“This legendary backpacker joint is reason enough to cancel your travel plans and post up in Bocas for weeks on end. Owned and managed by three fun-loving Americans, Mondo is a wacky tree house like building that is locally famous for its wild events. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the bar at Mondo hosts a variety of festivities, ranging from ‘Sake Bomb’ parties to ’80s Night,’ though you can kick back here any time with a beer in one hand in a hookah in the other. All of the usual backpacker amenities are on offer here including a communal kitchen, lounge area, laundry facilities, free bikes and surfboards.” – Lonely Planet 2008

Bar Info
Cheapest Bar on the Island
Weekly Theme Nights like 80′s Night and Jungle Party
“The” bar to start off the evening
Good tunes & Great Vibes Guaranteed

Hostel Rates
Dorm Beds:  $10
Air Con Dorms:  $12
Private Rooms:  $24
Treehouse Triple:  $36

10% discount for stays of three or more days

www.mondotaitu.com

TOUR N°1:

$20.00 por persona + 3.00 entrada 9:30am.

Rumbo a la laguna de Bocatorito ; rodeada de pequeños manglares que conforman una especie de balsa en la que habitan varias familias de delfines nariz de botella; Despues de ver los delfines, nos dirigimos hacia Cayo Coral para descubrir las impresionantes formacion de coral asi? como su rica fauna marina. Y disfrutar de su ricos almuerzos en los restaurantes. Nos dirigiremos hacia isla Bastimentos donde atravesaremos la Isla hasta llegar a Playa Rana Roja, en el otra lado de la isla y luego de dos horas y media, zarpamos a Punta hospital; pequeña playa con sitio para snorkeling.

TOUR N°2:

$25.00 por persona+ entrada (extranjeros 10.00; Nacionales 4.00) 9:30am.

Nos dirigiremos hacia los Cayos de Zapatilla, donde nos recibiran playas de arena blanca, vegetacion exotica, tropical y aguas cristalinas. Claro que despues de ver los delfines y realizar su reserva de almuerzo en Cayo Coral.

TOUR N°3:

$20.00 por persona Este Tour se concentra en descubrir los atractivos de la Isla de Colon.

Nuestra primer visita es a la Isla de Los Pajaros, donde reside y habita una variedad de aves marinas. De ahi, nos dirigiremos hacia Boca Drago, al otro extremo de la isla. Alli podremos caminar, nadar en el mar o admirar las cristalinas aguas de La Playa de las Estrellas.

Precios sujeto a cambio sin previo aviso…. Incluye equipo de snorkeling, nevera con hielo y agua…..
Hora de Salida: 9:30am    Retorno: 4:30 pm

Bocas Del Toro Sailing Tours

Guests on the Catamaran MOVIDA enjoy a fun filled day sailing around the archipelago of Bocas Del Toro, Panama. Lay back, relax and sail with us through the mangroves, with the dolphins and enjoy snorkeling at some outrageous reefs. Come aboard our 42ft/12meter catamaran and experience Bocas Del Toro tours in a different way.

We focus on maintaining an ecologically friendly tour by providing you with information about the area and the etiquette behind snorkeling and protecting the reefs.

We welcome you all. Individuals, couples, families, big groups, students and people of all ages, shapes and sizes. During the 8 years of operation we’ve worked with many tour operators from many different countries.

Feeding frenzies with the sargeant fish or as we like to call them ” piñañans” pineapple eating fish, is the coolest! As well as our great mammal friends, the dolphins, they come and play too!

Visit Us at www.bocassailing.com for more pictures, videos and online booking!

Private Safari Tent with Double Bed $40
Private Safari Tent with 2 Twin Beds $40
Twin Bed in a Shared Safari Tent $15 per person
Rent a Camping Tent $8 per person
Pitch Your Own Tent $5 per person

www.palmartentlodge.com

Unlike any other hostel in Bocas, Casa Verde Hostel & Guesthouse has a fantastic waterfront location offering incredible mountain views and many amenities such as A/C, high speed WiFi, comfortable semi-orthopedic mattresses and mini-refrigerators in every room.  They have 3 dorm rooms and seven private rooms.

Casa Verde has gained rapid popularity through word of mouth along the backpacker trail and is always full of travelers from across the globe. One of the largest benefits for Casa Verde guests is that you can enjoy Bocas’ pristine water right off their dock. If you are not in the mood to take a trip to the beach, you can snorkel right in the back yard or use one of the large inner tubes to float and relax in the water. In addition, guests can take advantage of the newly built second story sundeck to get the best tan and best view in Bocas. Casa Verde has an eclectic atmosphere with a tranquil vibe that has been built with the help of highly creative and generous artists and musicians from around the world. The hostel also features a waterfront restaurant and bar, La Mama Loca Chill Bar & Grill where you can check out live entertainment acts and enjoy budget-minded food and drink specials every night of the week.

