By Daniella De Windt
Latin America, here we come! Two inexperienced 23-year-olds, my friend Sofie and I set off on a great backpacking adventure through Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama, to celebrate the completion of our Bachelor degrees. After many months of planning, receiving tips from knowledgeable travellers, discussing which bikinis to bring, and persuading our protective family members, it was finally time to embark on our three-month trip in September 2019.
I will be sharing our adventures and recommendations over the following weeks in The Weekender.
Bocas del Toro
The last destination on our great backpacking adventure was Bocas del Toro – an archipelago off the northwest coast of Panama comprised of nine main islands. Bocas del Toro is the most popular beach and backpackers’ destination in Panama and it is easy to understand why. The laidback vibe, buzzing nightlife, fun activities and pristine beaches stole our hearts. We loved the islands so much that we ended up staying here for almost two weeks!
Isla Colon
We arrived on the main island, Isla Colon, after a tiresome trip in multiple buses. As usual, the Selina’s hostel was the place to be for the backpacking crowd. We immediately met some fun fellow-travellers who convinced us to go out with them. After a few drinking games, we all set off to Iguana’s, a bar with a cool outside area on the water and, most importantly, free drinks for the ladies! Another great nightlife option on Isla Colon is “Summer” – a lively club with great lighting and a dancefloor just above the Caribbean Sea; but the best party on Bocas is undoubtedly “Filthy Friday” – the (in)famous “island crawl” that takes partiers to four different island bars every week.
Bocas del Toro is widely known for its marine life and relatively cheap scuba diving. Luckily, Sofie and I both wanted to get our PADI Open Water Certificate, so we did some research and started our three-day course at Bocas Dive Center on Isla Colon. The first day consisted off theory – pretty exhausting since our brains had been a bit inactive the last months. Day two was a big day. We started off with a few exercises in the shallow water to get used to breathing underwater before taking a boat to dive out in the open water. We were lucky and saw nurse sharks, barracudas, sting rays and devil rays, squids and lots of colourful fish and coral. Saturday was our last day at the diving school. We went on three more open water dives before our instructor rang the bell to congratulate us on passing the course.
Isla Colon might be small, but there are plenty options for hungry travellers. Café del Mar is popular for their delicious breakfast, varied lunch menu, and fresh smoothies. Om Café is highly recommended for authentic Indian cuisine with serene ocean views. For reasonably priced local dishes, keep an eye out for Restaurant Tom and their $5 creole chicken, $7 fresh fish and $13 lobster – all washed down with their free homemade lemonade. Looking for something a bit more high-end? We loved Azul Restaurant, where we celebrated the completion of our PADI course with a five-course tasting menu for $25.
Isla Solarte
The next island was Isla Solarte – a small island with lots of jungle, mangroves and marine life. There are few accommodations, but you only need Bambuda Lodge really. Situated in the jungle with panoramic sea views, this eco-lodge is definitely one of the best hostels we ever stayed at. The homemade food is divine, the 150-foot waterslide offers some adrenaline, the pool area is beautiful, the happy hour drinks are strong, and the hammocks provide the perfect stargazing setting. Don’t forget to borrow some boots and venture out on the jungle hike that takes you to Hospital Point – one of the archipelago’s most popular snorkel and dive sites.
Isla Bastimentos
After a few days in the jungle, we hopped into a water taxi to our final Bocas del Toro stop. Isla Bastimentos is home to the Bastimentos National Marine Park, the well-known Red Frog Beach and of course the vibrant little red frogs themselves. We stayed at Palmar Beach Lodge, the only beachfront hostel in Bocas del Toro. A 10-minute walk from the dock takes you straight through the beautiful jungle until you feel the sand under your toes. Fall asleep in a jungle hut while listening to the waves, read a book in a hammock, enjoy yoga on the beach, or work on your tan. It was the perfect place to recuperate before heading back from a trip of a lifetime if you ask me.
