Overnight the Wind Surf chugged east along the Panamanian coast to a small group of islands in the Caribbean Sea called the Archipielago de Bocas del Toro. We set sail at 4 pm last evening from Colon and we arrived here at approximately 9 am this morning and it was a nice amount of rock and roll for sleeping all night.
Bocas del Toro (also called Bocas Town) is also the name of the capital of this region which is located on Isla Colon, and we’re anchored just off shore from this town.
The archipelago is home to the Bastimentos National Marine Park where you can find unique flora and fauna. The rain forests, mangroves, swamps and coral reefs are home to crocodiles, manatees, caimans, tarpons, frigate birds, and coral snakes! Red Frog Beach got its name from, you guessed it, the tiny Red Frogs who are at home in the rain forest surrounding the beach. These frogs are tiny, vibrant red and poisonous. And monkeys and sloths can be found in the jungles and are sometimes spotted on the pathways near the beach.
Bahia de los Delfines (Dolphin Bay) on Isla Cristobal has a pod of resident dolphins and you can take an excursion to seek them out from Bocas Town.
Bocas del Toro became the epicentre of Chiquita’s Banana trade in the early 20th century, and with the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 exports surged, and the economy here soared. Unfortunately a fungus that hit the banana plantations in the 1950s caused significant interruption in the economy until they could get another species of bananas, not affected by that particular fungus, on to the market.
The major economic drivers, in addition to bananas, are fishing and tourism with 100,000 visitors to the islands each year who come to enjoy the very relaxed Caribbean atmosphere. In fact, Bocas Town almost has a hippy feel to it and literally has a broken down Volkswagen Van on one of the side streets all painted up. There is also a house made from plastic bottles that sells itself as a tourist attraction.
We were meant to do a snorkeling trip to 3 different sites today, but it was obvious when we came up for breakfast that even if the tour was going ahead we weren’t going to be on it. In the end, we were reimbursed for the excursion and spent the day on the ship, sitting and eating and reading, and sitting and eating and talking, talking about the weather, napping, and sitting and drinking and playing trivial pursuit, sitting and eating again.
We visited this location two years ago on the Star Legend and had the same luck with the weather. On that occasion we took the tender in to the town and walked around to see some of the brightly painted buildings, shops, and waterfront restaurants. Last year, Clair was here on different cruise and lucked out with great weather and was able to go snorkelling, see Red Frog Beach and some Dolphins playing in the mangrove swamps.
Oh well, can’t win them all. It wouldn’t be so green and beautiful if it didn’t rain occasionally.
Lois' Adventures 