Panama

Boat Tours

The most popular tours in the area are all-day snorkeling trips, which are perfect for non divers who want a taste of the area’s rich marine life. A typical tour costs US$25 per person, and goes to Dolphin Bay, Cayo Crawl, Red Frog Beach (US$5 entry) and Hospital Point.

Although experienced divers accustomed to crystal-clear Caribbean diving may be disappointed with the archipelago – nearly 40 rivers discharging silt into the seas around the archipelago reduce visibility dramatically – it still has much to offer. The islands' emerald-green waters are home to the usual assortment of tropical species and with a little luck you might see barracudas, stingrays, dolphins and nurse sharks. The better sites include Dark Wood Reef, northwest of Bastimentos; Hospital Point, a 15m wall off Cayo Nancy; and the base of the buoy near Punta Juan, north of Isla Cristóbal.

Bocas town is a major tourist draw, though many people don't realize there is no town beach. Water shortage can be a problem, so it’s recommended that you take short showers.

Although Bocas town is a small place, there’s no shortage of great restaurants serving up an impressive offering of local and international cuisine, from inexpensive street eats to high-end restaurants. A number of food carts ply their wares around town; ask for bottled water in your batido (fruit shake). Chinese-owned supermarkets can be found everywhere.

For its size, Bocas offers a surprisingly varied and lively nightlife, with bars and clubs along the waterfront or just a short water-taxi ride away on Isla Carenero.

You’ll find a selection of molas (colorful hand-stitched appliqué textiles) and a range of other handicrafts for sale by indigenous Guna people near central Parque Simón Bolívar.

Panama is a family oriented culture and is generally very accommodating to travelers with children. The same can’t be said of many businesses owned by expats, who very clearly state the age requirements of their guests.

Boat

If you don’t fly into Bocas you’ll have to take a water taxi (US$6) from Almirante on the mainland. On the waterfront, Taxi 25 makes the half-hour trip between 6am and 6:30pm every 30 minutes.

Hello Travel Panama offers reliable air-conditioned shuttle service (including boat) to Boquete (US$30, five hours) with a stop at Lost & Found, and Puerto Viejo (US$33) or San Jose (US$76), Costa Rica.

With its flower-lined streets and forested hillsides, Boquete is ideal for taking picturesque strolls. Visit Parque José Domingo Médica in the central plaza for flowers, a fountain and a children’s playground. Nearby is an old railway and an exhibition wagon left over from the days when a train linked Boquete with the coastal town of Puerto Armuelles.

Adventure-hub Boquete has the lion's share of outfitters in the region, so it's not a stretch to book coastal trips such as sea kayaking or sportfishing here. Hostels and various agencies rent bicycles, scooters and ATVs (quad bikes), which are a good way to explore the charms of the surrounding hillsides. Hiking With its breathtaking vistas of mist-covered hills and nearby forests, Boquete is one of the most idyllic regions for hiking and walking. Several good paved roads lead out of town into the surrounding hills, passing coffee farms, fields, gardens and virgin forest. Trails are mostly poorly marked, and seasonally affected by floods and landslides which can change the routes. In the past there have also been security issues. For these reasons it's really best to hire local guides to explore the trails.

Adventure seekers shouldn’t miss the excellent white-water rafting that's within a 1½-hour drive of Boquete. Ríos Chiriquí and Chiriquí Viejo both flow from the fertile hills of Volcán Barú, and are flanked by forest for much of their lengths. In some places, waterfalls can be seen at the edges of the rivers, and both rivers pass through narrow canyons with awesome, sheer rock walls.

Popular with a wide range of travelers, Boquete has lodgings ranging from hostels to high-end boutique lodgings, with solid options in between. Because of the cool climate, all of the places to stay in Boquete have hot-water showers. Many have air-con too, though you probably won't need it.

Boquete has numerous well-priced restaurants to choose from, and the produce and coffee here is among the best in Panama.

Boquete offers little evening excitement, unless it’s festival time. Bars generally close at midnight on weekdays and 2am on weekends.

Among the attractions of El Valle are the handful of waterfalls that cascade down the surrounding hillsides into the valley floor.

