In the midst of the tragic earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011, I discovered a paradise located off of the coast of Panama.
Located off of the Pacific coast of Panama, Coiba Island is the largest island in Central America and perhaps it's best kept secret. It only takes a couple of hours on the island before you start to wonder how this gem has existed without your knowledge and without the crush of tourists or even locals for that matter. But the island has a tragic past that has ironically helped to protect what might be one the most biodiverse places on the planet.
In 1919, the Island of Coiba was converted to a prison colony under the dictatorship of Omar Torrijos. The prison had a reputation for brutal conditions and the remoteness of the island not only made escape a nearly impossible proposition, but it ensured that political and other prisoners were kept away from any public scrutiny. The prison was subsequently used by Manuel Noriega and remained open until 2004. The brutal history of the island ironically transformed it into an ecological preserve, where it is estimated that up to 80% of the island may be pristine untouched Forest.
Get There and Get OutMy trip into and off of the island was as much of an adventure at times as the trip itself. We arranged transport to Santa Catalina through the awesome Sol Y Mar Hostel and it consisted of a 6 hour taxi cab ride from Panama City. Four of us plus the driver were a tight squeeze, but the ride cost us $230 total and the scenery was great along the way. On the way out we took a local bus from Santa Catalina to Sona (about $5) and a slightly bigger bus from Sona to Santiago (~$8). We ended up hiring a cab in Santiago to take us up to David and on to Boquete (3 hour ride).
Tours and Accommodation
Currently you are required to get a permit in advance to even travel to Coiba and as a result it is best to go out to the island with an outfitter. There are a number of reputable dive shops and guides in Santa Catalina that can get you to the island and make sure that you have a place to stay. We booked a 3 day sea kayaking trip with Fluid Adventures a highly recommended Canadian outfitter.
The accommodations on the island are spartan but tolerable. There are approximately 6 Ranger cabins equipped with clean linens, flush toilets, cold water shower and there is generally electricity from nightfall until morning. The room also came with a nightly cockroach, noisy and decrepit air conditioner and ceiling tiles so stained they appeared to be alive. Relief comes from the chirp of geckos that I prayed nightly were eating creepy crawlers before they could get to me.
The accommodations on the island are spartan but tolerable. There are approximately 6 Ranger cabins equipped with clean linens, flush toilets, cold water shower and there is generally electricity from nightfall until morning. The room also came with a nightly cockroach, noisy and decrepit air conditioner and ceiling tiles so stained they appeared to be alive. Relief comes from the chirp of geckos that I prayed nightly were eating creepy crawlers before they could get to me. The Highlights
I am not an ultra experienced snorkeler, but the snorkeling on Coiba and especially on the Islet of Granita del Oro is amazing. We snorkeled for two days and swam with sea turtles, white tipped reef sharks, rays, urchins and hordes of tropical fish. We were told that the diving was just as good and you can regularly see whale sharks, schools of tuna and tons of other species.
The island itself is also home to two species of monkeys, an indigenous species of Agouti and a massive American crocodile named Tito. We asked our guide about travelling to see the former prison on the island, but he claimed that the area was really marshy and wasn't worth travelling to. But there are some great hikes to be had on the island and it is hard to miss (or at least hear) the howler monkeys that seem to be all over the island. There is a great documentary on Youtube about the island and its years as a prison colony called La Isla Del Diablo that includes a tour of the remains of the prison.
Best of all it is an amazing place to relax. While we were on the island there were maybe 15 other people on the island. Waking up to the mosaic of hermit crabs tracks laid on the white sand beach on a nightly basis and swimming in the warm waters at the beach it is hard to imagine all of the death and human suffering that has occured on the island. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever witnessed and it is a well kept secret at this point.
We were brought back to reality once we reached the mainland and learned about the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, but for a moment I was able to find a rare hidden paradise.
Best of all it is an amazing place to relax. While we were on the island there were maybe 15 other people on the island. Waking up to the mosaic of hermit crabs tracks laid on the white sand beach on a nightly basis and swimming in the warm waters at the beach it is hard to imagine all of the death and human suffering that has occured on the island. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever witnessed and it is a well kept secret at this point.
We were brought back to reality once we reached the mainland and learned about the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, but for a moment I was able to find a rare hidden paradise.
