Bocas del Toro Beach
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Playing in the ocean – fun for kids and adults alike.
Today we went to the Zapatilla Cayes with a group of
people. There were five children and nine adults. We
all played in the water. We had boogie boards, kayaks
and snorkeling equipment.
The crystal clear water made a beautiful backdrop for the island and its foliage as well as for our different activities. The kids, young and old, rode on the kayaks all the while pretending that one group were pirates and the other group was full of good guys. We took turns on the boogie boards to see who could catch the biggest wave. Some people swam a little further out to check out what they could find under the water.
There is a certain joy in watching a child play in the ocean at the water’s edge. They play in and out of the waves to see if they can withstand the push and pull of the waves or if the sand itself will knock them down. They go a bit further out and float in the water on a boogie board or a kayak flipped upside down. All in the name of practice for the day they will be big enough to go on a real surf board and catch some serious waves.
The crystal clear water made a beautiful backdrop for the island and its foliage as well as for our different activities. The kids, young and old, rode on the kayaks all the while pretending that one group were pirates and the other group was full of good guys. We took turns on the boogie boards to see who could catch the biggest wave. Some people swam a little further out to check out what they could find under the water.
There is a certain joy in watching a child play in the ocean at the water’s edge. They play in and out of the waves to see if they can withstand the push and pull of the waves or if the sand itself will knock them down. They go a bit further out and float in the water on a boogie board or a kayak flipped upside down. All in the name of practice for the day they will be big enough to go on a real surf board and catch some serious waves.
Bocas del Toro Kayaking
Monday, August 27, 2007
The nice thing about kayaking is it is a sport both
for athletes and those of us not as athletically
inclined. I am not athletic. I am not a big outdoors
person. But I do like to kayak.
We use sit on top kayaks. They are much easier to maneuver or more importantly to get back onto after you have fallen off than a cockpit style kayak. Normally we have a few kayaks on the dock so it is easy to get going rather quickly once you decide you are ready to go for a paddle.
Once in the kayak is in the water, I climb on board. I release the kayak from the dock and off I go. I can paddle around the edge of the island and watch for the different aquatic life living at the island’s edge. I can paddle into open water and circle the small island out in the bay. I can head for a point nearby where I get to go through a mangrove tunnel to check out a different type of coral than we have right at our place.
Or if I was feeling adventurous I could head over to the rancho in the water not too far from our place and disembark. At the rancho I can have a picnic lunch, go fishing, go snorkeling, read a book, do yoga, or even take a nap. It all depends upon my current mood.
Kayaking can be done as a solitary activity or it can be done in a group. I can go on a single kayak or I can go with my husband on a double kayak. My three year old son loves to climb on board and take a ride.
Regardless of the excursion or companions, I always return from a paddling experience refreshed and renewed with a smile on my face.
We use sit on top kayaks. They are much easier to maneuver or more importantly to get back onto after you have fallen off than a cockpit style kayak. Normally we have a few kayaks on the dock so it is easy to get going rather quickly once you decide you are ready to go for a paddle.
Once in the kayak is in the water, I climb on board. I release the kayak from the dock and off I go. I can paddle around the edge of the island and watch for the different aquatic life living at the island’s edge. I can paddle into open water and circle the small island out in the bay. I can head for a point nearby where I get to go through a mangrove tunnel to check out a different type of coral than we have right at our place.
Or if I was feeling adventurous I could head over to the rancho in the water not too far from our place and disembark. At the rancho I can have a picnic lunch, go fishing, go snorkeling, read a book, do yoga, or even take a nap. It all depends upon my current mood.
Kayaking can be done as a solitary activity or it can be done in a group. I can go on a single kayak or I can go with my husband on a double kayak. My three year old son loves to climb on board and take a ride.
Regardless of the excursion or companions, I always return from a paddling experience refreshed and renewed with a smile on my face.
Bocas del Toro Snorkeling
Friday, August 24, 2007
Snorkeling is an easy and fun way to explore
underwater life. The water here in Bocas del Toro
Panama can be as warm as your bathtub all year round
which makes it a great family adventure. Much of our
island and the surrounding marine area are included
in Bastimentos National Marine Park so water and the
plants and animals included in it are a key resource.
Snorkeling does not require any special skills or exertion to stay afloat. Face down in the water and breathing through a snorkel, your body is naturally buoyant. Non-swimmers can safely snorkel using a flotation device.
As you float over a field of coral, the environment you see through your mask is a riot of color and movement. Various fish swim amongst the coral, feeding on plants, algae, or each other. Crustaceans move along the bottom of the ocean. Soft corals, sea fans, and sponges wave among.
The hard coral which forms the structure of a reef may look like colored rocks but it is actually a living creature. Many tiny polyps are found inside the calcium rocks. These polyps are generally seen at night when they are feeding. The color of the reef is dependent upon the algae which lives within the reef.
The fish which make their way in and around the reef come in a variety of colors and shapes. Some are easy to spot with neon coloration and others are well disguised so that they blend in with the reef itself. Some fish travel in schools and others are lone swimmers. Hover for a while over a coral patch and watch. You will be amazed by the show that unfolds in front of you.
Snorkeling does not require any special skills or exertion to stay afloat. Face down in the water and breathing through a snorkel, your body is naturally buoyant. Non-swimmers can safely snorkel using a flotation device.
