The town is located on Isla Colon and you ll need to take a boat to access it. Boats departs frequently from the towns of Almirante and Changuinola. If you re coming from the costa rican border it is faster to take the boat in Changuinola (7 US$), if you re coming from David, it will be cheaper to take the boat from Almirante (4 US$).

• From the border in Panama (closes at 5 pm Panamenian Time!) you can take a 10 US mini bus to Almirante and a 25 minutes boat from there to Bocas del Toro (town) (4 US$).

• Take a chicken bus to Changuinola and a taxi to the docks and then the 1 hour / 7 US$ boat to Bocas del Toro (town) or a Minibus for 5 US from the border straight to the docks of Changuinola.

• The cheapest way is probably going with the chicken bus (leaves every hour/1 US$) to Changuinola, take a regular bus to Almirante (~1,50 / one hour) and the 4 US$ boat to the island.

There are several flights into Bocas from Panama City. AirPanama flies from the capital twice a day everyday (45 mins $80), and Aeroperlas does the same thing at the same price. *** As of March 1, 2012, Aeroperlas has suspended operations, so Air Panama is the only option.

Nature Air flies from San Jose, Costa Rica to Bocas del Toro 4 times per week. The cost is $110 each way plus $26 international departure fee and $12 for a Panamanian entry stamp.

Located 32km from the Costa Rican border, the Archipiélago de Bocas del Toro consists of six densely forested islands, scores of uninhabited islets and Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos, Panama’s oldest marine park. Although Bocas is Panama’s principal tourist draw card, a fair measure of authenticity remains. Low-key development has maintained the charm of small-town Caribbean life and the absence of megahotels has preserved the archipelago’s idyllic beauty. Even the most developed of the islands, Isla Colón, possesses a strong local flavor and appealingly slow way of life, while the oft-forgotten Isla Carenero is a lovely, peaceful haven.

Bocas’ laid-back Caribbean vibe is enhanced by the archipelago’s spectacular natural setting. The islands are covered in dense jungles of vine tangles and forest palms that open up to pristine beaches fringed by reeds and mangroves. Beneath the water, an extensive coral reef ecosystem supports countless species of tropical fish while simultaneously providing some seriously gnarly surf breaks. In Bocas, hiking through huge swaths of rainforest to arrive at an empty stretch of wave-pounded shore is pretty much the norm.

The mainland is home to the Panamanian half of the binational Parque Internacional La Amistad. Here, primary rainforests are home to unforgettable fauna such as the elusive jaguar, as well as a handful of Ngöbe-Buglé settlements that are still clinging to their traditional ways of life.

Activities in Bocas del Toro by Laguna Azul Ecolodge

The western tip of the island, better known as Bastimentos, is clearly visible from Bocas town, and is not part of the National Park itself. There are several private residences here.

Bastimentos National Park (Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos) encompasses a large area of Bastimentos Island of the Zapatilla Cayes in Bocas Del Toro Province. This marine park covers approximately 13,000 hectares of both land and ocean.

The beachfront areas in the park are mostly located on the eastern side which faces the Caribbean Sea. One of the most popular beach areas of the park is called Red Frog Beach, so named for the red poison dart frogs that can be found here. Other less accessible beach areas are not as popular with tourists and are located in both northern and southern areas of the park. They can be reached by hiking along a beach trail.

The park is home to a diverse collection of wildlife, birds and plants, including the poison dart frogs, howler monkeys and two and three toed sloths. However, there are no trails into the interior of the island, so opportunities to observe wildlife may be limited. There is excellent snorkeling and diving opportunities in the area due to unspoiled coral reefs which are home to over 200 species of marine fish.

The culture of Bastimentos is very different from the neighboring islands. It is very rustic, and the locals speak Guari Guari, which is a mixture of English and Spanish with very heavy creole influences. Bastimentos also does not have any cars, scooters, or motorized vehicles of any kind on the island. The “road” through the town of Old Bank, which inhabits only 600 people, is just a large paved sidewalk lined with brightly painted houses, only about 4 basic restaurants, very rustic bars, and of course many playing children, stray dogs, roosters, chickens, and an occasional goat.

In Laguna Azul Ecolodge we provide daily tours to visit the Bastimentos National Park . Contact our Personal Concierge for more information

Each of the six spacious rooms features either one comfy, hand-crafted, queen-sized bed or one queen and one double bed. The rooms also offer a sitting area, vanity, ample closet space, full bathroom with hot water, fans, and a private balcony with a stunning ocean view. In order to minimize their environmental impact Laguna Azul does not offer air conditioning but with the high-quality fans drawing the fresh-ocean air you won’t miss it.

On the main floor of the lodge you can catch a movie in the entertainment room, relax with a book in the reading room, or just sit out on the giant deck and stare out at the serene natural environment. The enormous living room is stylishly decorated, surrounding you with art, music, and culture. It also features a wet bar, and cushy ratan furniture designed to make you feel at home.
Start your day with a proper full breakfast including fresh juice and fruit in the cheerful dining room. Here, you’ll also enjoy a unique, three-course, gourmet lunch and dinner, with generous portions of freshly caught seafood and other traditional accompaniments.

