Located off the Caribbean side of Panama, Bocal del Toro consists of a chain of islands where jungle meets ocean -- a truly beautiful landscape that doesn't get much love ever since beaches became synonymous with vacations. With more hues of blues and greens than are known in the English language, its a feast for the eyes.
If you find someone willing to take you out beyond the busy tourist spots of Bocas del Toro, then you have access to untamed nature at your fingertips, pristine, untouched, and unbelievably peaceful. And if you're really after a beach and happen to stumble across one while island hopping and wave chasing, then you will very likely have that beach all to yourself or be sharing it with only a handful of other people.
Mike had been talking about Bocas del Toro ever since he took a surf trip here last year, and had wanted to come back together ever since. Known for great waves, the water at Bocas is incredible even if you're not a big surfer. Whether you're into snorkeling (amazing reef life), diving (world class), fishing (pretty much anywhere), swimming, or just sailing around, Bocas has it in abundance.
Meet Juan, our boat navigator, and also surfer, swimmer, snorkeler, fisher, business owner, marine extraordinaire and overall sweet guy! Unfortunately ladies, he is off the market.
The water was so beautiful we spent about as much time inside the water as we did out of it. Waves around the reef breaks are great for beginner surfers like me because they're soft and pulpous even when they crash on your head after you screw up a pop-up for the 20th time and your arms are tired from paddling around aimlessly because you have no idea what you're doing. Being a weak swimmer at best, finding myself in the middle of the ocean can be cause for hyperventilation. But the waves around Bocas were great for both struggling land lovers and local surf experts alike. Because there are islands everywhere, there are also new waves everywhere that even people who live here are still discovering.
Bocas del Toro rains for much of the year, but luckily --or unluckily, it only rained the day we flew in (via Nature Air on a tiny carrier plane no less), and had bright, unforgiving sunshine for the rest of the other four days. Rain and rain clouds can be a relief when you spend half your days out in the open water, so the lack of it led to scorching sunburns and a tan that will probably last me into autumn. But when the water feels like my second skin, what other choice do I have?
If you have enough time, and why wouldn't you since you are on vacation, there are small restaurants located on the outer islands where food is prepared by some of the indigenous tribes that still occupy much of the islands. You can even buy live lobsters from them for $3-4 and bring it back in town to a restaurant to cook! If living organisms aren't your souvenirs of preference, they also sell tribal crafts and jewelry.
In Bocas, Carnival happened to be in full force during our stay. You know Panamanians take their drinking seriously when you wake up to "Chug chug chug chuggggggggg" at 4:30am in the morning. Celebrations were 24/7 and led right up to the very minute of Ash Wednesday, and for some even a little bit during. There were nightly Zumba dances, costumed parades, food stands, loud reggae music blasting, and most importantly, alcohol. People celebrated with cervezas and more cervezas through rain and shine, day and night, regardless of whether they were policemen or underaged school boys. Carnival is not a singe day affair, nor even a weekend-long affair, and had started much before we had even arrived. Our hotel happened to be a street down from the main event, but we ended the night so exhausted each day that one drink put me into deep slumber through most of the noise.
When you ask about Panamanian cuisine, almost everyone will say, "Well, you don't really come to Panama for the food." But even if it isn't on the cutting edge of gastronomy, Panama has the advantage of having fresh seafood right outside its front porch. Ceviche is offered at almost every single restaurant (albeit some much better than others), and you can never go wrong with the seafood soup that comes with a cocktail of octopus, shrimp, squid, white fish, and likely any other unidentifiable invertebrate that you might find nearby.
A trip to Bocas del Toro is the epitome of an island escape. In fact, for a full four days I had completely forgotten I had any other obligations besides swimming in the warm waters to my heart's content, from sun up to sun down, and then re-fueling my body with a hearty meal of fresh grilled fish and plantains.
But alas, all good things come to an end!
Bocas del Toro left me with a sense of pure contentment and newfound appreciation for the ocean. I developed a comfort with the water and a sense of beauty that typically comes much more easily with my preferred landscapes of forests and mountains.
There's a constant internal struggle between the desire to explore new places, verses returning to all the greatest hits off my old checklist.
But if I ever start making my rounds again, Bocas del Toro will most definitely be at the top of that list!
Till next time ~~