Surrounded by humid cloud forest and peaks that rise more than 1000m, El Valle is a hiker’s paradise. From the town center, an extensive network of trails radiates out into the valley and up the hills, and there are possibilities for anything from short day hikes to excursions of several days. Serious trekkers should consider excursions to the tops of Cerro Cara Coral, Cerro Gaital and Cerro Pajita to the north, Cerro Guacamayo to the south and Cerro Tagua to the east. For the most part, the valley floor has been cleared for human habitation while the peaks remain covered in dense forest. For these hikes you will require the services of a guide as trails are not well marked and cloud cover can descend quickly.

While hiking through the forests around El Valle, be sure to keep an eye out for a terrestrial orchid known as la flor del Espíritu Santo, or the ‘Holy Ghost orchid’ (Peristeria elata), which was awarded the title of 'national flower of Panama' in 1936. Named by Spanish missionaries during the colonial period, the flower is shaped like a red-spotted dove emerging from ivory petals.

These tours involve a series of platforms anchored into the trees and connected by ziplines. Originally used by biologists to study the rainforest canopy and its wildlife, today they function primarily as amusement for adrenaline-seekers.

The forests around El Valle offer numerous opportunities for birdwatching, with some 339 (at last count) species spotted. The area is especially rich in hummingbirds – commonly spotted species include the green hermit, the violet-headed hummingbird and the white-tailed emerald.

Although reservations are generally not necessary, be advised that El Valle can get busy on weekends and national holidays as urban dwellers flee the capital and head for the hills.

Don't expect to find many Panamanian restaurants here; El Valle is far too cosmopolitan for that. Top-end international fare and pizza won't pose a problem, however.

There are few dedicated bars as such in El Valle, but all cafes and restaurants serve drinks, and los chinitos (the Chinese grocery stores) are well stocked with beer, wine and spirits.

To leave El Valle, hop aboard a bus traveling east along Av Central; on average, buses depart every 30 minutes. Final destinations are marked on the windshield of the bus. If your next destination isn’t posted, catch a bus going in the same direction and transfer.

The best waves are generally from December to April, though there's surf here year-round. Unlike the Caribbean, the Pacific offers fairly consistent sets, though a good swell will really give a boost to the surfing here. Be advised that many of the breaks in the area are over rocks, and can easily snap your board if you don’t know what you’re doing. Most of the accommodations in town rent boards and offer surfing lessons.

The area is famous for big fish, including yellowfin tuna, wahoo, snapper, Spanish mackerel, jacks and rooster fish. Though there's no major sportfishing operator in town, many local fishers rent their boat and services for the day. Prices depend on the number of people in your party and your destination, since gasoline is very expensive. Cabañas Rolo arranges half-day trips to Isla Cébaco with a knowledgeable local captain.

Diving and snorkeling are a great way to see some of the spectacular marine life around Isla de Coiba. There is an incredible variety of fauna and even whale sharks have been sighted here. Two-tank dives start at US$135 per person, though diving in the park costs more since the distance is much greater. The rule requiring boats to stay overnight with their diver clients has made multiday trips to Coiba very expensive; an overnight with two days in the water is now US$250. Visitors usually check all shops to see which has a trip visiting their preferred destination.

There's a slew of budget lodgings and a few decent mid range offerings. Santa Catalina has not-infrequent water shortages, so mind your usage. A flashlight is handy for power outages. The internet is slow and spotty.

To access the lodgings along the beach, take a left-hand turnoff after arriving in town – it’s the only other major road in town.

There's a fair number of restaurants with a focus on pizza or seafood. If self-catering, you can buy excellent fresh fish to prepare yourself. A number of small shops sell basic groceries.

Nightlife can sprout up at the bars in the local restaurants but it's relatively quiet compared to other beach destinations.

To reach Santa Catalina from Panama City, take a bus to Santiago, then another to Soná where buses leave for Santa Catalina (US$5, 1½ hours) at 5:30am, 8:40am, 11:20am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm and 4:45pm. Sunday services vary. If you miss the bus, hire a taxi from Soná to Santa Catalina from US$45. Direct Panama City–Soná buses run every two hours.