bastimentos national park

Very natural and unspoilt setting - so if you are looking for restaurants and action on the beach you will be disappointed. Take care in the sea as there is a strong undercurrent and the waves can get very rough but we enjoyed a swim. Take a towel or something to sit on as there are no chairs available. The little red frogs are sweet - but you will need a guide to find them as they are tiny and the casual tourist would probably miss them.

Clear water like Thailand or Whitsunday Islands, Australia. I think it was the nicest beach I have been on in a long time. Worth the day trip with snorkelling

they charge us for this tour, we went in a small boat to this place, there was nothing! Our tour guide told us to see "IF" we get to see somethin around FROM THE BOAT. shame to ask for money for this.

This are is huge, and you must go with an experienced captain or I think you could get lost!! There is I think only one or two restaurants you can stop at and they are a MUST. You sit on the docks, and wait for someone to finish eating so they can spill their leftovers into the water and the most beautiful fish come and eat it all up in seconds!! Colorful parrot fish are my favorites and here, they are larger than normal and have neon colors that glow!! If you go out of the protected waters into the ocean to visit the beaches out there, I would suggest you insist the captain take oars, since it appears to me if your engine conks out, and you have no radio or oars, you are going to drift and drift and drift.... and that is not safe for your family....Enjoy your selves!!!

An island well worth visiting, for 2 days at minimum, with plenty to do and few tourists. A very natural ‘town’ with nice people/children, with a great laid back Caribbean vibe. Red frog beach is very nice - big waves, but not as dangerous as some people make out - there was little if any undertow (rip tide) I could feel, but clearly if you can’t swim it is not a good idea to go too far in. Best of all was as visit to½ day excursion to Nivida Cave. A beautiful 15min boat ride through the National Marine Park, you then enter the small estuary of river Bahia Honda, slowly negotiating a mangrove channel for another 15 minutes, possibly seeing birds, iguanas, sloths, monkeys, red frogs, and even caiman maybe? Then a short walk through the jungle leads to the entrance of the cave. You are equipped with hard hat, headlamps and a guide. The entrance area is dry and full of bats. The hundreds of bats on the ceiling make it a impressive sight. Further in the cave it becomes a typical river cave, with occasional crickets and spiders. Obviously you also see many stalagmites, stalactites and flowstones. The water is warm, but some sections it can come up to your neck, and the ceiling lowers almost to the water level occasionally – so it’s not for the faint hearted and best to wear a swimsuit with trainers. There are 2 arms to the cave I think, and at the end of one is a waterfall/spring that is the source of the stream, with a natural pool. You will probably spend about an hour in the cave itself. So it’s not an expensive , coloured, fairy light lit up European (western) cave with concrete walkways - this is the real thing, without any danger – therefore great fun. Cost about $30. As far as I know this is the longest cave of Panama Unfortunately we did not get to Wizard beach, which others said it was well worth seeing. Nearby bird island is great, star beach disappointing and the snorkelling poor. We would have kayaked round the small islands if we had had time….but.

This is a 3rd world island with the bare basics. If you are into surfing, diving, sailing or boating it is a good location to visit.

Amazing Red Frog Beach with sand bar so you could walk out and body surf. Great little bar at the Palamar. $3 rum punch-Wow!

Everything was Ok. All about the ride and how to get there was amazing. But you have to be careful with the boat that you choose.

