Page 228 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

226 Bocas del Toro ArchipiélAgo de BocAs del Toro
BOCAS FESTIVALS
Bocas Town’s main festival is the Feria del Mar, held on playa el istmito in late september;
endless rows of exhibition stands, craft stalls, mountainous fry-ups and late-night partying on
the sands draw visitors in their thousands. other dates for the diary include November 16,
when Bocas’ main street becomes the focus of multiday celebrations for the foundation of
Bocas del Toro province, marked by daytime parades with marching bands and pollera-
garbed women, and nighttime drinking and dancing to dJs and live music. Carnavales,
6 though less wild than in the Azuero, involve a fair amount of partying nonetheless – the strong
Afro-panamanian influence ensures regular street outings of congo bands and diablitos
brandishing whips (see box, p.163).

arrIVal aNd deParTUre Isla colÓN
BY PLANE depending on demand (10hr; $28); departures from
Airport All flights arrive at, and depart from, Bocas Almirante to Panama City leave at 8am and 6pm daily.
Airport, three blocks west of the main street, C 3. Tickets can be bought at Albrook bus terminal in Panama
Airlines and flights Air Panama (T757 9841 in Bocas; City, and at the Tranceibosa office by Taxi 25 in Bocas Town
T316 9000 for general reservations; Wairpanama.com) (daily 8am–noon & 1–5pm; T757 9493) up to two days in
offers several daily flights from and to Panama City (from advance – buying ahead is advisable in high season. You’ll
$105 one way), which get booked up early over long need warm clothes to combat the invariably glacial a/c on
weekends and holiday periods. The carbon-neutral Costa the overnight buses.
Rican domestic airline Nature Air (T757 9390 in Bocas, From/to David Buses run frequently between
Wnatureair.com) has daily direct flights between San José Changuinola and David, stopping at Almirante (5am–7pm;
and Bocas (50min; from $211 one way, including carbon every 25min; 4hr).
offsetting). Both airlines have offices at the airport in Shuttles The Caribe Shuttle (Bocas T757 7048; Puerto
Bocas. Viejo, Costa Rica T2750 0626, Wcaribeshuttle.com) offers
Luggage allowance Air Panama flights allow 14kg of a hassle-free, daily door-to-door a/c service to Bocas from
checked baggage plus hand luggage, and charge Puerto Viejo (6am, 8am & noon; 4hr; $33) or San José
supplements for surfboards. For Nature Air the luggage (6am; 10hr; $76) in Costa Rica. Departures from Bocas to
allowance depends upon the fare class purchased. Puerto Viejo also leave at 6am, 8am and noon, while for
San José the shuttle leaves at 8am. Hello Travel (T757
BY BUS 7004, Whellotravelpanama.com), which has an office on
Almirante, a port on the Caribbean mainland, is the only C 3, Bocas Town, operates a daily shuttle between Boquete
departure point for boats to Isla Colón, the gateway to the and Bocas Town, leaving Boquete at 8am (4hr; $30) and
Bocas del Toro archipelago. Whether you’re coming from or Bocas at 11am. All shuttle prices include water-taxi fares.
heading to Costa Rica, Panama City or David by bus, you
will be dropped off/picked up at “La Ye” de Almirante (see BY BOAT
p.238), the junction between the main coastal road and the Water-taxis The number of water-taxi companies
entrance to Almirante. Shared taxis shuttle back and forth providing transfer across the bay between Almirante and
between here and the water-taxi terminals ($1/person), Bocas ebbs and flows. At the time of writing four companies
where boats depart for/arrive from Bocas Town on Isla were active: each has a separate jetty along the same
Colón. 100m of road in Almirante with departures every 30min
From Costa Rica After crossing the Costa Rican border at (6am–6pm, occasionally 6.30pm; 30min; $6). The most
Sixaola/Guabito (see p.241), take the bus to Changuinola, established companies are Taxi 25, which has a dock next to
the first main town, 17km from the border (5.30am–7pm; the police station in Bocas Town, and Bocas Marine Tours,
every 25min; 30min), and transfer to a bus bound for which operates from the main jetty, further down C 3.
Almirante (see p.239); alternatively, take a taxi to Newer companies Transporte Maritimo Valencia and Torres
Almirante (50min; colectivo $6/person, private $15–20). A Tours have jetties on C 1 and offer cheaper rates when
shuttle service also runs between Puerto Viejo, in Costa business is slack.
Rica, and Bocas del Toro (see below). Ferries The Palanga car ferry (Wferrybocas.com) leaves
From/to Panama City Tranceibosa operates buses Almirante at 7am and noon Tues–Sun, 7am on Sun (1hr
between Panama City and Changuinola, dropping off/ 30min; $2) and will transport a bicycle ($4) or a motorbike
picking up passengers at Almirante. Overnight buses from ($10). The ferry docks at the southern end of Bocas Town’s
Panama City leave at 6pm, 6.30pm and sometimes 7pm, main street, returning to Almirante at 10am and 3pm.

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