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Posts tagged Bocas Del Toro
Panama’s Best Beaches
Aug 28th
Panama may not exactly be known as a top international beach destination, but it does have more than 1,500 miles of coastline on both the Pacific and the Caribbean. While much of the coastline is made up of dense mangroves rather than picturesque white sand beaches, I lived in Panama for over a year and can attest to the fact that there are plenty of lovely–if somewhat underrated–beach destinations.
Bocas del Toro: With a couple of ramshackle, English Caribbean-style towns that seem to suffer from a severe dichotomy between the relatively wealthy expat community and a struggling, impoverished Afro-Caribbean and indigenous population, your initial reaction when visiting Bocas might be to ask yourself why this is one of Panama’s most popular beach destinations. However, despite this rather sad economic reality, Bocas is actually home to some of Panama’s most breathtaking beaches, including the dazzling “Cayos Zapatillos” two white-sand islands with crystal clear waters and excellent snorkeling and opportunities. At Starfish Beach, hundreds of orange starfish dot the ocean floor. I recommend hiring a local boatman when visiting different beaches as a way to support the local community.
Kuna Yala: Also known as San Blas, these 365-plus (mostly uninhabited) islands offer crystal clear blue-green waters, tiny, palm tree-lined white sand islands and a traditional, strong willed people, the Kuna, who fiercely cling to their traditions and customs. In fact, foreigners are not even allowed to buy property anywhere on the Kuna Yala Island. The vast majority of lodging options here consist of thatched roof cabins with sand floors, no electricity or running water and few amenities. Because of the region’s isolation, most islands have no restaurants, bars or shops, so you’ll have to buy an all-inclusive package including mostly fish and rice meals. So while there may not be a thriving restaurant and bar scene, the Kuna Yala islands are the perfect spot to lay on a hammock, work on your tan and snorkel along the many coral reefs close to the shoreline.
Isla Coiba: Isla Coiba is often compared to the Galapagos Island because of its endemic species and unique ecosystem. In my opinion, Isla Coiba is Panama’s most pristine and gorgeous beach destination, but the Island receives relatively few visitors, not surprising considering there’s only a couple rustic cabins for lodging on the island and visiting can be expensive. But if money isn’t an issue, Isla Coiba is worth the hassle. Most likely, your tour company will arrange lodging at nearby Isla Coiba or right on the tour boat. Isla Coiba is considered one of the best diving and snorkeling spots in Central America.
Boca Chica: These aren’t the most beautiful beaches in the country – think beige sand, deep blue waters – but there’s something special about this rural region of Panama. On the Pacific side of the country, Boca Chica feels a bit like cowboy country. Men on horseback, verdant, rolling hills and miles upon miles of banana plantations dot the landscape and the climate here is hot and muggy — perfectly tropical, in other words! Boca Chica is home to some of the most beautiful eco lodges in the country and makes an ideal romantic getaway for couples because of its isolation.
The Pacific Beaches: These are definitely not Panama’s most impressive beaches, but the central Pacific coast is home to Panama’s most ambitious and upscale beach-side communities and all-inclusive resorts. The beaches here resemble those on the U.S mid Atlantic and have mostly brownish, medium grain sand and brown/green murky water with strong riptides that can make swimming dangerous for children and inexperienced swimmers. All that said, Pacific beaches such as Gorgona, Playa Blanca and Santa Clara make a perfectly pleasant day trip from Panama City, and if your idea of going to the beach includes staying at a full service (think multiple pools, restaurants, cocktails, nightly entertainment) all-inclusive resorts, you’ll be perfectly happy on Pacific beaches.
Low Impact Living and Travel in Bocas del Toro
Aug 27th
Husband and wife team Henry Escudero and Margaret Ann moved to Bocas del Toro in 2003 and were among the first foreigners to move to the islands, quite a bit before the whole concept of eco tourism really took hold. Margaret and Enrique own La Loma Jungle Lodge, a small ecolodge about a 15 minute boat ride from Bocas Town. As Henry and Margaret say, the Bocas del Toro Archipelago “ranges from jungle covered hills with calm mangrove bays to large beaches with rolling surf to the quintessential tropical islands rimmed with coral reef and coconut palms.” I visited Henry and Margaret’s eco lodge two years ago while I was writing the Frommer’s Panama guide and have admired their “low impact” travel and living philosophy ever since. I recently spoke to Henry and Margaret about living and working in Bocas del Toro, one of Panama’s most popular beach destinations.