03-2004Unfettered by tourist crowds, Panama’s natural gifts shine. In fact, Panama’s highlights are still very much off-the-beaten-path destinations, though it’s likely that this will change in the years to come. We went there after the recommendation of a Greek we met in Costa Rica, Giorgos or Papi, as we used to call him. Although added at the last minute to the overland tour in Central America that Nikos, Dimitris and I took, for me it’s still in the highest positions as a destination. Papi was right. Thank you, man, wherever you are.So the trip started as soon as we passed the Costa Rican border. Located 32km from the border, the Archipelago de Bocas del Toro consists of six densely forested islands. Isla de Bastimentos, Panama’s oldest marine park and our destination, is one of the most beautiful places we have ever visited. Low-key development has maintained the charm of small-town Caribbean life and the absence of mega-hotels has preserved the archipelago’s idyllic beauty. The laid-back Caribbean vibe goes hand in hand with the archipelago’s spectacular natural setting. The islands are covered with dense jungles of vine tangles and forest palms that open up to pristine beaches fringed by reeds and mangroves. Beneath the water, an extensive coral reef ecosystem supports countless species of tropical fish and on top of it some serious surf breaks.In Bocas, hiking through huge parts of rainforest, only to arrive at an empty stretch of wave-pounded shore on the other side of the island, is pretty much a standard daily program, adding to that the magnificent food that you can eat at one of the fish restaurants over the water. I wish I could remember the name of the one we used to go to because it was really special. There you have the best place to lie back and enjoy the simplicity that life has to offer.Further away from Bocas, blue-green seas, foggy highlands and snaking rivers that run through a great tropical wilderness is the main scenery that you face travelling the country. This is Panama as the explorers found it, and as much of it remains today. Many outsiders assume that Panama is all about its capital and commerce. Until its anticipated tourism boom explodes, however, Panama remains accessible to backpackers on a budget, and there’s no shortage of beaches, mountains and rainforests to explore. Parque Nacional de Baru is home to Panama’s only volcano and some incredibly scenic trekking opportunities, while colonial towns, exquisite handicrafts and the country’s friendliest people complete the picture. Panama is also home to one of Central America’s most independent indigenous groups, the Kuna, who live autonomously in the Comarca de Kuna Yala, as well as one of the last true frontiers in the Americas, the infamous Darien Province, a still primitive rainforest and a no go zone for everybody since it’s still controlled by bandit groups.Although the canal has defined Panama for the last century, it’s what lies just beyond this engineering marvel that could define the next hundred years. Pristine beaches, lush rainforest and big-city nightlife give a taste of the country’s outstanding assets. Always a creature of potential, Panama lives with a sharp contrast between its urban and rural counterparts. Although we never went there, Panama City is all sparkling skyscrapers, cement mixers and scaffolds, yet an hour outside the capital, indigenous Embera paddle dugout canoes.For Panama, it’s time to get back to natural assets, preserve the indigenous population, multiply the protected areas and say a warm welcome to the 21st century. That will bring back the prosperity and in combination with the Panama Channel, it will put this small country back on the map for good. As for us who have experienced the beauty of it, we’ll keep it as an unforgettable memory and promise to go back.

We traveled by boat into the canals of the National Park. We saw yellow tail birds, huge spiders, sloths, orange and red frogs. This was on our tour to the cave which was amazing. Just know that you need shoes for walking through the mud and get wet (flip flops are not advisable) and you need to be prepared to get your entire body wet, and sometimes swim. There are some places that are a rather tight squeeze which adds to the thrill of the adventure. We saw crystalline and limestone stalactites and stalagmites and a waterfall with a small swimming hole. The guide was Alvaro and he provided us with head lights and for the likely less coordinated and or taller, hardhats (he did not have enough for all of us). There were just six of us on this tour, but as we came out we saw another tour with about 15. Alvaro said that when there are so many that they do not take the group in so far. So if you are looking for more thrill, make sure you have a smaller group. Also I would were a ball cap in case you are one that is not given a hard hat. This experience was one of the unique and fun!

Spectacular, primitive, primal,fascinating a wonderful place to explore and view nature

Bastimentos turned out to be a very good place for a family outing. Courteous personnel and inexpensive tickets.

This area has been designated as a National Marine Park. It is a gem filled with various species and covered with jungle and mangroves. Much needs to be done to prevent development from encroaching this area. If you are interested in participating in preserving this area, do contact BTSA, Bocas Sustainable Tourism Alliance in Bocas del Toro

The beaches on Bastimentos were beautiful and it was easy to find quiet spots where you could feel like the only people on the beach. Red frog beach Had a great vibe

I don't think it is worth to book a flight to specially visit it yet don't miss the chance when you are in the region. You'll find nice beaches and some good surf... some places are still real natural and a walk over the island(s) is relaxing even for people that don't specialize in fauna or flora. I enjoyed it for it is calm, not overcrowded and without the so often disturbing stalls selling food or beverages. Bring your pick-nick and you will apreciate it as never before.