If you cannot make a copy of your passport, bring your passports to the main office of Caribe Shuttle located in just south of central Puerto Viejo inside Rocking J’s Hostel and Campground and we will copy it for you! Passengers must do this AT LEAST ONE DAY BEFORE their trip or while making reservations. Our driver will collect your copy

On the bright side, this new immigration requirement may passengers to cross the border faster!

Second: The fee at the border has been raised to $3. Grrrrrrr! This fee is NOT included in the price of the Caribe Shuttle and will be collected at the border by Panamanian officials.

Please CONTACT US if you have any questions.

nothing but footprints on our

beaches..

… but unfortunately this is not the way tourism is currently working in most third world countries… This blog tells you a bit about the beaches in Panama and Costa Rica and the consequences of not maintaining them…

Freedom, Peace and Exhilaration…, that is what traveling, relaxing at a beach and sea related activities such as sailing gives you.

Most of our visitors agree that the most enjoyable part of the whole trip around Central America is the tropical weather and rain forest environments offered by the Panamanian and Costa Rican beaches. Costa Rica and Panama are considered to be one of Central America’s greatest natural treasures both for tourists and locals. You will learn this for yourself just when you talk to the people that have visited the great natural wonders that our countries have on offer.

The majority of the guests that visit the Carribean side of Panama, are foreigners that flock the islands of Bocas del Toro, with its amazing beaches and sands to escape the busy city life.

However the downside of having all these visitors is that they do leave their tracks. Apart from sharing their happiness, joy and culture, unfortunately some of them also share their garbage. They leave it there for your kids to pick it up tomorrow.

Don’t think it is just a small problem, for those who live on the islands and are eco-minded, it is disgusting to see how locals do not even respect their own beaches. Or, for instance, how foreigners make visits to our islands and cannot go out and have fun without leaving their six packs on the beach after a whole day of surfing.

For another example, think about our nocturnal friend called the Turtle. They need to come out of the ocean and lay their eggs on the beach. Jellyfish is their favorite meal, however, sadly enough they confuse it often with plastic. The plastic makes their tummy feel foul and nasty, which result in them not eating anymore. In this case, they die in about four days, thanks to the plastic that we leave on our beaches.

This is just an example. Do you have any other suggestions as to how we can encourage tourists  to keep respecting our nature? I would love to know any ideas that you have how to get a cleaner beaches!

Recently I joined the Catamaran La Movida and The Caribe Shuttle The Eazy Fast and Secure way to travel between Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro!

So on this blog I would like to share with you guys my experiences here on the islands, so you have an ideas of everything what is going on here on the island.

You want your next vacation to be productive, fun and an everlasting beautiful memory? Come to Bocas del Toro using the CARIBE SHUTTLE!!

Then go sailing with captain Marcel, a mad wise captai with a real fun sense of humor, in a 40 foot Catamaran!

This beautiful sailing trip brings you through the most amazing islands and shows you around the outline of the Bocas del Toro island group. The cream on top of the pie is the dolphin watching tour, included in your sailing trip! How amazing to see those dolphins roaming through the waters right next to you! It also includes two snorkeling trips which will leave you in complete wonder of the most beautiful reef that the Bocas archipelago has to offer.

Lunch is also offered on this trip, a huge turkey and cheese sandwich, a snack of fruit, snorkel equipment and fish trawling is all included in this ultimately relaxing sailing trip. It leaves every morning at 9.30 and only costs 44 dollars. For more details take a look at www.bocassailing.com .

So don’t wait any longer!! Get on the Caribe Shuttle and go to my islands! Make your reservation for the shuttle here, or visit our office in Rocking J’s, Puerto Viejo right at the tour desk there.

I am waiting for you!!

Leidi “Layla” C

The Caribbean border between Panama and Costa Rica reopened again yesterday, Friday, November 28, after a week-long closure. Extensive flooding in the border towns of Sixaola, Costa Rica, and Guaybito, Panama, and surrounding areas shut the border crossing down as of last Saturday morning, November 22, the last day that the Bocas Shuttle was able to operate.

I have never seen rain like we had in my life, and I’ve lived in rain forests for over ten years. Moreover, older residents of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca who spent their whole lives here have been telling me the same thing. This might have been “the storm of the century!” I hope so, because I don’t want to see this kind of storm again. In just the Talamanca area alone I’m told that there are nearly 4000 homeless, and Panama was harder hit than Costa Rica. Happily, things are quickly going back to normal in Bocas and Puerto Viejo, and we are enjoying our second day of beautiful sunshine. I’m going surfing!

In the mean time many communities in highlands and border areas are still cut off and suffering. Find out you can help.

Though the border opened yesterday, a lack of fuel in the area kept boats, water taxis and ferries from running, so the morning shuttle was not able to operate. All transportation on the roads leading to Bocas de Toro were shut down for a week, so all supplies including fuel, food, water and medical supplies are in short supply. Now, however, we are happy to announce that as of today the Bocas Shuttle between Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, and Bocas Del Toro, Panama is now operating normally!!

Stay tuned. Passengers on the last shuttle to Bocas before the closure are writing reports for us on their experience on their journey to Bocas and their days stranded on the islands.