Our first stop in Panama was Bocas del Toro. In Spanish it means "the bulls' mouths" or "the bull's gulf", but it can refer to many places in Panama. It could mean the province of Panama (part of the mainland and nine islands on the Caribbean side of Panama), the town and provincial capital on Isla Colon, Panama, an administrative district, or the airport in Bocas Town.
With all of these references, it was no wonder that I was confused when I first heard of Bocas del Toro. Originally, I thought it was just one island. Bocas wasn't even on our radar for Panama until my friend told me she had a niece living in Panama. Michael looked it up, read some of the information on the area, saw the beaches and it made our travel list.
We found a reasonably priced condo in a building that was owned by a man named Muhammed. Everything we read about him was positive and the condo was located in a decent spot for us...not in town, but not too far out. He had offered to pick us up from the water taxi in town, but since we weren't able to get a call to him, we grabbed a cab to the condo. Everyone seemed to know Muhammed and his condo.
Our condo was fine. Clean with a nice view if you looked past the houses in the backyard. The best part was daily maid service! Clean towels and dishes each day.
Maeve and Liam enjoying the pool...our condo building is in the background
Exploring the beach on the other side of the condo
View from our balcony
One of the cool things about Bocas is how you travel around. No one really owns a car. There are no traffic lights. You can ride a bike or take a cab from one side of the island to the other, although most just go from one side of town to the other for 60 cents in a cab. Water taxis take you from island to island. You can grab one for a couple of dollars just to go to a restaurant or a beach.
Bocas is a place to relax and chill. There are many expats here. Some have started their own businesses and others are hanging out, working and surfing. Panama uses the U.S. dollar, so that makes things a bit easier. We can't wait to to explore more of Bocas.