Once the well-kept secret of sport fishermen and backpacker’s, Panama’s Golfo de Chiriqui Marine Park has gained popularity in recent years. Isla Palenque literally lies at the doorstep of this magnificent, 14,740-hectare marine park encompassing 24 islands and their surrounding azure waters.
A View of the Gulf of Chiriqui National Marine Park
As our island interns found out, there is a large network of mangrove canals surrounding the islands, which visitors can explore by boat. The mangroves offer phenomenal bird-watching opportunities and make a prime location for adventure travel.
The islands beyond Isla Boca Brava (Isla Palenque’s southern neighbor) are perfect for snorkeling, scuba diving and whale-watching. You’ll find the water gets clearer the further you go out from shore. It’s just a short boat ride to Isla San Jose, which makes a nice snorkel stop. Another highlight is Isla Bolaños, which is 13 kilometers from Isla Boca Brava, or about 45 minutes by boat. It has some nice palm-tree-lined beaches and is a prime location for spotting humpback whales between August and November. It’s a seldom-visited attraction and you will most likely have it all to yourself.
A Breaching Humpback Whale
The next stop is just 20 minutes from Bolaños; pretty (and smaller) Isla Gámez, which is also somewhat popular with the yacht set. The islands are under protection overseen by the environmental group ANCON.
Even further afield, Islas Secas and Islas Los Ladrones feature excellent scuba diving thanks to clear waters affording up to 30 meters of visibility. The sea life is amazingly varied. They are 30 kilometers southeast and 40 kilometers southwest, respectively, of Isla Boca Brava.
It’s easy to picture Isla Palenque as the end of the road in some ways but the truth is that it’s really the gateway to the wonders of Panama’s Pacific Coast. Civilization and sophistication can be yours on Isla Palenque. but the surroundings are still very much wild. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
TAGS: Boating Chiriqui Isla Palenque Panama Panama Wildlife Whale Watching Wildlife
