Bastimentos Island is an island with eponymous town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

, and corregimiento

Corregimientos of Panama

In Panama a corregimiento is a subdivision of a district.See*Coclé Province#Districts...

 located in the Bocas del Toro District

Bocas del Toro District

Bocas del Toro District is a district of Bocas del Toro Province in Panama. The population according to the 2000 census was 9,916. The district covers a total area of 399 km². The capital lies at the city of Bocas del Toro...

 and archipelage of Bocas del Toro Province

Bocas del Toro Province

Bocas del Toro is a province of Panama. Its extension is 4,643.9 square kilometers comprising the mainland and nine main islands. The province consists of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Bahía Almirante , Laguna de Chiriquí , and adjacent mainland. The capital is the city of Bocas del Toro on Isla...

, Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

. The island is about 20 square miles (51.8 km²), one of the largest in Panama.

Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park encompasses a large portion of Bastimentos Island, Zapatilla Cays

Cayos Zapatilla

Cayos Zapatilla is a group of two uninhabited islands located east of Isla Bastimentos in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago of Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. North Cayo Zapatilla is 14 hectares long while south Cayo Zapatilla is comparatively bigger with 34 hectares. Both islands lie within the...

, 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

Francis Hosier

Francis Hosier was a British Vice-Admiral. He was lieutenant in Rooke's flagship at the Battle of Barfleur in 1693. He captured the Heureux off Cape Clear in 1710 and distinguished himself in action with the Spanish off Cartagena in 1711...

. 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 have perished on the voyage.

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 Poinson-dart frogs

Strawberry Poison-dart Frog

The strawberry poison frog or strawberry poison-dart frog is a species of small amphibian poison dart frog found in Central America. It is common throughout its range, which extends from eastern central Nicaragua through Costa Rica and northwestern Panama...

 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.

Crawl Cay and Zapatilla Cays

Cayos Zapatilla

Cayos Zapatilla is a group of two uninhabited islands located east of Isla Bastimentos in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago of Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. North Cayo Zapatilla is 14 hectares long while south Cayo Zapatilla is comparatively bigger with 34 hectares. Both islands lie within the...

are situated on the southern portion of the island. No interior trails or roads exist on 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.

Tourism

There are a handful of places to stay on Bastimentos: Tranquilo Bay, Al Natural Resort, Bocas Bound Hostel, 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.