The Caribbean

Beautiful coastline, serene islands, crystal clear water, almost no tide changes, this is truly a Panamanian paradise.

Many people take a trip to Kuna Yala the homelands of the Kune Indians. Thier lands extend all the way into Colombia as they share their roots with the Kune Indians there. From the Coliubian border the archipelago i of islands and a strip of the mainland extend westward until they encounter the border of Colon province. No one other than the Kuna are permitted to inhabit thee lands and here they are self governing.

At the Bay of San Blas Colon commences with the point of El Porvenir extending into the gulf. However there is no real road through Colon to El Porvenir and so this land is inhabited mostly by natives. there are remarably few people in the eastern part of Colon province and this is a wonderful spot to think about investing in lands for an eco-resort using the water as your highway. The highway into some of these ignored areas is planned.
As you head west from Kuna Yala you will find small settlements on the coast line and some inhabited islands. One of these is Isla Grande with the Banaas Resort, Sister Moon Bed & Breakfast, the Isla Grande Hotel and several other small pensiones. A great place to snorkel or scuba dive or go out fishing with a guide.

Further west you find Portobelo so named by Columbus as “Beautiful Port”. This was once a major shipping center and pint of commerce so scuba diving around here often yields interesting treasures and gives you views of sunken ships. Stop and enjoy.

Finally we get to Colon itself and the Free Zone. Here too you will find the Cruise Ship Terminal, and several nice hotels. The Melia Hotel Panama Canal is one of the Melia chain from Spain and it is a wonderful refuge. Stay at the Melia and be sure to book a tour into the Free Zone, the second largest Duty Free one in the world and the largest one in the western hemisphere. With over 2000 merchants you are likely to find some interesting items. With your return ticket and your passport you can shop “duty free”.

From here you really cannot continue west any distance without going back to Panama City and either flying or driving to Bocas Del Toro. This is an area you do want to visit for sure. There are lots of fun restaurants and every island offers different delights so book some time to visit Bocas Del Toro. There are numerous hotels and resorts here and new developments are springing up all the time on the different islands. If you ever dreamed of living “on the sea” this is the place to do it,

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