How to get there?

Bocas del Toro Research Station

The STRI lab is located just outside the town of Bocas del Toro on Isla Colon, in Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. Isla Colon, a 61 sq km island, is situated in the Archipielago de Bocas del Toro along the Caribbean coast just 35 km from Panama’s border with Costa Rica and is part of an archipelago of more than 68 islands and numerous mangrove keys.

Traveling to Panama

• Visa
• Celideth de Leon
  STRI contact Person

Airlines that travel to Panama from the US

• Copaair
• Continental Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• American Airlines
• Note: International flights land at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City. You may need to spend the night in the city before traveling to Bocas del Toro.
• Hotels
• Taxi from airport to downtown Panama City ranges from $ 25 to $30 dollars.

How to get to Bocas

From Panama City

By air

• Air Panama
• Aeroperlas
• Flights depart from Albrook Airport (local flights) which is about 1 to 2 hours away from the Tocumen International Airport, depending on traffic.
• Flight duration is about 1 hour. Approximate cost $100.00 one way.

By bus

• Union de buses panamericanos
• The bus departs from Gran Terminal de Albrook found close to the Albrook Airport every day at 8:00 pm.
• The trip takes about 9 hours and costs around $23 dollars.
• Telephones (507) 303-6326 / 758-8127
• From Almirante to Panama the bus departs the Almirante terminal (at the Y crossing) at 7:00 pm everyday.
  

By car

• From Panama City take the Interamerican Highway up to the entrance to Gualaca, Chiriqui Province (6-7 hours, 404 Km) you will see a Texaco gas station. Then turn right and drive to the end of the road to Chiriqui Grande (98 Km), at Punta Peña, then follow the road to Almirante 3 hours (68 km), where you can leave the car in a parking area. The roads are in good condition. See Map
• Ferry (to take your car to the island). The ferry travels from Monday to Saturday. It leaves Almirante (Bocas Marine Tour), close to the Texaco gas station, at 8:00 am but you have to be there at least 2 hours before.
• The ferry cost is $40 dollars for a sedan type car and $90 for a pick-up truck (roundtrip). For more information call Mr. Andres Cerrud at 6615-6674.
  

Parking

• There are two parking lot areas close to the water taxi’s at Almirante where you can leave your car.
• Leiza Parking (close to Bocas Marine Tour) and another close to Taxi 25.
• Cost is around $3 a day.

Water taxi

• There are three principal water taxi companies that operate the Almirante – Isla Colon route.
• Bocas Marine Tour
• Taxi 25
• JamPan
• The trip takes around 30 minutes and costs $4 each way. The taxi’s leave every 30 minutes.
  

From Costa Rica

(By air)

Airlines from Costa Rica (San Jose) to Bocas del Toro

• Nature Air

By bus

• Transporte Bocatoreño
• San José-Changuinola.
• Cost $10.00
• Departs daily at 10:00 am from the Panaline terminal at San Jose and arrives in Changuinola. For more information call Alfaro Bus Company (506) 222-2666. At Changuinola, you can take a bus ($1.20) or a taxi ($15.00) to Almirante where you can take the water taxi ($4.00) to Isla Colon.
• To return to San Jose by bus, Transporte Bocatoreño departs everyday at 10:00 am from the Changuinola bus terminal.

Shuttle

• The Bocas Shuttle offers direct travel from Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, to Isla Colon through Changuinola. The price is $34 per person, and it includes the water taxi. The shuttles run every day, leaving at 12:00 pm from Puerto Viejo. More information.