Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro

Bocas del Toro (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbokas ðel ˈtoɾo]), also known colloquially as Bocas Town, is the capital of the Panamanian province of Bocas del Toro and the district of Bocas del Toro. It is a town and a tourist resort located on the southern tip of Colón Island in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. Bocas Town had 12,996 residents in 2008.[2]

For the Central American snack, see tapas.

Bocas del Toro
Corregimiento and town
City of Isla Colon
City of Isla Colon
Bocas del Toro is located in Panama
Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro
Coordinates: 9°20′N 82°15′W
Country Panama
ProvinceBocas del Toro
DistrictBocas del Toro
Area
[1]
 • Land67.3 km2 (26.0 sq mi)
Elevation
10 m (30 ft)
Population
 (2010)[1]
 • Total7,366
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern Standard Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (No DST)
ClimateAf
Websitebocas.municipios.gob.pa

Bocas del Toro is served by Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport which hosts daily commuter flights from and to Panama City and San José in neighboring Costa Rica.

Population and tourism

The corregimiento of Bocas del Toro has a land area of 67.3 square kilometres (26.0 sq mi) and had a population of 7,366 as of 2010, giving it a population density of 109.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (283/sq mi).[1] Its population as of 1990 was 5,274; its population as of 2000 was 4,020.[1]

Relatively few Panamanians live on the island, opting for cheaper housing on the mainland. Mainland residents working on Colón Island travel by boat. Bocas del Toro is a popular tourist destination year-round. The town is small enough that most places are within walking distance. The streets are arranged in a grid. Avenidas (avenues) run east to west and calles (streets) run north to south.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Bocas del Toro features a tropical rainforest climate. The area does not have a predictable dry season. The driest months are October, January, and March.[3] During the course of the year Bocas del Toro sees a copious amount of precipitation. Bocas del Toro averages 3,458 millimetres (136.1 in) of rain per year. Temperatures are consistent all year (high: 83–90 °F [28–32 °C], low: 71–75 °F [22–24 °C]). Sunrise is normally around 6 AM, and sunset is around 6 PM local time. These times vary only slightly during the year.

Climate data for Bocas del Toro (1971-2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 30.8
(87.4)		 30.7
(87.3)		 31.0
(87.8)		 31.4
(88.5)		 31.9
(89.4)		 32.0
(89.6)		 31.5
(88.7)		 31.8
(89.2)		 31.9
(89.4)		 31.7
(89.1)		 31.6
(88.9)		 31.0
(87.8)		 31.4
(88.6)
Average low °C (°F) 20.4
(68.7)		 20.2
(68.4)		 20.5
(68.9)		 21.4
(70.5)		 22.2
(72.0)		 22.2
(72.0)		 21.7
(71.1)		 21.8
(71.2)		 22.0
(71.6)		 22.0
(71.6)		 21.8
(71.2)		 20.6
(69.1)		 21.4
(70.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 123.9
(4.88)		 266.1
(10.48)		 83.8
(3.30)		 369.1
(14.53)		 178.3
(7.02)		 259
(10.2)		 420.1
(16.54)		 440.7
(17.35)		 311.2
(12.25)		 150.5
(5.93)		 291.7
(11.48)		 563.6
(22.19)		 3,458
(136.15)
Average precipitation days 16.6 14.6 14.8 15.2 16.7 17.9 20.9 18.4 15.8 16.4 17 20.0 204.3
Source: World Meteorological Organization [4]

Transportation
Stilt houses in Bocas del Toro

Bocas del Toro is accessible by air or boat. Most visitors fly into Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport from Costa Rica or Panama City. Ferries connect Almirante to Bocas del Toro. Buses run between David, Almirante, Changuinola, and the Costa Rican border. Islands and islets in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago are accessible only by private boat or water taxi. Many small communities line the string of islands and very few have roads. Many companies provide boat service to various islands and diving spots.[3]

Infrastructure
Bocas del Toro Archipelago

Bocas del Toro lacks some basic infrastructure. A generator plant provides power to the towns of Isla Colon, Carenero and Bastimentos. The community does have a waste water (sewage) treatment plant, but not the same quality as found in the United States. The town lacks a water filtration or treatment system. Both the drinking water and the sea water have very high levels of fecal form bacteria.[5]

Health care

Health care is available, but facilities are limited. A public health clinic operates in town.

Common medical problems include food and waterborne diseases, insect bites, sunburns, heat stress/stroke, and dehydration.

Attractions
  • The Bastimentos Island National Marine Park is about a twenty-minute boat ride away, and is a major destination for ecotours.
  • Isla Colon has numerous white sand beaches. Swimmers should be aware of dangerous riptides.
  • Scuba Diving

Bocas del Toro is still relatively unknown as a dive destination. However, it offers a great diversity of aquatic life around its islands.

  • Surfing

Bocas del Toro offers a wide range of surf spots for different levels of experience, among them Black Rock, Carenero, and Wizard Beach, as well as Bastimentos Island. November to April are considered to be peak season, as well as summertime. Bocas del Toro also hosts (inter)national surf competitions.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "Cuadro 11 (Superficie, población y densidad de población en la República...)" [Table 11 (Area, population, and population density in the Republic...)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030354/http://www.contraloria.gob.pa/inec/archivos/P3601Cuadro11.xls |date=4 March 2016 }} (.xls). In "Resultados Finales Básicos" [Basic Final Results] (in Spanish). National Institute of Statistics and Census of Panama. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Frommer's Panama (2E, 2009), ISBN 978-0-470-37183-1.
  4. "World Weather Information Service – Bocas del Toro". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  5. Infrastructure development in Bocas del Toro. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
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