BASTIMENTOS ISLAND NATIONAL MARINE PARK

The Isla Bastimentos Nacional Marine Park, situated in the Bocas del Toro province, occupies more than 13,000 hectares of land and sea. Although the beauty of Zapatillas Keys attracts most of the tourists who arrive to the region, the Park has other attractions which can please the most avid naturalist. The Marine Park comprises the central sector of the Bastimentos Island, both Zapatillas Keys and the waters surrounding them, and the mangroves zone at the south of Bastimentos island. Long Beach, on the north of this island, competes with the beaches on the keys, due to is size and wild beauty. There is where marine turtles come to nest during the monthes of april to october. Access is not easy, by land or by sea, due to the heavy surf and the fact that thick forest encroaches upon the very edge of the beach.
The Zapatillas Keys attract the tourist who prefer tranquility. Once there, visitors can either snorkel, dive or swim in the clear waters or simply relax on the beach of explore the small interior forest. The mangrove islets, region on the south of the Park, is an excellent place to tour by boat, to admire the beautiful view or to snorkel amidst the mangrove roots. The adventurer can hike accross Bastimentos island, through the rainforest, and visit an interior lake. Beginning or ending at Salt Creek, the hiker can visit a guaymi indian village, one of the most important in the region.