Bastimentos Island

History

Christopher Columbus landed his boat here in 1502 on his 4th voyage and called the island Bastimentos which means "provisions." It is not to be confused with another Bastimentos Island and port about 270 km to the east, and 11 km to the north-east of Porto Bello.

Geography

The terrain of the island is rather hilly. There are some lava rock outcroppings.[[File:Posoqueria latifolia, the Needle Flower (9391813621).jpg|thumb|[[Posoqueria latifolia]], the Needle Flower, on Bastimentos Island]]

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 Poison-dart frogs 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.

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 monkeys are common, as are sloths and Strawberry poison-dart frogs, much beloved by visitors, despite the fearsome name. They make a loud, raucous sound throughout the day. Red Frog Beach (Playa Pata Rojo) is the island's most accessible and frequently visited beach area. During the rainy season, dolphins can regularly be seen swimming with their offspring within the various coves in the area, accessed only by boat or trail.

The island is part of the Bocas del Toro Important Bird Area (IBA), designated as such by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of white-crowned pigeons and three-wattled bellbirds.

Climate

Between the months of April to June and August through October the water conditions tend to be the calmest, and at times this portion of the island can be accessed.{{Cite web| url=http://www.bocas-del-toro.org/beaches/boca-del-drago.htm |title=Boca del Drago Beach, Isla Colon

Tourism

There is a Canopy Zipline Tour on the island at the Red Frog Beach Resort and a cave tour up salt creek on the island. There are now many places to stay on Isla Bastimentos. Idyllic beaches, panoramic views of Caribbean coast lined with rainforest and the relaxing atmosphere are just some of the attractions of this fabulous island. There are numerous trails across the island, through lush rainforest that provide a taste of nature in its purest form.

References

References

1. (2016-03-04}}. Table 11 (Area, population, and population density in the Republic...) (.xls). In {{cite web). "Resultados Finales Básicos". [[National Institute of Statistics and Census of Panama]].
2. Bastimentos (now known as Isla Grande) is shown on 18th century maps[[:File:The seat of war in the West Indies 1740.jpg]][[:File:1778 plano de Tierra Firme.jpg]] between Porto Bello and [[Nombre de Dios, Colón. Nombre de Dios]]
3. . (2024). ["Bocas del Toro Archipelago"](https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bocas-del-toro-archipelago-iba-panama). *BirdLife International*.