If you like to keep in shape while you’re on vacation, Laguna Azul offers a complimentary gym or you can grab some snorkelling gear and explore the reef right outside your door. Canoes and kayaks are also included with your accommodation.
Each day you’ll have the chance to tour different sites around Bocas. Spend some time on stunning, virgin beaches, enjoy a cultural experience with the Ngobe community, trek through pristine rainforests, or go dolphin watching. The staff at Laguna Azul can also arrange diving, surfing, and fishing trips.

See original article at Panama Travel Unlimited

2. Staff & Operation Manager: I in charge of the Staff and the planning, organizingand directing all hotel services, including front-of-house (reservation information,concierge), food and beverage operations and housekeeping. The Operationmanager must also pay attention to the details, setting the example for staff todeliver a standard of service and presentation that meets guests’ needs andexpectations. The Operation Manager is also in charge of: meeting and greeting customers; dealing with customer complaints and comments; addressing problems and troubleshooting;

3. The Captains: They are in charge of the boats. They have an excellent boathandling and navigational skills. They are in charge of the maintenance, engineerand technical part of the boat. They also need to maintain the boats clean andready for the tours including the save jackets.

4. The Chefs: Direct the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish,meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods taking care of the guests restrictionsand allergies. Plan menu items, orders supplies, and keep records. Cook and bakefoods for the personnel and the guests.They check all purchased supplies for quality and account for each delivered item.They are in charge of requisition stock, materials, supplies or equipment.

5. The Bartender: Mixes and serves alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks to guests,following some standard recipes: Mixes ingredients, such as liquor, soda, water, sugar, and bitters, to prepare cocktails and other drinks. Innovate with newcocktails. Serves wine or beer. In charge of orders and requisitions liquors andsupplies. Arranges bottles and glasses to make attractive display. He has to sliceand pit fruits for garnishing drinks. Make an inventory of the daily consumption. They are in charge of the proper set of the tables. Check the guests restrictions in order to avoid complaints. Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals and takeaction to correct any problems. Escort customers to their tables. Explain how menu is prepared, describing ingredients and cooking methods. • Remove dishes and glasses from tables, and take them to kitchen forcleaning.Serve food and/or beverages to guests as required. Stock service areas with supplies such as coffee, food, tableware, and linens.

6. The Housekeepers: Some of them key tasks include making guests’ beds,changing the linens, clean curtains or drapes and furniture. In addition to cleaningbathrooms, windows, ceilings, floors and walls, they also empty wastebaskets. Hotel housekeepers replenish all items within the rooms, including soaps,shampoos, toilet paper, towels, and blankets. Our housekeepers have also aspecial decoration with towels on every single bed in order to make your stay ascomfortable and pleasant as possible.

7. The Maintenance crew: They are in charge of the functioning of the watertreatment system, the generator, the bumps, gas and fuel dispenses at all times.They also clean all the backyard social area like the gym and the solariumincluding the cleaning of the canoes and the snorkeling equipment.

On Isla Colon you’ll find the following beaches: Playa El Istmito, Big Creak, Playa Mango, Paunch, Flat Rock, Bluff Beach, Starfish Beach in Bocas del Drago, La Piscina, Playa Lagarto and Mimitimbi Beach amongst others.

On Carenero, near Isla Colon you will  find several white sand beaches and on Bastimentos Island  you will be able to enjoy Playa Primera (Wizard Beach), Playa Segunda, Red Frog Beach, Playa Polo and Playa Larga (Long Beach).

On the east of Bastimentos there are more unamed beaches and all the rest of the islands (Solarte, Cristobal, Popa, Cayo de Agua) have their fare amount of amazing beaches. Some of the most spectacular beaches can be found in the Zapatillas Cays (see photo) and in Escudo de Veraguas.

Nature has been generous with this part of the world where the only main attraction here  are the beaches, coral reefs, incredible sea and mangroves that show that the protagonist goes to the outdoors and nature. Here nothing tired or stressful activities, an ideal trip for those who sold out the daily rhythm of work and the city come in search of tranquility.

It should be noted that for all these qualities, is a permanent site and tourist boom is equipped and ready for where you look to welcome tourists from around the world, from small hotels and luxury resorts to cheap guest houses and numerous restaurants that offer  typical food and a wide range of possibilities to choose where to stay or eat.

And this place does not stop when adding activities beneficial to the traveler, and as every tourist spot is the “trump card” nature and gives us the opportunity to perform various activities such as snorkeling, diving, surfing, sea turtles visit or indigenous communities, or simply bask in some of its incredible beaches. What else can we add? this place gives us the constant feeling of unspoilt, unexplored, unpolluted, a place free from care and friendly and hospitable people where relaxation is assured.

Welcome to Bocas del Toro, visit Isla Popa and spoil yourself at Laguna Azul Ecolodge.

