Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Traveling Bocas

Having been a tourist and a business person in Bocas I thought I would take the time to inform the average tourist what to expect. Just recently Bocas was deemed one of the top tourist destinations for 2016. With that said, you are still looking at a 2nd/3rd world country, so you can't expect all the luxuries of home in every establishment. In this blog I will try to touch upon the basics for food & beverage, accommodations, and transportation for the budget and mid range traveler.

The local eateries. At these places you can find a full meal for between $3-$5 and pretty cheap coffee and tea. These meals are heavy on the rice, but the flavor is pretty decent and it will certainly fill you up! There are some other 'street' style places to eat that usually open a little later in the evening for dinner and are pretty decent, but again not too healthy for you. Then you get into the restaurants and bars. These places will start around $6 but usually aren't more than $18 for an entree unless you're sharing a large seafood platter. Food quality certainly varies so ask around to some of the local expats about where they think the 'good stuff' is!

Beverage is a little more to the point; $1-$2 for a local beer, usually $3-$5 for a glass of wine and anywhere from $3.50-$8 for a cocktail. There are some places with slightly more innovative mixed cocktails, plenty of tropical tiki style drinks and of course a plethora of the national beers.

Accommodations... now things get interesting! Know your budget and do some research online ahead of time. Hostels will range from about $25-$35 a night for a private, dorms are, of course, cheaper, Some lower range hotels will be $30-$45 a night depending on the season, but the rooms will include the bare minimum and you will probably see the occasional cockroach! For all the above options you may have hot water or you may not and sometimes the establishment will only turn it on during certain hours. This is something to remember because you are on an island and the city water is minimal. Almost all establishments also catch their own rain water but if it hasn't rained in several days this can become a problem for the entire city. Please also note that even at the more expensive establishments this can become a problem, though most have figured out ways to deal. PLEASE, don't waste water! For the mid-range traveler there are lots of options between the $65-$105 price range and not only on Isla Colon. You may even want to spend a few nights on various islands to get a real feel for the Bocas nature. These establishments will get you the basics but with a nicer room, usually breakfast, and depending where you are, hopefully an ocean view!

This doesn't completely relate to accommodations but I did just want to note about the waterfront. The Bocas islands do not have many of your pristine white sand beaches with tranquil waterfronts. Most beaches are great for sunbathing but have mean riptides in the surf so be sure to read the signs!! There are certainly some restaurants and cabins that have the calmer water around them and are great for snorkeling and paddle boarding!

And finally, for transportation... how does one get to these marvelous islands?? The fastest way is to fly from either Panama City or San Jose, Costa Rica. Neither of these flights will run you over $200 for a round trip and run multiple times a day. The second way is by bus. From Panama City there is a 12 hour overnight bus that really isn't too bad. It's WELL air-conditioned so have plenty of layers on, but other than that, there is decent leg room and a bathroom on board. With this option you get dropped in Almirante where it's a quick $1 taxi ride to the boat taxis. There are a few different boat taxi stations that run to Bocas and they're all decent. Taxi 25 I'd say is one of the most efficient and have better boats than the others but.... The price is $4-6 though we've not seen the $4 one yet!

Bocas is beautiful and rustic! It has not yet been taken over by large resorts and still has a quaint feel to the atmosphere. My husband and I love living here and we hope you will enjoy your time here too!


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