Bastimentos Island
| Bastimentos | |
|---|---|
| Corregimiento and town | |
 | |
  Bastimentos | |
| Coordinates: 9°21′N 82°12′W / 9.350°N 82.200°WCoordinates: 9°21′N 82°12′W / 9.350°N 82.200°W | |
| Country |
 Panama |
| Province | Bocas del Toro |
| District | Bocas del Toro |
| Area | |
| • Total | 60.55 km2 (23.38 sq mi) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 1,663 |
| Time zone | ETZ (UTC-5) |
Bastimentos Island (in Spanish: Isla Bastimentos) is an island with eponymous town, and corregimiento located in the Bocas del Toro District and archipelage of Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. The island is about 20 square miles (52 km2), one of the largest in Panama.
Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park encompasses a large portion of Bastimentos Island, Zapatilla Cays, in addition to the waters and mangroves that surround the island. The western tip of the island, better known as Bastimentos, is clearly visible from Bocas town, and is not part of the National Park itself. There are several private residences here.
History
In 1727 the coast here witnessed the demise from tropical disease of much of the fleet of the English Admiral Francis Hosier.[1] It is estimated that more than 4.000 out of the 4.750 men and officers who sailed with Hoister during the three-year expedition perished on the voyage.[2]
Geography
Landscape
The north eastern side of Bastimentos Island faces the Caribbean Sea. Five beaches are found here along with stretches of cove inlets and coral reef. These beaches are: Wizard Beach, Red Frog Beach, Turtle Beach, North Beach and Playa Larga. The south western side of the island has a mangrove coastline with very calm water year round. The landscape is much more dramatic, with large rock faces, stretches of long beaches, in addition to coves and inlets. Most tourists take a 15 minute water taxi ride from Bocas Town to the south side of Bastimentos and walk across the island to Red Frog Beach.
Virtually all of the beaches are located on this western side of the island, including the popular Red Frog Beach, which got its name from small, red frogs known as Strawberry Poison-dart frogs that inhabit the forest near the beach. The most common entrance point is via Red Frog Marina, which is located on the western (opposite) side of the island.
Flora and Fauna
The island's eastern side is lined with dense, lush mangroves and enjoys calmer water, partially due to the water's shallow depths. White faced and Titi monkeys are common, as are sloths and the ever so popular red poison dart frogs, much beloved by visitors, despite the fearsome name. They make a loud, raucous sound throughout the day. Red Frog Beach is the island's most accessible and frequently visited beach area.
Climate
Between the months of August and October the water conditions tend to be the calmest, and at times this portion of the island can be accessed.[4]
Tourism
There are a handful of places to stay on Bastimentos: Tranquilo Bay, Al Natural Resort, Bocas Bound Hostel, Casa Cayuco, Red Frog Beach Resort, Eclypse de Mar among a few others. The main draw to Bastimentos are the beaches and the zipline completed in 2010.
See also
References
- ↑ Clark, J. C. D. (1994), Samuel Johnson: Literature, Religion and English Cultural Politics from the Restoration to Romanticism, Cambridge University Press, p. 161, ISBN 0-521-47885-5
- ↑ Marley, David (2008), Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the Western Hemisphere, ABC-CLIO, p. 376, ISBN 1-59884-100-9
- ↑ Bastimentos Island "National Marine Park". Bocas del Toro Inc. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- ↑ "Boca del Drago Beach, Isla Colon". Bocas del Toro.org. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
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