Islands in the stream

Or perhaps with my geek chic glasses Island in the Sun may be more appropriate. Or I could swap my falsetto for a foghorn and go with Fantasy Island. Either way, I’m sure you get my drift. I’ve landed in Panama and alighted in Bocas del Toro, a group of islands just off the Caribbean coast.

Fortunately it’s also not too far from the Costa Rican border, as it had already been a long journey from San Jose. As mentioned previously, I did get to experience one final highlights package on the trip though, taking in jungle, palms and a fair chunk of coastline. After expecting this to be the most hassle of any of the border crossings given the demands for paperwork, it actually turned out to be both quick and easy - I wasn’t asked for anything beyond my passport. The only downside was I wasn’t mobbed by money changers, as at pretty much every other crossing, typically one of the two times I’ve actually wanted to change money at that point. After the bus ride came 40 minutes on a boat (sadly not a Panamanian schooner) to Bocas as well as a new time zone, bringing with it later sunrises and sunsets.

Bocas town, where I was staying, was a pretty cool place, with a similar feeling to Caye Caulker but bigger and a bit more upmarket. Think slow pace of life accompanied by a reggae soundtrack. Unfortunately as Panama’s premier tourist destination it had the high prices to match this status, certainly on a par with Costa Rica. It was hot and humid but fortunately there was a life-saving sea breeze that kept things bearable.

Starting my first day with chores - changing money, doing laundry, organising onward transport - I also had chance to explore the town. Having satisfied a craving I didn’t realise I had with a very good authentic Indian the previous night, the prices and availability of a kitchen meant I opted to cook for my remaining days. I also heartily applaud the hostel for its breakfast provision: a massive bowl of batter to cook your own pancakes. Jobs sorted, fed and watered, I headed off on a moderate walk to Playa Tortuga, the closest beach. It was quiet and had pleasant enough views across the water but I was a bit underwhelmed. Partly this was probably due to my high expectations, as Muz had raved about Bocas as an island paradise and so far it hasn’t hit those heights. Neither was a bottle of rum remotely close to $5 any more either, another black mark.

But on the next day I got it. I took a bone-judderingly bumpy boat ride to Isla Bastimentos (fortunately it was only ten minutes) and it felt like a totally different place. If Bocas town is chilled, the settlement of Old Bank was so relaxed as to be positively horizontal. I walked over the crest of the island, along a trail that would not have been kind in inclement weather and was a bit of a slog in the heat. It was, however, quiet and green with a plantation feel and I was accompanied by bird calls and a multitude of butterflies. And then I arrived at Wizard Beach and it was magical. Basically it was the Caribbean beach of your imagination - soft golden sand underfoot, cool aquamarine waters that lacked the aggression of the Costa Rican Pacific, thin smatterings of cloud in a sunny sky. Its isolation also meant there were only a couple of dozen people there. This, then, was the experience I was looking for.

On my final day I opted to stay on Isla Colon, the main island. I planned to go to Playa Bluff but apparently the bus wasn’t running so I ended up going further, to the opposite side of the island and Boca del Drago instead. This turned out to be a great choice as it was another exceptional beach. It had a thin strip of sand set below a line of trees, with a higher band of sand above and pure blue waters kissing the shore. As well as the beach proper, it essentially extended all the way round the headland and I found a couple of secluded spots on different parts of the coastline to pass the main part of the day with a good book and no worries. Finally, a sunset beer at Bocas Brewery capped off my trip to paradise.