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.

Our shuttles depart every day from Panama and Costa Rica. Our most popular route is the original Bocas Shuttle with daily transfers from Puerto Viejo to Bocas del Toro, Cahuita to Bocas, and from Bocas to Puerto Viejo and Cahuita. (We also pick up/drop off from all hotels in Playa Negra, Cocles, Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva and Manzanillo.)

Our international service includes:

• Late-model, air conditioned vans
• Fast, safe boats
• Friendly, professional drivers
• Border guide to speed immigration
• Pick up or Drop off at your Costa Rica hotel
• One Way or Round Trip
• Goes Every Day (no minimum)

…

We also offer transportation options to/from all major Caribbean destinations and more:

IN COSTA RICA: San Jose . Arenal Volcano/Fortuna . Moneverde . Rio Pacuare . Tortuguero . Cahuita . Puerto Viejo

IN PANAMA:  Bocas del Toro . Boquete

Or, COMING SOON!,

choose from one of our Packages and Tours

COMING SOON: One-Day Bocas Tour (from CR), Package Tours an to all Caribe Shuttle destinations, Hotels, Trip Planner (custom itineraries), and Day Tours.

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

At least one person is dead, a union leader, and an estimated 100 injuries, 18 of those serious enough to be helicoptered out. These numbers are coming from the AP wire.

There are rumors coming from behind the lines and from web sources that four people were killed earlier today.

These rumors are unsubstantiated and we only cite them here to illustrate the potential danger of the situation. Caribe Shuttle strongly discourages anyone from trying to cross the border into Panama until further notice.

The Caribe Shuttle will not operate the Bocas Shuttle Route traveling from Puerto Viejo to Bocas del Toro until the situation is safe again. We will keep you informed of any changes. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.

(For more information on the strike, refer to the story below: Strike in Panama Paralyzes Transportation to / from Bocas del Toro!)

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.