Page 120 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

118 The Panama Canal and CenTral isThmus Isla Grande
arriVal and deParTure ParQue naCiOnal de POrTOBelO
By bus The La Guaira bus from Colón (see p.107) passes around 1.10pm Mon–Fri, 4.10pm Sat & Sun). If there is
through Puerto Lindo (10.30am–6.30pm; approximately sufficient demand, it may detour via Cacique.
every 2hr; 1hr 10min; last bus back to Colón passes at
aCCOmmOdaTiOn and eaTinG
Bambu Guest House Overlooking the bay, Puerto decorated doubles in a two-storey building. Bag an upstairs
2 Lindo T6353 0798, Wpanamaguesthouse.com. room ($15 more, with a/c and satellite TV) opening onto the
German-run establishment nestled in a luscious garden
shared balcony hung with hammocks. There’s a communal
overlooking the bay with three stylish en-suite rooms and a kitchen, pool table and traditional cayucos (dugout canoes)
communal dining balcony affording great ocean views. for rent. Breakfast available ($4–6). Dorm $11, doubles $40
Rainforest walks with a local guide can be arranged. A Tesoro Verde 3km along the road to Cacique, 600m
sumptuous breakfast costs $6.50. $60 after the turn-off to the Panamarina T6735 0598,
Casa X Water’s edge, by the yacht club, Puerto Lindo. Wtesoroverdepanama.com. Delightful back-to-nature
Informal restaurant serving delicious, freshly prepared retreat still being developed by a British couple. It currently
seafood with a side of salad, patacones or rice ($9), to be has two bamboo “bothies” – open-sided shelters – each
washed down with a glass of wine. Daily noon–8pm. with a double bed under a mosquito net, looking out onto
Hostal Wunderbar On the left, main road, just after the the forest teeming with howler monkeys, sloths and other
turn-off to Cacique, Puerto Lindo T6700 7790, wildlife. Loll in a hammock, go horseriding or birdwatching,
Whostelwunderbar.com. The traditional Guna cane house or get lost in the amazing hibiscus maze. The introductory
has dorm beds, and there are small, individually and cheerily rate, quoted here, includes breakfast. $69

Isla Grande

ISLA GRANDE’s popularity as a day or weekend getaway for Panamanian urbanites has
often led to hyperbolic descriptions of its beaches and overall beauty. In truth, it doesn’t
measure up to the stunning islands of Guna Yala or Bocas del Toro, but if you’re in the
area and want a quick shot of Caribbean vibe, a dose of fresh air and a splash in the sea
before tucking into Creole cuisine, then Isla Grande will do very nicely. As there is no
ATM on the island you’ll need to bring cash, although most of the accommodation
options take credit cards.

The main village
At just 3km long and under 1km wide, with only a couple of paths and no roads,
it’s easy to orient yourself on the island. Most of its four hundred residents of
predominantly Afro-Antillean descent live off fishing and tourism and reside in the
main village, which is strung out along a coastal footpath running the length of the
island. The village jetty, by Cabañas Jackson, constitutes the hub of “downtown” Isla
Grande, where most accommodation options, bars and restaurants are located and
the reggae vibe is at its most pronounced. At weekends in the dry season and peak
holiday times, when the island bulges with up to a thousand fun-loving Panamanians,
the place is throbbing, often with music blaring from portable stereos (despite the
island’s attempts to ban them) and the one decent stretch of sand at La Punta, on the
southwestern tip, is inevitably packed. Apart from a thimble-sized public beach, most
of the sand, grass and the shade lies within the confines of the Hotel Isla Grande; a $8
pass allows you to use the facilities, including showers, toilets, sun loungers, picnic
tables and a volleyball court.

The rest of the island
Behind the village, a steep flight of concrete steps pushes through the dense foliage
across the island to a decent snorkelling beach (of a now defunct resort). If you don’t

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