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. 
is especially true when talking about weather dependent destinations. If you go to a ski resort and there's no snow, what do you do? A crappy resort will have nothing alternative to offer, whereas a good resort will have skating and curling and theatre and whatever needed to avoid death by boredom. Same goes for beach resorts. What happens if there is no sun? Well i arrived in Puerto Viejo in the rain. And the answer to that question is you do sweet-f**k-all. The beach is not polluted but it's rocky and generally unattractive. The diving is sub-standard is compared to other parts of the country. The surfing isn't so super. And it's no really that cheap. But still, herds of pale skinned backpackers migrate to this place and rave about it.
coast. The island almost smothered by the thick virgin forests of Tortuguero National park. The only way to the island is to fly, or take the far more interesting river-taxis. The boats follow the riverways which crave themselves through the jungle. And this is jungle. Monkeys, birds and even jaguars can be seen on the banks. As the ride progresses closer to it's destination, houses start popping up. Traditional in every-way (except for the cable TV), until eventually you arrive in town (or dropped off at your hotels along the way). If you want to see the jungle at it's best, get up for a EARLY canoe tour. There are no noisy boats, just the gentle paddling. Chances of seeing exotic wildlife are high. it's about $20 for the tour though. But the jungle is not the star attraction either.
paved to sanded over. The is a decent balance between mass tourism development and maintaining cultural integrity. While this is not a place where "no white man has even seen before", but it also gets little tourism when compared to the rest of the country. People will greet you with an "Hola" and a smile. Most cafes are simple "out the back of my house" sort of places, but the food is decent and relatively cheap. Only at the "port", especially on arrival, are touts aggressive so you won't be hassled anywhere else. Things are simple and there's a general "don't worry, be happy" vibe. But even with the villages quaintness, even it is not the areas big draw.
the sand gets crazy hot disqualifies the beach from "perfect" status. But, as mentioned, the beach is not why people come here. Actually the whole reason for the national park and subsequent tourism is every year, hundreds of sea turtles of varying species crawl their way up these beaches in the dead of night to lay their eggs. So sadly, although completely understandably, you can't even take pictures of the top attraction. Any white light will freak the turtles out. And the fragile population of turtles will be the worse for it. If someone shines a white light or takes a picture, the tourist won't suffer, the turtles do. Not to mention the local guide will be suspended for 1 month. You'd be stealing the man's livelihood, as well. It's most definitely not worth trying to sneak a quik-pic.
where all the hippies went in case anyone was looking. Well maybe not all the hippies, but a healthy herd none-the-less. Before the Costa Rican tourist explosion, that opened the flood gates to the hungry masses, the village of Montezuma was a "cool" place. The kind of place where everyone knows everyone and finishes every sentence with the word "Man" or "Dude" or "Bro". The kind of place where you can't remember if you've showered this week and dreadlocks are an official requirement for town membership. The sort of place where people say "Screw all you 9-5 drones, I'm doing my own thing, Dude! I'm selling jewellery on a beach just like everyone else. I'm different, Man!"
It's still a super laid back place with the faint sense of special herbs in the air that Colonel Sanders never thought of using in his "special" spices. But the town isn't the really people are coming here. Without question the beach is the star here. And not just 1 but a happy little quintet of beaches looking to make up their own boy-band. The best part of being in Costa Rica for the rainy season is at least one of these beaches is completely empty at any given time. There's a killer rip tide, so it ain't great for swimming, but it's wild and wonderful and reminds me of 
things to keep you occupied. There's plenty of wildlife to see and even more to hear lurking in the trees and shoreline. That's usually something guidebooks write if there is nothing more interesting to do. But the animals here are unique and easily identifiable as "tropical". Howler and white faced monkeys, squirrel and birds (it's cooler than it sounds). There are even a couple of waterfalls to check out, some with a pool for swimming. Plus there talking to the "locals", just practice saying "dude" and "man".
. The massive Arenal volcano (1,633 m) towers over the surrounding country-side. At the heart of the aptly named Arenal Volcano national park, the fire mountain attracts foreigners like moths to a flame. The volcano was a sleeping giant for the better part of half a century, without so much as a peep for 400 years. But that all changed in astoundingly dramatic fashion on July 29th, 1968. A massive eruption saw Arenal blow out 3 new craters. In the process destroying the nearby town of Tubacon among other, 78 people losing their lives. But in the aftermath, a small town was completely spared. That town has now transformed into modern day La Fortuna (the luck).
There is more English spoken here than Spanish. There is a complete lack of cultural identity. But it's not the town people come to see. Every other enterprise in the centre is a tour operator and the majority of tours centre around the volcano. The biggest of these tours are night walks to the active side of the national park with hopes of getting the elusive blurry red blobby picture of what you will have to explain is actually lava running down the side of the mountain. Arenal has remained active since it's awakening 40+ years ago. Treks vary from stepping out of a van onto a bridge to 2 hour uphill slogs. But the end result is more often than not the same. Seeing lava is a matter of luck. Not only does there have to be volcanic activity at the exact right time, but the weather has to be good enough to see the volcano. Chances of both happening aren't all that great. If you have time to play with, most companies will allow you to do the tour again the following day for less money (just the $4 park fee)
But this town is not a one-trick pony. There are numerous things to do while waiting for the night time natural fireworks display.
