Bocas del Toro (Panama)

The city of Bocas del Toro is located on the island of Colon, which is part of the archipelago of the same name and is the capital of the province of the same name, located in the northwest of the country. The locals call it simply Bokas. The city is so small that it can be walked around in just a few hours. The Bocas del Toro archipelago is one of the most famous resorts in Panama., as well as one of the best places in Panama for diving, snorkeling and surfing. It can be reached by boat from the cities of Changuinola and Almirante. The archipelago was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1502. It consists of 9 relatively large islands, 52 small islands and over 200 tiny islands. The best places to stay are on the Colon Islands in the Bocas del Drago beach area, on Bastimentos Island in the Red Frog beach area and on Carenero Island. On the island of San Cristobal there is Dolphin Bay, where dolphins appear very often and tourists are encouraged to swim with them. Bastimientos Island National Marine Park is located on the island of Bastimientos and on several nearby islands.. It is one of the few conservation areas in Latin America where wildlife, the indigenous tribes of the Ngobe Bagl Islands and coral reefs are protected at the same time. Many of the park’s beaches are nesting grounds for rare, endangered turtle species. Not far from here is Bird Island, which is famous for its colony of sea gulls.

The archipelago has unlimited diving opportunities. The main dive sites of Bocas del Toro are located at the northwestern tip of Colon Island, between Colon Island and Solarte Island, off the southern coast of Bastimentos Island, where the National Marine Park of the same name is located, and the Zapatilla Islands. Here you can see coral gardens, coral walls, caves and tunnels underwater. Bluff, Damper and Punch beaches on Colon Island offer surfing. Fishing tours are also organized on Bocas del Toro.

Baru (Panama)

According to PHYSICSCAT, 40 km north of the city of David on the eastern slopes of the Baru volcano is the village of Buke. This is a real paradise for those who are tired of the heat and want to breathe in the pure mountain air. Bouquet is called the “city of coffee and flowers”, because coffee plantations and flower gardens stretch around it. Ngobe-Bagle Native American tribes live in these places remote from large cities. The Indians were evicted here by the colonists, whom the Indians resisted for a long time. Now the Indians work on coffee plantations. January in Buka the country-famous coffee and flower fair takes place, which lasts 10 days. At this time, tourists can visit flower gardens, which rank third in the world in terms of beauty and variety of species, as well as taste excellent local coffee. In addition, tourists are invited to get acquainted with the process of coffee production at the nearby plantation and factory Café Ruiz. The world-famous Quetzal Trail starts from the village of Bouquet and leads to the village of Cerro Punta. During the journey you will see some of the largest trees in the world, as well as a wide variety of birds. The village of Cerro Punta is the highest mountain village in the country, it is located at an altitude of about 2000 m. Around it, the ruins of an ancient city have been preserved, which was destroyed in 600 AD. eruption of the Baru volcano.

From Cerro Punta you can go to the highest point in the country – Baru volcano (3475 m). It is the only active volcano in Panama. The width of the volcano caldera is 6 km. It last erupted in 1550 and is expected to erupt again in 2035. Volkan Baru National Park is located on the western slopes of the volcano.. It occupies an area of ​​14.3 thousand hectares, on which tropical rainforests and volcanic landscapes extend. You can get to the top of the volcano by jeep or on foot, but hiking is only suitable for trained tourists. In clear weather, both coasts of Panama can be seen from the top of the Baru volcano. The park also offers routes to several craters of the volcano, during the journey through which you can see a huge variety of orchids, ferns, mosses and birds, such as quetzals and toucans.

North of the Baru volcano is part of the La Amistad International Park. This is the world’s first biosphere reserve, which was created on the territory of two states. The rest of the park is in Costa Rica.. The Panamanian part of the reserve covers the mountain ranges stretching from Costa Rica, and covers an area of ​​207 thousand hectares. It is located on the territory of two provinces – Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro. The park information center in the province of Chiriqui is located in the village of Las Nubes, and in the province of Bocas del Toro, in the village of Panayungla. On the mountain slopes of the national park there are forests inhabited by rare mountain cougars, jaguars and many birds, among which is the most beautiful bird of Central America – the quetzal. Tourists come here to go hiking, rafting, bird watching and getting to know the cultures of local Indian tribes.