Also in the archipelago are concentrated 95% of coral species throughout the Caribbean own counting unique and endemic species in the area.
The incredible biodiversity of these islands only surpassed by that of the Galapagos, has Bocas del Toro earned the name “LIVING ISLAND”.
As said before, if you’ve ever thought about diving, this is the ideal place. Bocas del Toro in this sport is so exciting for both novices and experts and in their internal waters at depths between 12 and 18 meters offers the magnificent spectacle to observe the concentration of live coral highest in the world, here should always dive flashlight beam spread, even in the daytime dives, to observe the great variety of colors red, purple and magenta that exist there. In terms of fauna, coral reefs are home to countless species of fish, shrimps, crabs, starfish, spiders, clams, sea horses, fish, frogs and eels and a huge amount and variety of sponges.
Example of the enormous biodiversity of these islands are the pristine tropical forests located in one of its keys, you can observe the spectacle of a rainforest in the middle of a reef, formed by several species of trees native to coastal wetland area, which grow under conditions of movement of water (salted / sweet), as well as its unique and endemic species of bats and frogs dart multicolored Mangrove forests can transform salt water into fresh water to their functions, these floating forests maintain a very close to marine life, its intertwined roots provide protection and shelter to fish and shellfish in their larval stages, plus many other nutrients. Dolphins ply its waters and four of the eight turtle species identified in the world visit the area: white or green, hawksbill, loggerhead and bighead or the largest of all, the impressive canal.

The spawning season and mating ranges from March to September during which he can easily see this natural spectacle.
Finally Swan Swan Cay cay or also known as Bird Island, one of the best kept secrets in Bocas del Toro, is a nature reserve consists of a small group of islands forming impressive it looks from above a “cathedral of stone ”. Here lives a great number of species of seabirds, sedentary and migratory, such as brown pelicans, frigate, the brown booby and the tropical bird so it should not be surprising that birders can find more than 350 species their natural habitat.
All this grand spectacle of biodiversity that can be enjoyed on these islands, amply justifies the nickname “Island Living”.
In their midst was created Bastimentos National Marine Park in which ecotourism is practiced and is a natural attraction of the archipelago. This reserve covers an approximate area of ​​13200 hectares, of which 11,600 are from sea and land are 1600 islands in this park are protected especially lobsters and the turtles that nest on beaches, in addition to the flora and fauna site
They are also protected from logging mangroves, rainforest and its destruction cause by the effects of sedimentation in an environmental impact that would destroy the ecosystem of coral reefs and the life of fish and crustaceans that inhabit it. The most visited sites in the park are two keys by natural beauty, known as Cayo Slipper.
In its pristine beaches, formed by coral sand and surrounded by coconut palms, nesting hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), a species in greatest danger of extinction and the turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), considered the largest in the group of turtles.

As shown in the map here below, the area has a very particular geography and the set of islands, all surrounded by barriers of coral reefs to offshore, enclosing the Almirante Bay and its surroundings in a way that makes it a true coastal lagoon, preventing the formation of large currents and waves

How to get to the Lodge?

Step One: Arrive in Panama City 

• Panamá: Aeropuerto Internacional Tocumen. PMain companies: Copa Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, American Airlines, Iberia

Step two: Change the airport for domestic flight.

• In Panama City, the passenger must move from the Tocumen International Airport to the airport Marcos A Gelabert (Ex Albrook). From here, all domestic flights. The companies Aeroperlas o Airpanamamade a total of 4 daily flights each (2 morning and 2 afternoon). After a 50 minutes flight you reach the airport at Bocas del Toro

Laguna Azul Ecolodge is located near Isla Popa is an exclusive private island, surrounded by magnificent mangroves, and corals

See Google Maps

Transferencias en Dólares (USD) solamente

Intermediary Bank in the US / Banco intermediario en Estados Unidos:  HSBC Bank USA

Swift Code: MRMDUS33

ABA: 021001088

Beneficiary Bank / Banco Beneficiario : 000141186

HSBC BankPanama

Swift: MIDLPAPA

Final Beneficiary / Beneficiario Final

Numero de cuenta del Beneficiario Final (0109156043)

Nombre del Beneficiario Final- Ruben Navarro .

INSTRUCCIONES PARA RECIBO DE TRANSFERENCIAS LOCALES

Transferencias en Dólares (USD) solamente

HSBC Bank Panama – sucursal 59 David

Número de cuenta corriente 0109156043

Nombre del Beneficiario Final- Ruben Navarro .

Política de cancelación y No Show:

• Todas las cancelaciones o cambios se deben realizar dirigiéndose directamente al Departamento de Reservas y deben tener una respuesta por parte del hotel confirmando dicha cancelación. De otro modo no se considerarán canceladas.

• Cargo por cancelación :
• 25% del total de la estadía si la reserva se cancelara en un plazo mayor a 30 días del ingreso del huésped -
• 50% del total de la estadía si la reserva se cancelara entre 29 y 15 días del ingreso del huésped
• 100% del total de la estadía si la reserva se cancelara en un plazo menor a los 14 días del ingreso del huésped

• Reservas no show: estarán sujetas al cobro equivalente al 100% de la estadía reservada.

Condiciones NO validas para fechas especiales: Navidad, Año Nuevo, Carnavales, Pascua y Fechas Patrias.

Because of that, many different expressions of each of these groups have become part of the culture of Bocas del Toro and an attraction for visitors to our region.