The Daily Froth:
“Bold Tales Of Bocas Del Toro”
Since the ripe old age of ten, Costa Rica has been a staple in my traveling diet. The bath tub like water temperatures, the friendly locales, and lush tropical rainforest backdrops,ignited a desire for adventure that is permanent in my character. As much as I adore Costa Rica, I love to use the Pura Vida country as a start off point for traveling through Central America. In this edition of “The Daily Froth,” I’ll take you from San Jose to Chiquita Bananas’ World Head Quarters in Bocas Del Toro, Panama in hopes that you’ll book your next surf adventure with Fulcrum Travel.
If one is to travel to the archipelago chain of islands off Panama’s Caribbean side, I would recommend traveling as I did; Fly into San Jose, Costa Rica and catch a bus from terminal Atlantico to Puerto Viejo. It will take up to 4 hours and cost under 10 dollars U.S. From Puerto Viejo, book a shuttle to Almirante, the dockside town in which all boats depart to Bocas Del Toro. I used the Carribe Shuttle Company, they were on time and escorted me through Customs and Immigrations in an efficient manner. I recommend departing Puerto Viejo at 8 a.m to bypass borderlines. Once you cross into Panama, you’ll feel like a real wanderlust stricken traveler. Accompanying fellow Fulcrum surf coach Yehuda Benhamo and I, was an array of travelers from unique cultural backgrounds. Our air conditioned van quickly turned into buzzing network of social interactions as connections were formed through a mixture of English and Spanish. To me, this was the most valuable aspect of traveling to Panama. Unlike the Americanized Pacific Side of Costa Rica, this destination attracted a technicolor array of nationalities. These encounters with travelers give tremendous insight into the lives of people from around the globe, a truly enriching experience that can’t necessarily be obtained in a classroom.
Alimrante, the hub of transport to and from Bocas Del Toro, is the perfect jump off point into the pastel paradise that awaits. The boats and tiny wooden houses are from a different time, a world reserved from the distractions of luxurious materialistic lifestyle. As your tiny panga boat leaves Almirante and the smell of the rainforest is replaced by the ol’ salty sea, you’ll see a tremendous source of wealth being made around Bocas Del Toro. Just outside of Almirante, Chiquita Bananas grows 80% of it’s crops in the warm tropical climate. This is the only bustling industry around the island chain. Soon as you reach dock 19, life slows to a leisurely crawl. Bocas Del Toro is a small island chain that is similar to a Caribbean Venice as you can traverse the channels between islands by stand up paddle boards, catamarans or small motor boats. The ease of these water taxis are made profoundly apparent as you leave the main island for the waves in close proximity. In Bocas Del Toro there are a range of waves for surfers of all ability levels to enjoy. Some waves break over coral reef such as world class left handers; Paunch, Caraneros, and Dumpers. However there are also a handful of beach breaks in the area as well; Wizards, Bluff Beach, and a few we were asked not to name. Due to the wide variety of waves on offer, Bocas Del Toro is an incredible place to improve on tube riding, turns, and the basics of surfing.
If you are like me, you’ll feel a bit guilty surfing all day and eating an international array of cuisines prepared by expats at night, you might just want to lend a helping hand to break up the trip a little. Fulcrum Surf coach Yehuda Benhamo is one to travel with compassion in his heart and when we visited Bocas Del Toro, he had the opportunity of spreading stoke with the non profit charity, Give and Surf. Headed by local Encinitas surfer, Neil Christenson, the charity assists local kids from Bocas Del Toro with school expenses and introduces them to the sport of surfing. We at Fulcrum believe that surfing has the ability to save lives and we love to endorse those who share the same sense abilities……
If surfing in crystal clear water, fishing from the bountiful Carribean sea, and tasting her wonderful delicacies sounds appealing, then book a trip to Bocas Del Toro with Fulcrum Travel today…