Page 241 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

Mainland Bocas Bocas del Toro 239
arrIVal aNd deParTUre alMIraNTe
By bus Through buses from/to Panama City, David or By water-taxi There are water-taxis to Bocas Town from
Changuinola will drop you/pick up at the intersection Almirante (see p.226).
(“La Ye”), on the main road (see p.226). By car, bike or motorbike If you’re coming by car to
By minibus Minibuses career between Almirante – the Almirante, it’s advisable to leave it in a secure compound at
main bus station close to the water-taxi terminal – and Leiza’s ($3/day) near the water-taxi terminal. Anyone
Changuinola (6am–10pm; every 20–25min; 30min), wanting to take a bike or motorcycle across should take the
where you can get connections for the border. car ferry (see p.226).
6
Changuinola
The hot, dusty town of CHANGUINOLA, Panama’s most important banana centre, lies 29km
west of Almirante and just 17km from the Costa Rica border. Surrounded by flat, drained
wetlands, a patchwork of plantations and pastureland, this bustling, unattractive town of
around fifty thousand possesses little of interest for visitors but does provide a launch pad
for trips to the Humedales de San San Pond Sak or Parque Internacional La Amistad. It is
also the best place to stay if you are too late to make it to the Costa Rican border.
Most of the action occurs along the congested Avenida 17 de Abril, whose crowded
central pavements overflow with cheap goods. Cut through east to the parallel
street, Avenida Omar Torrijos, and you
can glimpse rusting carriages in railway Humedales de San San Pond Sak (6km), Costa Rica (Guabito) (17km) & Las Tablas (35km)
sidings and disused tracks, the last cHaNGUINola
vestiges of what was once an impressive accoMModaTIoN
rail network built by the United Fruit Hotel Alhambra 2
Company extending along the coast Hotel Golden Sahara 1 Airport
back to Almirante and well into eaTING
Costa Rica. Restaurante Ebony 2 1
Restaurante La Fortuna
arrIVal cHaNGUINola 0 100
metres
BY PLANE
The airport lies just northeast of the town centre. Air N
Panama (T316 9000, Wairpanama.com) operates daily
flights to and from Panama City (1hr; from $106).
Urracá
Bus Terminal
BY BUS
Urracá terminal On the northern end of Av 17 de Abril,
this terminal serves long-distance buses between Panama R R I J O S
City and David. Tranceibosa (T758 8455) has daily MIA office (250m)
departures for Panama City, leaving at 7am and 6pm, and T O R
at 1pm if there are sufficient passengers (11hr; $29). They A V E N I D A 1 7 D E A B R I L O M A Police
fill up fast, so buy tickets as early as possible. Buses to and
from David are much more frequent (5.30am–7pm; every D A I
25min; 5hr). E N
SINCOTAVECOP terminal Set back from the main street, SINCOTAVECOP A V
Bus Terminal
this is the main bus terminal, serving all local destinations.
Destinations Almirante (6am–10pm; every 20–25min; CALLE CENTRAL
30min); El Silencio, Río Teribe (6.30am–8pm; every
20min; 25min); Guabito and the Costa Rican border (take
the Las Tablas bus; 5.30am–7.30pm; every 20min,
30min).
CALLE DE EL PURÉ
BY COLECTIVO OR TAXI Immigration
Colectivos and private taxis run to and from the Costa Rican
border at Guabito (see p.243).
El Silencio (8km) & Almirante (29km)

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