With volcanoes come hot springs, and Arenal has plenty of them. Most are pricey ($18 is the cheapest) but there are a couple free ones, usually part of the lava tour. One of the countries best waterfalls, La Fortuna Waterfall, is relatively close to the town. Although walkable, the heat makes it an uncomfortable walk. Good news is you can take a refreshing dip in the pool at the bottom to cool of, after paying the ridiculous $8 admission fee first. The area abounds with wildlife, and nature walks are a good way to get up close and personal with nature. There are also the ubiquitous canopy walks, kayak trips, horse-back riding and almost any other activity that one find in most tourists towns of Costa Rica.
remote city in Central America” award, sometimes it's a honour just being nominated. But it is here that the journey up the Rio San Juan (St. John River) begins. A really, anywhere would be better than San Carlos. Heading down to the pier, it's easy enough to find the long, narrow “lanchas” that are the chicken buses of the waterways. Actually, they are more likely to find you as any tourist in the region can only have one destination in mind, the river town of El Castillo (the castle) named after... you guessed it, a castle perched on it's hilltop. But we'll get to that later.
After hearing about how beautiful the river trip was, i was initially rather disappointed. The land was flat, featureless marshland, there was no wildlife and no signs of any
traditional homes lining the river. Well, that was for the first 30 minutes or so. After all, it is around 3 hours, downstream to El Castillo. As advertised, the scenery changed dramatically. Thick virgin rainforest spilt over into the river. Random branches draped with a variety of waterbirds looking like some sort of Chinese lantern festival. It would have been cool to see a jaguar or crocodile or pterodactyl or something (most of which can be spotted deeper in the jungle) but it didn't really matter. Traditional stilt house lean over the river banks, while others timidly stand a little further back from the edge. Locals in hollowed out canoes wave (as does everyone else) as the “lancha” plies forward. While El Castillo is typically the favoured stop, it is by no means the only one. Boca de Sabalos, the first real “town” for about 2 hours, is about 30 minutes before El Castillo. While there are a few hotel choices in the village, this place is often skipped by the few tourists that come up here. Maybe 1 km downstream places like Sabalos Lodge offer modernized stilted huts in the jungle attempting to create a more authentic atmosphere (for a price of course). But, undistracted, i continued on (actually i sat on my ass while the captain drove).
El Forteleza de la Limpia Pura e Inmaculada Concepcion or El Castillo for short, is bet viewed from the water on arrival. The castle has housed the Spanish, the English, William Walkers Americans, Sandinistas, Contras and anyone else who has played a role in shaping Nicaragua. The castle has great views over the river and town as one might expect for a defensive post. With few tourists in the region, the castle is more often than not all to yourself, after paying the $2 entrance + $2 for cameras that is. There is a decent little museum (all in Spanish) and plenty of staircases and little corners to get lost in. While this is not a behemoth of a building, the view, position and state of repair make-up for the lack of opposing stature.
As for the town itself, it's totally cute. I always like getting directions that startwith “Turn left on THE road...” as there is only one. And it's not even a road, more like a glorified sidewalk. There are no cars. No golfcarts.
Just the occasional over-zealous kid on a bike. But what got to me was, unlike the rest of Nicaragua, the people here were honestly friendly. Hola and Buenos were throw around like they were going out of style. And it wasn't some clandestine attemp to gain your confidence only to hit you with the old “Actually, i'm a tour guide” line. And while there may not be a Hilton or Radisson or anything, most accommodation choices are clean and dirt cheap. And before you go thinking the place dies at sunset, think again. At the far end of “the road” a few bars are open late-ish to entertain locals and visitors alike. And if lazing in a hammock isn't your thing there are tours to go alligator spotting, tortilla making, canoeing, horseback riding and a few others to pass the time. El Castillo is awesome.
around 12,000 years ago. While the smaller Maderas is now considered dormant, Concepción, on the other hand, last erupted in 1957 and is still labelled as active. Over the year, the two volcanoes have grown to become kind of like conjoined twins, with a flat skirt of an isthmus bridging the gap. The island seems to have escaped the tourist development in nearby 
town of Moyogalpa (pop. 6,700). As mentioned, Ometepe isn't exactly developed, but Moyogalpa is the closest thing to it. There are a variety of hotels, restaurants and tour offices to help set-up to explore the island. Most certainly, the urban landscape is no the attraction tourists come for,
but Moyogalpa is the place to rent a scooter/motorcycle/ATV for private explorations or join a tour for more creature comforts. Alernatively, the other town on the island, Altagracia (pop 11,000), also has a ferry terminal. Although the town is slightly larger, it is far less touristic (if that's possible) than Moyogalpa. This also means fewer accommodation, restaurant and travel options. Most buses will run between the two cities, with the odd one making it's way to the other half of the island. However, if you truly want to explore the island, than the best choice by far is to rent your own vehicle (starting at around $4/hour) and self drive anywhere the wind should carry you (there's only one road, you can't get lost).
southern (less windy) side of the island. Swimming here is best, but it's the nearby reserve that attracted me. A lagoon lies in the middle of the reserve, with wild, virgin rainforest crowding the shores. Monkeys can be heard more often than scene, as the jungle is so think. Luckily there's a well maintained path, so you can leave the machete at home. There are a number of other beaches on the island, but none are particularly pretty, but the good news is they are usually empty, and the view of two dominating volcanoes is kinda cool.