PANAMA: SA Bocas del Toro ~ ACTIVITIES IN BOCAS DEL TORO

The Spanish language school offers or helps to arrange a variety of excellent activities and excursions. Below is the list of some of the more interesting activities.

Please note that additional info (prices, activities, etc) are found to the right of this pages.

On Your Own
There are various activities you can do on your own like biking, hiking, swimming, canoeing, dancing and dining. At the school you find information about places to visit on you own. The school rents bicycles, snorkel equipment, surfboards and a canoe.

Activity Program
Every week the Spanish language school has an Activity Program that includes free and inexpensive activities. Sunday afternoon when you visit the school to get your schedule, you can have a look at the blackboard where this program will be announced. Please tell the School Manager if you want to participate.

Excursion Program
Spanish by the Sea offers a great Excursion Program that includes two half day and one whole day trips

During your third week the school offers a one half day trip during the week and an overnight tripo during the weekend. During all these tours you will be accompanied by a guide / instructor from the school. This person will help you to get familiar with adventure sport activities like snorkeling, sea kayaking, mountain biking and horseback riding. You can make a reservation for this program in advance or set it up with the School Manager when at the school.

Week 1 Excursions
(Half Day)
Hospital Point: Includes a boat ride, swimming & snorkeling along with drinks and snacks.
(Half Day)
Playa Bluff: Bike, taxi or horseback tour, swim, picnic.
(Whole Day)
Boca del Drago & Bird Island: Bike or taxi, boat ride, swim & snorkel.

Week 2 Excursions
(Half Day)
Carenero: Sea kayaking, swim, drink.
(Half Day)
La Gruta (Cave): Bike or taxi, hike.
(Whole day)
Coral Key: Boat ride, swim & snorkel, typical lunch

Week 3 Excursions
(Half Day)
A night with the alligators / Bahia Almirante: Boat ride, wildlife, bonfire.
(Half day + Whole day)
Camping Bastimentos / Playa "Little Wave": Boat ride, jungle hike, wildlife, swim & snorkel, typical food.

Week 4Excursions
(Half Day)
The garden: Boat ride, snorkel, drink/snack
(Half Day)
Playa Red Frog: Boat ride, hike, swim & sunbathe, red frogs.
(Whole day)
Green Acres & Dolphin Bay: Boat ride, dolphins, cacao farm, hike, picnic, swim.

Eco-tourism Weekend
ODESEN is an organization for the development of sustainable eco-ttourism and supports the preservation of local natural resources and cultural traditions of the indigenous communities.

For this weekend you will travel to the mainland where you will be met by a member of the above mentioned organization. After a short taxi trip you will get on a boat and go upstream on the enchanting and thrilling Teribe river into the dense jungle of La Amistad International Park.

At the edge of the tropical forest you will spend the night in a typical ndigenous hut. Next day you visit the Naso communities and tour the former jungle survival military training school of Noriega.

Hiking, biking, visiting the arts and crafts center, rafting like the indigenous people do, bird watching, etc. are optional.

PADI Scuba Dive Courses
Because of the great diving spots around Bocas and the dive shop next door to the Spanish language school, studying at the Spanish language school is a great opportunity to combine Spanish language courses and a Dive course. There are Spanish and English speaking dive instructors. You can do all PADI courses from Open Water (beginner) till Dive Master. This program include instruction, material, tanks and certification.

Dive Sites:
Blue Hole
Max. Depth = 16m/50ft.
Level = Open Water +
Cavern dive
Few fish and not much coral but unusual light effects created inside the caverns.

Dolphin Rock
Max. Depth = 16m/50ft.
Level = Open Water +
Not much coral but plenty of exciting fish; Midnight Blue Parrot fish, Large Barracudas. Large schools of Pelagic and usual Reef.

Wash Rock
Max. Depth = 14m/45ft.
Level = Open Water +
Similar dive to Dolphin Rock with less Pelagic but more crustaceans i.e. lobster, crab.

Shashe
Max. Depth = 16m/50ft.
Level = Open Water +
Shallow dive site with beautiful corals, plenty of Caribbean reef fish and incredible sponges.

Hospital Point
Depth = 18m/60ft.
Level = Open Water +
Shallow wall dive with a chance to see Scorpion fish, Toad fish, Octopus, cleaning stations, and most kinds of coral including Giant Brain coral. This dive site is very popular and is visited regularly.

Big Bank
Depth = 40m/130ft.
Level = Advanced +
A multilevel dive site with a chance to see Jewfish, Eagle rays and assorted Black Coral.

Playground
Depth = 18m/60ft.
Level = Open Water +
Interesting dive site with plenty of fish and soft corals. This dive site is very popular, as it's the closest dive site to all the dive centers and usually has reasonable visibility year round.

Garden
Deptth = 22m/70ft.
Level = Open Water +
Great selection of both hard and soft corals; also Moray eels, Stingrays and Barracuda.

Coral Garden
Depth = 20m/65ft.
Level = Open Water +
Same as the garden, not so many Stingrays but generally more reef fish.

Wreck "Maria Suzanah"
Depth = 10m/33ft.
Level = Open Water +
Used mainly as a site for photography. Excellent photo opportunities for the enthusiast.

The Pillars
Depth = 10m/33ft.
Level = Open Water +
Only used for photography, advance divers only because of overhead environment and the need to preserve a delicate ecosystem through buoyancy control.

Wave Surf Course
With extensive coastlines on the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, Panama is home to some of the finest surfing in Central America. The principal surfing season in Bocas extends from late November to early April, with a short season in June and July.

With advance notice, the Spanish language school can arrange affordable, private surfing instruction for students that includes experienced local instructors, equipment and materials and transportation in one package.

Each session includes instruction, all equipment and materials, e.g. surf board rentals and transportation by car and/or boat to the sites chosen by the instructor that day. Students are advised to bring booties if they have them.

Wave Course Sites

Bocas del Drago

Isla Colon's northwest point and practically a stone's throw from the mainland, waves at Dragon's Mouthù are long and strong (can use lumber) with a nice, soft beach break that is perfect for beginners.

Playa Bluff

An absolutely gorgeous stretch of beach facing the open sea, Playa Bluff is home to strong surf and a hollow beach breaking right and left-handed. It is a potential board-breaker-- Intermediate to Advanced surfers only.

Dumpers

On the same stretch of coastline as Playa Bluff, Dumpers is home to two surfable waves: Inside Dumpers is a left-handed, reef break with shallow barrels for intermediate to advanced surfers; Outside Dumpers is a left-handed reef break with short, big, powerful barrels. For advanced surfers only.

Paunch

Closer to town than Bluff and Dumpers, Paunch is home to right- and left-handed waves and a deep reef break. Safe for beginners.

Isla Carenero

A short swim (or boat ride) from Isla Colon, Punta Carenero has a long, left-handed reef break with nice barrels and shallow breaking, powerful waves. For intermediate and advanced surfers.

Isla Bastimentos

A 10 to 15 minute boat ride from Isla Colon, Bastimentos is home to some of Bocas' finest beaches. Two sites are known for surfing: Both First and Second Beaches have right- and left-handed beach breaks and rip currents. Suitable for beginners.