As you float over a field of coral, the environment you see through your mask is a riot of color and movement. Various fish swim amongst the coral, feeding on plants, algae, or each other. Crustaceans move along the bottom of the ocean. Soft corals, sea fans, and sponges wave among.
The hard coral which forms the structure of a reef may look like colored rocks but it is actually a living creature. Many tiny polyps are found inside the calcium rocks. These polyps are generally seen at night when they are feeding. The color of the reef is dependent upon the algae which lives within the reef.
The fish which make their way in and around the reef come in a variety of colors and shapes. Some are easy to spot with neon coloration and others are well disguised so that they blend in with the reef itself. Some fish travel in schools and others are lone swimmers. Hover for a while over a coral patch and watch. You will be amazed by the show that unfolds in front of you.
Seasons in Bocas del Toro Panama
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
When should I take my Panama vacation? Are there
specific seasons to consider? Well here in Bocas del
Toro Panama we have two seasons. Warm and a little
rainy and warm and more rainy.
When are these two seasons? Generally speaking, February through May each year is warm with a little rain. We are in the middle of the rainforest so in order for us to have this lush vegetation we have to have rain, but the amount of rain we get in these four months is on the low side of our average. Then again for September and October we have drier months.
The season of warm and more rain coincides with surf season most of the time. When we have a bit more rain we also have more swells. So in the summer, July and August, we may have more rain and some nice riding waves. December and January are also considered to be wetter months and the surf can get BIG. Check out these photos – most of them are from January 2007 which was pretty good size.
The months of June and November are shoulder months. Some years they side with the warm and a little rain season and some years they side with the warm and more rain season.
Really, when you should take your vacation to Panama boils down to this – when is the best time for you? How much time to you want to allocate for this adventure vacation? Is there a time during your year that is better for you? Pick that time. Our weather and our seasons afford you the opportunity to do whatever it is that you want to do just about 365 days a year.
When are these two seasons? Generally speaking, February through May each year is warm with a little rain. We are in the middle of the rainforest so in order for us to have this lush vegetation we have to have rain, but the amount of rain we get in these four months is on the low side of our average. Then again for September and October we have drier months.
The season of warm and more rain coincides with surf season most of the time. When we have a bit more rain we also have more swells. So in the summer, July and August, we may have more rain and some nice riding waves. December and January are also considered to be wetter months and the surf can get BIG. Check out these photos – most of them are from January 2007 which was pretty good size.
The months of June and November are shoulder months. Some years they side with the warm and a little rain season and some years they side with the warm and more rain season.
Really, when you should take your vacation to Panama boils down to this – when is the best time for you? How much time to you want to allocate for this adventure vacation? Is there a time during your year that is better for you? Pick that time. Our weather and our seasons afford you the opportunity to do whatever it is that you want to do just about 365 days a year.
How to truly experience an adventure vacation
Sunday, August 19, 2007
What do you need to do to truly experience an
adventure vacation? Try getting a strong sense of
place. How can one learn about a place in a short
expanse of time?
Take a walk. When you walk along a jungle path you see and feel the enormity of being in the jungle. You see the canopy above you. You see the plants along the forest floor. You feel the change in temperature when you step into the rain forest from a cleared area. You sense the birds and animals all around you. If you walk slowly and quietly you might happen upon a troop of monkeys eating breakfast. You might see a sloth and her baby hanging out in a tree. Step carefully and you might see a red frog which is only found on Isla Bastimentos.
Go for a kayak. Kayaking along the edge of an island is perfect for your family adventure. From the vantage point of a kayak you can watch the birds as they fly overhead going from home to feeding ground or vice versa each day. You can watch for dolphins at play in the Caribbean Sea. You can go into a secluded bay and stop for a while to snorkel and check out the life under water.
Snorkel. Move slowly along the coral reef and you will experience the different colors of the aquatic life living amongst the reef. There are many different kinds of coral, fish and plants which make their home under the water near the islands edge.
Hammock. Okay so technically hammock isn’t a verb, but spending some time in a hammock allows you to take in a different aspect of island life. It allows you to gaze out at the view of the mountains in the distance over the Caribbean Sea. It gives you an opportunity to listen to the sounds of the jungle. And maybe the opportunity to take a nap – after all this adventure, it is a vacation and you deserve some rest.
Take a walk. When you walk along a jungle path you see and feel the enormity of being in the jungle. You see the canopy above you. You see the plants along the forest floor. You feel the change in temperature when you step into the rain forest from a cleared area. You sense the birds and animals all around you. If you walk slowly and quietly you might happen upon a troop of monkeys eating breakfast. You might see a sloth and her baby hanging out in a tree. Step carefully and you might see a red frog which is only found on Isla Bastimentos.
Go for a kayak. Kayaking along the edge of an island is perfect for your family adventure. From the vantage point of a kayak you can watch the birds as they fly overhead going from home to feeding ground or vice versa each day. You can watch for dolphins at play in the Caribbean Sea. You can go into a secluded bay and stop for a while to snorkel and check out the life under water.
Snorkel. Move slowly along the coral reef and you will experience the different colors of the aquatic life living amongst the reef. There are many different kinds of coral, fish and plants which make their home under the water near the islands edge.
Hammock. Okay so technically hammock isn’t a verb, but spending some time in a hammock allows you to take in a different aspect of island life. It allows you to gaze out at the view of the mountains in the distance over the Caribbean Sea. It gives you an opportunity to listen to the sounds of the jungle. And maybe the opportunity to take a nap – after all this adventure, it is a vacation and you deserve some rest.