Why did you decide to move to Bocas? The lodge was a dream that had been gestating since we met in college in 1991. We both wanted to pursue a largely self-sufficient lifestyle and escape the trappings of the work and consumer driven ‘global north’. After reading a newspaper piece entitled “Panama, The Oddest Country in Central America,” we decided we needed to visit. We fell in love with Bocas’ incredible natural environment and its diverse population.
2.) What were some of the challenges you faced when you first moved to Bocas, both personally and professionally? Having worked as an archaeologist (Henry) and a museum specialist (Margaret), there wasn’t a great deal of roll-over into this project. We both had to learn hands-on how to build structures, plan for water and solar systems and navigate the bureaucracies for building permits, licenses etc. It was particularly hard for Margaret as a women to have any authority in such a male- dominated culture. We were also appalled by the attitude of many ex-pats to the local communities; one of disregard at best and blatant racism at worst.
3.) How do you reconcile guest comfort and environmental friendliness? Many people seem to think they can’t simultaneously exist. What are some of the drawbacks or challenges you face running a “green” hotel? We’re very clear up front what the lodge can offer guests. We make it apparent in all of our publicity that our emphasis is on bringing guests closer to the natural environment and local communities and not on amenities such as air conditioning and swimming pools. As a result, our guests share the same ethos about responsible travel. They seek us out specifically because we’re the antithesis of generic chain hotels. This said, we do everything we can to provide comfort as long as it is compatible with maintaining our small ecological footprint. We have comfortable beds, enormous mosquito nets, flushing toilets and hot water. I can think of no challenges we’ve faced in running a ‘green’ operation verses a high impact hotel.
4.) What makes your lodge green, and why did you choose to build annenvironmentally friendly hotel? We wouldn’t dream of building it any other way! Although large portions of the land we purchased had been farmed in the past, the jungle was well on its way to reclaiming its territory and this is the way it should be. The flora and fauna are remarkable. From the outset, we did everything we could to limit our negative impact on the environment and local communities. Our power is solar, our water comes from a spring on the land, all black water is safely treated and gray water reused, we farm much of the food we consume and source the rest locally. We strictly minimize non-compostable waste. We employee only local people, offer training and career development opportunities and run a community development program (Hooda Chi). We’ve also planted hundreds of trees and worked to reduce invasive plant species.
Our interest and intentions were always in the area of sustainable and responsible lifestyles, although we have no formal training. Margaret specialized in social inclusion in the cultural sector, so although it may not have been immediately obvious, many of her skills were useful in running the community development program.
Is it a challenge to be green in Bocas and Panama? Yes and no. Awareness of environmental issues is leagues behind the UK and US. A little example? The looks of confusion we would receive when we asked not to have groceries put into a plastic bag! However, levels of consumption are less (largely due to limited income). In the past couple of years, there’s been a recycling scheme in Bocas which is great.
How do your guests respond to the lodge? The vast majority appreciate what we are doing at La Loma and relish the new experiences on offer to them. They’re often surprise at just how comfortable it can be living simply in the jungle. We made many wonderful friends and have many repeat customers.
Grassroots Sustainable Tourism Organization Promotes Responsible Travel
Aug 8th
During my time in Bocas del Toro a couple months ago, I met Alexandra Dennis, the Bocas Sustainable Tourism Alliance coordinator, and we spoke a bit about the BSTA’s misson and the slow but steady movement toward low impact tourism in Central America. Because of my recent interest in sustainable tourism, I contacted Dennis a few weeks ago to discuss her organizations mission and challenges in more detail.
What is the BTSA’s mission?
“To support sustainable tourism development, promote responsible travel that sustain and enhance the geographical character of the place—our environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of our residents while giving incentives for travelers to understand and protect the local culture and environment they are visiting.”
