Page 239 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

ArchipiélAgo de BocAs del Toro Bocas del Toro 237
Cayos Zapatillas
Southeast of Isla Bastimentos, but still within the park boundary, are the Cayos Zapatillas
(Little Shoes), so named because they resemble a pair of footprints in the sea. The two
dreamy, coral-fringed islands, encircled by powdery white sand, offer snorkelling off the
beach, where you’ll find more and larger fish than in Cayo Crawl. The main reef is exposed
to the ocean, often with strong currents and choppy water. With permission from MIA in
Bocas Town (see p.228), camping is possible on the prettier northern island, where there is
a short trail, and you can watch the stars and share the sand with nesting turtles.
6
arrIVal aNd accoMModaTIoN ParQUe NacIoNal Isla BasTIMeNTos
By tour or boat The easiest way to visit is with a tour MIA camping Cayos Zapatillas. You can camp by the park
operator on a day-trip (prices don’t include the park fee) or warden’s hut on Cayos Zapatillas, where you can use the
by contracting a boat (arrange for an early start to miss kitchen (bring some food to share). There are toilet facilities
the tour groups at Laguna Bocatorito and Cayo Crawl). but water may be scarce, depending on the rain. You will
Park entry fees The $10 entry charge is generally need permission from MIA in Bocas Town (see p.228). $6
collected by a MIA warden on Cayos Zapatillas.

Isla Solarte
Sheltered in the leeward crook of Isla Bastimentos, thin, hilly Isla Solarte – also known
as Cayo Nancy, a corruption of “nance”, the cherry-sized yellow fruit much in evidence
on the island – is surrounded by tranquil waters. Its most famous feature, Hospital
Point, at its northwestern tip, was the location of a hospital built by the United Fruit
Company in 1900 during the banana boom to quarantine malaria and yellow-fever
sufferers. The point is now one of the most popular dive and snorkel spots, at the end
of many day-trip itineraries, with a healthy reef of cauliflower and brain coral and an
impressive wall full of tropical fish, shelving off a pencil-thin strip of beach.
Solarte is home to a Ngäbe village of around 250, which has a school and even a
football field. Most of the villagers live from fishing and subsistence agriculture.
arrIVal aNd accoMModaTIoN Isla solarTe
By water-taxi A 10min ride from Bocas ($5) will get you waterslide) and kayak rental. Wraparound balconies, sofas
to anywhere on Isla Solarte. and hammocks make it a great place to chill – with board
Bambuda Lodge 1.3km southwest of Hospital Point games and ping-pong for rainy days. There’s no kitchen, but
T6962 4644, Wbambuda.net; map p.222. Wooden the family-style restaurant serves delicious food (mains
lodge – part hostel, part hotel – with a fabulous location $9–15). Fan-ventilated rooms have shared or private
and great sea views, a large pool (with daytime music and bathroom; no mosquito nets. Dorms $16, doubles $74

Isla San Cristóbal
A large mangrove-fringed island, nestled in the Bahía de Almirante facing the mainland
peninsula of Cerro Brujo, Isla San Cristóbal is home to three Ngäbe communities:
Bocatorito, in the south, which overlooks a bite-shaped lagoon populated by dolphins,
much visited on day-trips from Bocas Town; and Valle Escondido and San Cristóbal to
the north. While cacao, yuca and rice cultivation provides much of their diet, fishing is
still the mainstay of these villages. Look out for the navigation lights on the north side
of the island, used to guide the banana cargo boats into Almirante.
arrIVal aNd accoMModaTIoN Isla saN crIsTÓBal
By water-taxi Bocatorito is a 20–30min journey by designed wooden rooms, decorated in tropical colours,
water-taxi from Bocas Town. affording views of the bay and their gardens. Organic food
Dolphin Bay Hideaway Bocatorito T6886 4502, and healthy activities – SUP, kayaks and cayucos – are on
Wdolphinbayhideaway; map p.222. Intimate eco- hand, as well as tours (extra cost). Half-board (desserts
retreat among the mangroves, with five individually extra) and transfer from Bocas included. $215

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