A Trip to Isla Taboga


A Trip to Isla Taboga

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Written by Administrator

Wednesday, November 08 2006

If you travel to the island of Taboga, I guarantee you it will make you fee like you are living out of a Jimmy Buffet song. After hearing many awesome and splendid things about the island from my guidebook and other people, I decided to check it out for myself. Plus, I really needed to get away from the noises and fast pace of Panama City. To all of those who don't know Taboga, it is only a quick boat ride away from the Causeway in Panama City and if it wasn't for the city skyline in the background, it would leave you thinking you were hundreds of miles away. The boat for Taboga leaves from a pier behind Mi Ranchito Restaurant on the Causeway and costs 10 dollars round trip. The boat departs for Taboga at 8:00 am but be warned that on holidays the boat fills up quickly and you'll have to wait for the next one at 10:30.

As we left the safety of the tranquil harbor, the ocean gave the boat a steady rock with its rolling swells. The ocean had a lot of debris floating in it. Mostly Logs, Styrofoam, and random items collected in the currents. On the way we saw Boobys (not those kinds you perverts!) flying overhead and diving into the water to catch fish. On one occasion a long silver fish, I think they are called needle fish, was skipping in front of the boat. On the way we counted over 20 freighters hanging out in the bay. The best place to be on these boats is in front where you catch a good breeze and you'll have a better chance of seeing humpback whales as they are spotted on rare occasion making their yearly transit. As we got closer we could make out the houses which were colored bright green, pink, and blue.

After the hour ride we docked and were immediately approached by people looking to rent us things such as snorkeling gear, parasols, and towels. It's like running the gauntlet. We did needed shade, so we rented a parasol for the day from a guy named Carlos for five bucks. Carlos was wearing flip flops, a black shirt, dirty shorts and had a gold tooth. You should exercise caution when buying things with people who have gold teeth. To go to the best beach you hang a right when leaving the pier. You'll pass a chinito and a fonda (they are everywhere in Panama!) on the right. The beach is relaxing, but since there is a lot of trash that washes in from Panama City I'd give it a 5 out of 10. IPAT should hire someone to clean up that doggone beach. It would improve the look of it tons. During low tide the beach is connected to the smaller island of El Morro. The water is warm, but is murky and there is current where the land bridge connects El Morro during high tide.

You can see Panama City from the beach. It's weird because you feel like you are so far away from the city, yet you can make out the skyline clearly. I rented an old snorkel and mask from gold toothed Carlos and walked down the beach in the direction of El Morro. I crossed the land bridge to the island and started trudging through water knee deep. When the water was deep enough I submerged my self and within seconds saw a school of fish. The schools of fish consisted of silver and grey fish which blended in with the sand. Then as I grew nearer to the rocks of El Morro the fish began to look more colorful. I saw parrot fish nibbling away at debris on the rocks and lots of fish with purple and yellow markings. Parrot fish have rabbit teeth which they use to gnaw away at rocks. I even saw the infamous angel fish which lays camouflaged on the sea floor until a fish comes near and it swallows it whole. Be careful though when swimming around the island- the tide can be strong. I don't recommend a mediocre swimmer going out during high tide you may find it difficult to swim back to shore.

After eating bistec at the chinito down the street from the beach we decided to take a stroll around the town of San Pedro. The walk is hot and if you don't bring any water you will hate it and want to turn back. Along the way you will find the second oldest church in the western hemisphere; it's white-washed and was built in 1550. There are tons of saints and they seem to be on every corner of the meandering trail. Since it was a holiday, a lot of the guys were drunk in the town. Drinking and driving on the town's only road, which barely has enough space for a car to pass through was common when we went. We saw a guy drive off the side of the road and get his rear differential stuck on a rock and then stumble out blind drunk with a beer in his hand.

My trip out to Taboga was really fun. Having this kind of option for a vacation getaway--being a tropical island within a few hours of cosmopolitan Panama City--is priceless.

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