How did the idea for BTSA come around? Is this part of an umbrella organization or unique to Bocas?
Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) have proven to be effective at providing incentives for behavior change in the tourism sector. They also have the ability to strengthen links between tourism stakeholders and increase conservation awareness throughout the value chain. As such, through the generous support of the USAID-Conservation of Central American Watersheds program (CCAW), Solimar International was tasked with developing a DMO that can achieve the following objectives for the region:
· Enhance the competitiveness of sustainable tourism in Bocas del Toro;
· Support conservation efforts that mitigate environmental impacts;
· Respond to an increase in tourism demand; and
· Strengthen links between public and private sector groups within the destination.
As a result, the Bocas Sustainable Tourism Alliance (BSTA) was formed. BSTA is a local affiliate of Sustainable Travel International.
What are the requirements for an establishment to be accepted as an environmentally friendly property?
We are currently working through our guideline documents which include the details of acceptance. We require members to pledge to BSTA regarding their sustainable practices and work towards improving these practices on a regular basis. Our intention is to provide education on sustainable practices and to ensure that each of our members meets at least a certain threshold for sustainability.
What exactly is green tourism? What can establishments do to be more green?
Sustainable tourism is tourism that is economically, culturally and environmentally sustainable. With sustainable tourism, cultural and environmental impacts are neither permanent nor irreversible. What is sustainable? Something that is capable of being maintained without exhausting available resources or causing damage. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that tourism is a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and tourists themselves. Establishments can work towards improving their sustainability in a given area to that they meet the minimum standards and work towards being an example to other businesses.
What can travelers do to reduce their carbon footprint?
Here are some Green Travel Tips we provide for travelers on our website and on our Map of Bocas del Toro:
1. Despite the huge amount of rainfall in this region, fresh water is in very short supply. Be aware of your usage when traveling – take short showers, re-use towels and linen at hotels, and team up with other travelers to wash a full laundry load.
2. Trash is often dumped or burned, so recycle as much as you possibly can. BSTA’s Tourist Information Center has containers for recycling plastic bottles, drink cans and plastic bags, and Wongsa on the waterfront at the northern end of Calle 5 takes cleaned drinks cans and plastic bottles to Panama City for recycling.
3. Don’t keep buying plastic water bottles – refill your old one at the BSTA Tourist Information Center. It’s cheaper, too!
4. Do not touch coral or other sea life when diving or snorkeling. It could be harmful to you as well as to the coral! You can report any boat drivers who drop anchor on the coral or chase dolphins to BSTA, as well as any guides who act irresponsibly towards the environment.
5. Do not purchase souvenirs made from coral or turtle shell, and avoid restaurants serving turtle meat or eggs. Lobsters are also overfished, so you may want to avoid ordering them too.
6. Where possible, buy handicrafts directly from the communities or artisans to ensure your money reaches the craftspeople. If you don’t manage to visit a local community, a small selection of handicrafts are on sale at the BSTA Tourist Information Center, and all profits are returned to the craftspeople. Additionally, on the first and third Saturday of every month, local communities sell their own crafts, oils, coconut and cacao products at the Bocas Farmer’s Market in the park.
7. Give something back! Contact BSTA for information about volunteer opportunities in the region – from installing rainwater catchment systems to working in schools.
8. Include a visit to a local community tourism project. You can stay in a cabin or with a family; enjoy a home-cooked meal; learn how medicinal plants are used; see how local crafts are made; and watch traditional dance performances.
9. Look for low-impact tour options – hiking, biking, kayaking and snorkeling rather than motorized boats, cars or scooters.
Do your research! BSTA offers information about the sustainability of local businesses so that you can be sure your hotel or tour provider is doing its best to minimize its environmental impact and support the local community.
I would also add that travelers could choose to travel by bus and water taxi instead of flying to the island.
What are some of the challenges Bocas in particular faces when it comes to dealing with eco/environmental challenges? Is anything being done to deal with these challenges?
Bocas is a small town in a ‘developing’ country and as such faces a variety of obstacles when it comes to addressing the eco/environmental challenges. There are steps being taken to deal with all of the challenges.
Check out my article on green travel for additional information.
