Further information
The inhabitants of the islands of Bocas del Toro are a blend of indigenous peoples from the Guaymie, Ngobe and Teribe and tribes, people from mainland Panama and Afro Caribbeans.
Bocas del Toro has developed from the hunt for Carey turtles and the trading of cocoa and mahogany. It has been largely bypassed by tourism and as such remains underdeveloped.
The area is made up of an archipelago of small islands, bays and reefs. It is situated five degrees north of the equator.
Climate
Panamanian weather is tropical, and uniform throughout the year. Temperatures range from around the mid to high 80's (approximately 27°C) all year round it is not in the hurricane belt. It does have some large rain fall between mid June to mid August and again from mid December to mid February, however we do not sail during rainy season.
What to bring
Please pack as lightly as you can. Most of our guests wear only a fraction of what they bring! All you really need are shorts, tee shirts and beachwear. Soft luggage is preferable if you have it. We have some limited storage onshore for your empty bags, but please bring as little as you are comfortable with. Between meals, fresh fruit is available. If you like to eat more between meals, please feel free to bring snacks with you.
Please bring footwear for walking comfortably; either heel backed sandals or footwear that they can wear wet for the land based parts of the itinerary. Flip-flops are not suitable. You will be barefoot whenever you are aboard.
It is advisable to bring a change of clothes and toiletries in your hand luggage. If your luggage gets lost enroute it will not be able to be delivered to you until days later.
Dry bags
You will be around water for the week. If you are concerned about getting your purse, wallet or watch wet, bring a small dry bag. These can be purchased from sports and outdoor vendors. Some of them roll up and trap the air inside which has the added benefit of making the bag float.
Fishing
All of our yachts have limited fishing gear onboard - we usually troll a line when sailing from island to island and will often catch yellow fin, wahoo, mahi-mahi or similar ...... which might become lunch!
Travel insurance
We strongly advise that all guests cruising with us have fully comprehensive travel insurance which will cover all eventualities such as hotel accommodation, lost baggage, theft, changes to flights or even cruise cancellation within TradeWinds 90 day period.
Please read our travel insurance recommendations for more information.
Vaccinations
We are not trained health professionals so we are unable to advise you, however your Government provide a service under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where you can find information that may assist you further. Here is the link for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Electricity
Electricity in Panama is 110 Volts, alternating at 60 cycles per second. You will need flat blade plugs or an adapter.
The all-inclusive fee
You can only pay your all-inclusive fee with cash or credit card. We cannot accept travellers cheques in Panama. The fee for payment by credit card is 2.5%.
Currency
The US dollar is accepted throughout Panama. The Panamanian currencies are equivalent in size and value to those of the USA.
Banking
There is only one bank in Bocas del Toro, a branch of the National Bank of Panama (on the way to the airport). It is open Mondays to Friday from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon.
Hotel accommodation
If you aim to stay overnight we recommend a hotel fairly close to the City Airport and in a nice neighbourhood or taking a taxi and staying in heart of Panama City at a 4 or 5 star hotel.
For longer stays we recommend the Los Cuatro Tulipnaes hotel in the old quarter of Panama city
Los Cuatro Tulipnaes,
Casa las Monjast
Telephone +507 6717 4059
(Mention TradeWinds and get a discount!)
www.loscuatrotulipanes.com
Alternatively, El Panama Hotel is a real 5 star Panamanian experience, in the heart of the city in the busy shopping and business district. From US$160 per night.
Radisson Decapolis Hotel is a trendy international hotel from US$120 per night.
For those with a lower budget Hotel Roma Plaza from US$65 per night. The hotel provides you with a friendly, decent quality service. It is located in the business district.
Members with RCI exchange can also make use one of the Gold Crown Resorts in Panama City including Gamboa Rainforest Resort at Panama Canal (#5776), Royal Decámeron Farallón (#5787) and also the Meliá Panama Canal (#6710).
We do not recommend that you stay in Bocas del Toro as it is too small.
Visas and restrictions
Visas are not required for citizens of the following countries, for stays in Panama not exceeding 90 days: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia Costa Rica, Cyprus, Estonia, Czech Republic Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, , Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy Latvia, Latonia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg Malta, Monaco, Nicaragua Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea San Marino Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City.
Tourist cards: Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Japan, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, Bahamas, Dominica, New Zealand, Thailand, Barbados, Grenada San Cristobal & Nevis, United States of America, Belize, Guyana, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Bermuda, Saint Lucia, Venezuela
A Tourist Card can be issued either by the travel agent or on the flight or at the airport. You can find more details from a Consulate (see links section below).
Prices vary, depending on nationality and also on where the Tourist Card is obtained from (eg, prior to departure, on the flight or on arrival at the airport). Some nationals can obtain the Tourist Card free of charge (including nationals of Colombia, Mexico, Norway, Sweden and USA). Enquire at the Consulate for details.
Member all-inclusive fees
For payment of your all-inclusive fee, please note that we can only accept cash, VISA or Mastercard credit cards (with 2.5% bank charge added for credit card use). We cannot accept travellers cheques for this destination.
Useful links
Please note that all pricing was correct at the time of publication.
