Panama Experience

Our first stop in Panama was Bocas del Toro and to be more exact the island of Colon where we stayed for three nights. Colon is a backpacker and party town with all the water related activities at hand. I myself went diving with company called La Buga which runs a relaxed diving operation in the city center. I can not really recommend diving here since it was cold and visibility was average at best and there was very little to see since all the fish were not on the reef – instead they seemed to be hanging out at the mangrove forests. 

Diving boats here are much smaller (and faster) since the sites are very close. This is both advantage and disadvantage. So, overall I would say that unless it is dry and hot season, save your money if you have had some quality diving before. In the evening we visited this local club called Aqua Lounge which is probably one of the most sinful clubs I have ever visited. I can imagine it can get quite crazy here during the hottest months of the summer. 

On day two at Bocas we had a boat tour which included five stops: Dolphin Bay, snorkeling, Zapatillos Keys, lunch and Sloth island. I would say the highlight of the day was Zapatillos Keys which to me represented a perfect remote Caribbean beach on an isolated island. Boat ride to Zapatillos and back was quite rough so I would recommend having waterproof jacket and also something soft to sit on with you.

Colon has many restaurants but I enjoy the most of these simple local establishments that offer simple and cheap food. And there is no waiting which is a defining feature in almost all the western targeted restaurants. Rice, some meat, veggies and a natural drink under 5 USD. It does not get any better than that in my view.

From Bocas we took a boat to Almirante and three buses to Boquete via David. We arrived Boquete in the afternoon and I instantly got the same vibe as in Banos, Ecuador. With the exception that there seemed to be less backpackers at this time which was also a good thing. Not so much of a party scene either which was also great. I would say that to me this was one of the best stops on the tour so far. And there was also an excellent lunch place called El Sabroson, where you can get good lunch around 3-4 USD. Also the local Supermarket Romero has excellent selection and it is open 24 hours.

In Boquete we did the 3 lost waterfalls hike which was a short hike in a jungle through muddy paths. Hike is a bit demanding on some parts but for a fit person who has done some hiking before it is a breeze. It takes around 2 hours to see all the waterfalls and come back. Plan 3 hours if you want to take pictures and brakes. I did it in sports sandals which was quite alright. Otherwise some kind of Goretex shoes would be the way to go. We paid 13 USD one way to get to the start of the trail and agreed a pickup time with our driver. Weather was just perfect for hiking and visibility was great which made the whole thing feel so good after all the disappointments earlier.

Our next stop in Panama was a remote surfing paradise of Santa Catalina which is located on the Pacific side of the peninsula. There are no supermarkets or ATMs here so one should come at least a bit prepared. Oasis surf camp offers relaxed place to hang out in the hammock, surf and spend time on the beach. There are only couple of available restaurants in the area and wifi is not really usable. So, if you want to get away from things, Santa Catalina is out of the map. For now.