I was warned, "You aren't going to like Bocas, too touristic." But the islands known as Bocas del Toro (Bull's Mouth) in north western province of the same name in Panama were on my route. I figured a day or two wouldn't kill me. So with negative preconception in tow, i headed to the main island of Colon.All ferries, airplanes and camel caravans use the island of Colon as their port of call. 
Pretty much as advertised, the town (and regional capital) Bocas del Toro lived up to all prior negative descriptions. Overbuilt. Filled half way with young backpackers trying to compare hang-over severity and the other half elderly retirees single handedly keeping hair dye companied in business. The island is too big too stroll around. It's super overpriced. Touts are very aggressive. Although they are unlikely to tackle you in the street to try to insure some sort of commission at your hotel choice, you can see it in their eyes they're seriously considering it. However...
I wasn't staying on Colon. No, no. The thing is that Bocas del Toros is an archipelago.
That means there are, at the very least, half a dozen options on where to stay. My choice? Isla Bastimentos may only be a stones throw away from Isla Colon, but it's on a different planet. Instead of a noisy road, there's sidewalk where the only traffic you see is some kid on a bike waving hello. No thump-thump bars. No touts. Sure the hotel guy will try to hook you up with a boat for fishing or beach hopping or whatever, but it's done in a "by-the-way" sorta way. There are a couple hostel option, and one super expensive ($150+/night) place. There are 3 or so restaurant serving local food as opposed to catering to foreign palates. Bastimentos is NOTHING like Colon.
Pretty much as advertised, the town (and regional capital) Bocas del Toro lived up to all prior negative descriptions. Overbuilt. Filled half way with young backpackers trying to compare hang-over severity and the other half elderly retirees single handedly keeping hair dye companied in business. The island is too big too stroll around. It's super overpriced. Touts are very aggressive. Although they are unlikely to tackle you in the street to try to insure some sort of commission at your hotel choice, you can see it in their eyes they're seriously considering it. However...I wasn't staying on Colon. No, no. The thing is that Bocas del Toros is an archipelago. That means there are, at the very least, half a dozen options on where to stay. My choice? Isla Bastimentos may only be a stones throw away from Isla Colon, but it's on a different planet. Instead of a noisy road, there's sidewalk where the only traffic you see is some kid on a bike waving hello. No thump-thump bars. No touts. Sure the hotel guy will try to hook you up with a boat for fishing or beach hopping or whatever, but it's done in a "by-the-way" sorta way. There are a couple hostel option, and one super expensive ($150+/night) place. There are 3 or so restaurant serving local food as opposed to catering to foreign palates. Bastimentos is NOTHING like Colon.
For some it might be a little boring. But there are options, namely some of the best beaches
in the region. They even do tours from Colon to some of the beaches here (they better and less crowded) They are walkable for the town "centre", but the trail can be a challenge. If there has been any rain, the ground turns into a WoodStock slip-and-slide with mud up to your eyeballs. It is, after all, a jungle. Locals do the 20+ minute walk in bare feet. Shoes will do if you don't mind them getting trashed. Flip-flops are a definite no-go. Chances are there won't be more than half a dozen people on the expansive white sandy beach. And there are a couple to choose from. Alternatively, you could pay a boat driver to drop-off/pick up for around $20.
in the region. They even do tours from Colon to some of the beaches here (they better and less crowded) They are walkable for the town "centre", but the trail can be a challenge. If there has been any rain, the ground turns into a WoodStock slip-and-slide with mud up to your eyeballs. It is, after all, a jungle. Locals do the 20+ minute walk in bare feet. Shoes will do if you don't mind them getting trashed. Flip-flops are a definite no-go. Chances are there won't be more than half a dozen people on the expansive white sandy beach. And there are a couple to choose from. Alternatively, you could pay a boat driver to drop-off/pick up for around $20.I guess it's just a matter of finding what suits you. The island of Colon
with the capital Bocas del Toro just wasn't my cup of tea. There will be others who say they loved it. Bastimentos was great, others will call it boring. Sure there wasn't much to do , but the people were lovely, it's a little cheaper and far more relaxing (the hammocks were superb). Either way, with quaint little details like hostels and restaurants dangling over the Caribbean the Bocas archipelago has something for most tastes, from backpacker budgets to no budget, from party-till-you-drop types to chillin'-on-a-quiet beach types. The place doesn't have to be the hellhole i was warned about.
with the capital Bocas del Toro just wasn't my cup of tea. There will be others who say they loved it. Bastimentos was great, others will call it boring. Sure there wasn't much to do , but the people were lovely, it's a little cheaper and far more relaxing (the hammocks were superb). Either way, with quaint little details like hostels and restaurants dangling over the Caribbean the Bocas archipelago has something for most tastes, from backpacker budgets to no budget, from party-till-you-drop types to chillin'-on-a-quiet beach types. The place doesn't have to be the hellhole i was warned about. 
0 comments:
Post a Comment