Flight schedules subject to change.
From San Jose: Driving time 10 hours (distance: 250 kilometers) / Flying time: 1 hour.
hotel + flight vacation packages to bocas del toro
Nature Vacations offers
vacation packages to multiple locations, including Bocas del Toro. Packages range from 2 to 4 nights with round trip airfare departing from San Jose, Costa Rica.
reasons to visit bocas del toro, panama
Just over the border in Panama, this colorful
island destination has a vibe all its own.
With wooden buildings built on stilts out
over the calm ocean, tantalizing local cuisine
infused with coconut and spices, and a
diverse, friendly population descendant from
indigenous tribes, African slaves, and foreign
expats, the archipelago is the manifestation of
Bob Marley’s hit No Worries. Boating, reef
snorkeling, sandy beaches and fun nightlife
abound. Locals and visitors alike travel leisurely
between the islands in dugout canoes and
kayaks amid a truly unique biodiversity that
inspired the arrival of a Smithsonian Institute
research station.
Book Your Flight to Bocas del Toro, Panama Today!
quick facts
Christopher Columbus dropped anchor in Bocas del Toro on his final
visit to the Americas in 1501, as he headed south from Costa Rica. A
couple of stories claim Columbus named the archipelago Bocas del Toro or
"Mouths of the Bull" after waterfalls shaped like bull mouths, or a
large rock on Bastimentos Island in the shape of a sleeping bull, while
others attribute the name to one of the last great Indian chiefs, or the
roaring sound of the surf. The remains of colonial architecture,
particularly in Bocas Town, hark back to a pivotal time in Central
American history, a time of banana plantations and the rise of the
notorious United Fruit Company, whose influence on trade and agriculture
dominated the isthmus for more than a century. The old UFC headquarters
are today the Bahia hotel, in the town of Bocas del Toro. Many of the
plantation workers and cocoa growers came from the West Indies, whose
culture still dominates this stretch of the Caribbean, along with
settlers from the 19th century, and the indigenous tribes of Ngobe,
Teribe, Guaymi, Bribri and Kuna Indians. The region is part of a much
larger protected area, La Amistad, crossing into Costa Rica and spanning
some 2.5 million hectares. Its dense biodiversity and pristine state
have made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve.
Here four species of marine turtles, including the giant, rare
Leatherback turtle, make the laborious climb onto shore to lay their
clutches of eggs in the sand, and the endangered West Indian manatee can
be found nibbling on sea grass in the shallow offshore waters.
international flight fees
International passengers flying from the Tobias Bolanos Airport in San Jose, Costa Rica to Bocas del Toro, Panama must pay a $28 international departure fee in cash at the airport as required by the Costa Rican government. When departing the Bocas del Toro airport, all travelers must pay a $15 departure fee directly at the Nature Air check in desk.
recommended reading
The Bocas Breeze: A local English-Spanish, monthly publication on news and events in the Bocas del Toro community.
BocasDelToro.com: An informative website about the islands, with useful tips, services, activities, history and more.
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