Bocas del Toro : Hospital Point

 

Hospital Point is a close and small place with a great diversity of attractions part of Solarte's island. Tourists can scuba dive or snorkel in the reef nearby, or swim and rest in the protected small beach, know about the history of the islands with the owner of the point or walk in the forest with a local guide, looking for the tiny colorful and poisonous frogs and the tombs from the beginning of the century.

Christopher Columbus sailed in front of the island during his fourth voyage in 1502.As english-speaking bucaneers, pirates and colonists, came during the next three centuries the island became known as Nancy's Cay. In United Fruit Company medical files from 1899 to 1920, "Nances Cay", is used. The Spanish name of the island is Solarte.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the banana business prospered and people from different countries came to the islands to take advantage of this new industry.

Several banana companies operated in Bocas del Toro during the last years of the 19th century. In 1899 the giant United Fruit Company replaced all other banana interests in the region, establishing their main office in the city of Bocas del Toro. To ensure a healthy and functional work force, the company built a Medical Center on the west end of Solarte, a place that came to be known as Hospital Point.

The history of the hospital is very rich. Plants lovers find, in the western side or Hospital Point, where the main house is, a real botanic garden with species from all over the world, with emphasis in a diversity of banana plants.

Today, visitors can appreciate the remains of concrete columns and sidewalks of the complex. In the nearby forest are several tombs, some identified and others not. In the sea, snorkellers and divers can appreciate the history of Hospital Point in the form of rails, ceramic and bottles

Bocas del Toro: Red Frog Beach

About a 10 minute boat ride from Bocas town gets you to the Red Frog Marina, from where a 15 minute hike across the narrowest point of Bastimentos Island allows you to reach Red Frog Beach. With 0.75 miles of white and golden sand, Red Frog Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Bocas del Toro.

 

The north shore of Bastimentos Island hosts some of Bocas' most beautiful beaches and Red Frog is one of the more accessible ones, and the only one with a few facilities such as a couple of restaurants and bathrooms. It receives its name from the poison-dart frogs that are abundant in Bastimentos' hills. If you're lucky enough you might encounter a three-toed sloth or some monkeys as well.

Due to its ease of access many boat tours make Red Frog Beach their last stop during the day, providing you with a lively environment with travelers from all over the world (anything between 100 and 300 people). During low season, it is a lot quieter. If you happen to arrive to Red Frog and feel the need for more space to yourself you can always hike a bit to the east (Turtle Beach) or to the west in direction to Wizard Beach (Playa Primera), or simply go to another beach in Bocas del Toro with less people... there are loads of secluded beaches in Bocas

 

 

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Boca del Toro: Zapatillas Cays

 

Located on the south-eastern border of the Bastimentos National Marine Park, the Zapatillas Cays are two stunning islands that emerge from a coral platform and are surrounded by tropical coral reef. About a 30 minute boat ride from Crawl Cay (roughly 8 kms), the Zapatillas Islands are generally considered the most beautiful islands of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago and offer visitors pristine white sand beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters and some of Panama's most attractive coral reefs.

Some say they receive their name from a fruit that grow in its forests, and yet others because their shape resemble a pair of running shoes ("zapatillas" in Spanish).

 

Western Zapatilla or "Zapatilla Menor", is less than half the size of its eastern counterpart, and is nesting ground for the Green Marine Turtle. Leatherback and Hawksbill Turtles lay their eggs on both islands. This island is more visited by scientists than by tourists.

 

Eastern Zapatilla or "Zapatilla Mayor" is home to the ranger station (the rest of the cays are uninhabited), where a $10 Park Fee is collected from visitors . The best snorkeling and diving in Major Zapatillas can be found towards the south-eastern coast, about 300 meters from the beach in a spot known as Coral Islands. This spot is relatively shallow and has the most beautiful coral

formations with lots of tropical fish, and its crevices hide many lobsters, crabs, eels and an immense amount of tiny sea invertebrates. If you want more than a just a gorgeous reef, on the Zapatillas' north shore, you can go behind the breakers (the reefs that break the incoming waves... when there are waves). If the sea permits (mainly May, September, October), you will find a wall formed by the reef, that contains small caves and tunnels, up to 40 feet deep.

 

All of the beaches on the islands are excellent for swimming, and there is a rough 45-minute nature trail that makes its way through mangrove swamp. With some difficulty, you can complete the circuit through the center of the island and return along the beach.

 

 

Bocas del Toro

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Tourism in the Bocas del Toro Islands is true ecotourism. It will satisfy the visitor looking for special spots, ecosystems or species

To whom are looking to practice some kind of activity we offer a wide diversity of water sports, jungle adventures and much more. Scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing, water skying, are only a few of the first mentionned, and Bocas del Toro as an archipelago is a big site to do it: coral reefs are everywhere, surfing beaches we have a dozen.

Talking about adventures, treking is a trend for people that wants to be in fit and, at the same time, do something fun. We have trails for all ages and interests, from the very difficult trail between Bahía Honda and the lagoon in the Marine Park to the easy walk of Red Frog or Zapatillas Cays trails.

Add something else to this attractions: Bocas del Toro is a mix of cultures, so, anywhere, you will find expressions of a wide diversity of races: ngobe indian communities offering beautiful handicrafts, afroantillean traditions that are expressed through meals and festivals, old spanish dances from the conquest time, modern caribbean music, all of this in one place.

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Bocas del Toro Tourist Attraction

BBahia Honda is a community located at the heart of a bay, between the islands of Bastimentos and Sol

Bahia Honda is a community located at the heart of a bay, between the islands of Bastimentos and Solarte. Their houses are distributed along the coasts of both islands, not showing the typical image of the other communities of the region.

What we could consider the core of the village, on the Bastimentos Island, consists of a communal house, the primary school, the student's lunch room and a cozy restaurant, that offers to the visitors typical meals of the region as well as beautiful handicrafts.

The main occupations of their inhabitants are subsistence fishing and agriculture, being the tourism an activity that have being increasing lately.

The project, TIMORO groups several families of the community to handled the restaurant and a tour that became one of the main attractions of the islands, the "Sloth's Trail".

In order to arrive at Bahia Honda, call the Timorogo's phone to be pickedup or hire a boat in Bocas del Toro and after about 10 minutes of navigation you will be at the community restaurant where the visitor can make arrangements for a guided visit to the trail.

arte. Their houses are distributed along the coasts of both islands, not showing the typical image of the other communities of the region.

What we could consider the core of the village, on the Bastimentos Island, consists of a communal house, the primary school, the student's lunch room and a cozy restaurant, that offers to the visitors typical meals of the region as well as beautiful handicrafts.

The main occupations of their inhabitants are subsistence fishing and agriculture, being the tourism an activity that have being increasing lately.

The project, TIMORgroups several families of the community to handled the restaurant and a tour that became one of the main attractions of the islands, the "Sloth's Trail".

In order to arrive at Bahia Honda, call the Timorogo's phone to be pickedup or hire a boat in Bocas del Toro and after about 10 minutes of navigation you will be at the community restaurant where the visitor can make arrangements for a guided visit to the trail.

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