. And there are drinks.
Bibi's
SEAFOOD $$$
(mains US$6-15; 8am-10pm)
In front of the Buccaneer, this thatched, over-the-water res-
taurant and outfitter makes fresh salads, tasty soups and lightly fried fish. The service
couldn't be friendlier and the sea views will keep you lingering.
Getting There & Away
Isla Carenero is a quick and easy US$1 boat ride from the waterfront in Bocas town.
Water taxis dock at the small marina on the tip of the island. From here, there is a path
that leads to Isla Carenero's fledgling town and continues across the island.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Isla Solarte & Around
Isla Solarte (Cayo Nancy) is distinguished by Hospital Point, named after the United
Fruit Company hospital built here in 1900 to isolate victims of yellow fever and malaria.
At the time, it was not yet known that these diseases were transmitted by mosquitoes. Al-
though the hospital complex eventually included 16 buildings, it was abandoned after
two decades of operation following the blight that killed all of United Fruit's banana
trees.
Today, most visitors to Solarte are day-trippers on boat tours, who dock just off Hos-
pital Point to snorkel the 20m underwater wall. Though much of the island is private, an
attractive option for anyone looking for a little tropical seclusion is
Solarte del Caribe
country inn, complete with a spacious open-sided dining room and cozy guest rooms
with lovely hardwood floors and private bathrooms with flushing compost toilets. Unlike
some remote lodgings, Solarte is close enough to Bocas to make impromptu trips without
much production.
Fenced in by mangroves on an islet connected to Solarte,
Garden of Eden
6967-0187;
www.gardenofedenbocaspanama.com
;
d incl breakfast US$187;
