|
Isolated on the Costa Rican border between the Caribbean and the forested slopes of the Cordillera Talamanca, Bocas del Toro (usually abbreviated simply to "Bocas") is one of the most remote and beautiful provinces in Panama. Until the road across the cordillera from the province of Chiriqui was built in the early 1980s, Bocas del Toro was completely cut off from the rest of Panama, and could be reached only by sea, air or via Costa Rica. From the volcanic slopes of the Cordillera Talamanca down to the Caribbean sea, most of the mainland is still covered by rainforest, apart from a narrow coastal strip where bananas are cultivated. Offshore, the Bocas del Toro Archipelago is home to an ecosystem so complex and well preserved that it has been described by biologists as "the Galapagos of the 21st century". This exceptional natural diversity is matched by the equally unusual make-up of the region's population. While the inland forests are still populated by indigenous groups - Ngobe-Bugle, Naso and Bribri - the islands are dominated by the descendants of West Indian migrants, and English, or rather Guari-Guari - Jamaican patois embellished with some Spanish and Ngobere - remains the lingua franca. Long one of the best-kept secrets in Central America, in recent years Bocas has begun to attract more and more visitors - thanks to its growing reputation and easy accessibility from Costa Rica, you're likely to see more travellers here in a day than in the rest of Panama in a month. But though a tourism boom is well under way in the islands, it's yet to change the friendly, laid-back approach to life adopted by most of the inhabitants. And the pristine beauty of the archipelago's ecosystems - tropical forests, mangroves, deserted beaches, extensive coral reefs and crystalline waters teeming with rare marine life - is largely protected by the Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos . The only drawback is the unpredictable weather: the dry season is much less clearly defined than in the rest of the country and bright sunshine can give way to torrential tropical rain with alarming rapidity. Most visitors head straight out to the islands and the provincial capital, Bocas del Toro - also referred to as Bocas Town, Bocas Isla or just plain Bocas - which is the best base from which to explore the archipelago. The coastal banana zone and its main town, Changuinola, are usually visited only by those heading to Costa Rica.
Your Tip for Bocas del Toro
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Bocas del Toro - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Bocas del Toro - visit the main Bocas del Toro forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Bocas del Toro webguide section below! Thanks.
| 
