Bocas del Toro Living - How to live, succeed, and enjoy life in Panama's most incredible ecotourism outpost

Boca del Drago - has a nice wavy beach long enough for a good walk that is dotted with rocky patches known for their little hiding sea creatures. The open-air restaurant at Drago's south end serves up cold drinks and nice lunches under the tall coconut palms and local scenery. There are cabins for visitors, and within walking distance from the restaurant lies a dilapidated dock. Nothing more than a few collapsing pilings now, a lot of sea birds and other wildlife hang around on them.

Variant coral and the sandy sea bottom makes it easy to snorkel right off the beach when the sea is calm. There is also great snorkeling in the protected seas near Punta Rancho. Go by boat to the south and you will be rewarded with large brain-coral heads that house entire mini-ecosystems for many tropical fish. Water visibility ranges between 15-65 feet, with August to October being the calmest. As of January 2005, there are no scuba diving or snorkeling outfitters located in Boca del Drago itself. Most tourists take a full day tour to Drago out of Bocas as there are several tour operators located in town.

Many day trips to Boca del Drago include a 20-minute boat ride to Swan Cay (officially called Isla de los Pájaros or unofficially Bird Island). This is a true open ocean ride in sometimes-big deep swells. If you don't like wild boat rides you might find this a little disconcerting on windy days. The tiny island offers a great area for watching huge populations of red-billed tropical birds, white-crowned pigeons, and other long distance flyers. You cannot go ashore here, as it is a protected resource.

The most scenic and adventurous way to visit Boca del Drago is of course by water taxi out of Bocas. However you may choose to take a bus or taxi. Public buses offer round-trip service between Boca del Drago and Bocas town for $3.00 round-trip. The buses depart Bocas and Boca del Drago on various and changing departure times. Be flexible and pay attention when making afternoon or overnight plans. You can also ride there in about an hour on a rented mountain bike from Bocas town. The dirt and gravel road passes through the islands flat areas, and you will see small farms, jungles and lush vegetation.

Back to Master List of Parks and Day Trips

 Quit your job make
 money traveling
 Super Fun & Easy