Isla Colon and many nearby islands have in the last few years become the top tourist destination in Panama. Europeans, North Americans and South Pacific Islanders have quickly taken to the area's beauty and spread the word. More and more the town is catering to the tourists. Several dive shops have opened complete with instructors, boats and gear for snorkelers and SCUBA enthusiasts. For those wanting to explore on their own, one- and two-man kayaks can be rented. Half-day and all-day fishing trips can be arranged through many companies in town. There is also a surf shop with boards for sale and numerous stands along the main drag with boards for rent. Bicycles and small motorcycles can be rented too but as of yet, there are no car rentals. A few bars have opened for the night-lifers, some with loud music, others with television screens for sports enthusiasts.

Transportation around the town and the island is almost entirely by taxi and water taxi. There are a few small buses that also traverse the island, usually carrying town workers back to their Indian villages and a few tourists to more secluded beaches. The water taxis can be hailed from almost anywhere along the waterfront. Some are simple dugout canoes that can only transport three or four perfectly balanced passengers. Others are modern fiberglass rigs that can take ten or more visitors on short trips or all-day excursions. Prices are usually negotiable but should be agreed upon in advance.

Most of the island's restaurants and hotels are on the main corridor through town, Third Street. Prices for a room can be as low as $5 a night for nothing but four walls and a bed, and as high as $135 for a luxurious oceanview suite with a jacuzzi tub and kitchenette. The average rate for a room with a queen-size bed, private bathroom with hot water and cable TV is $35.00 but rates vary with the seasons.

There are many excellent restaurants on Isla Colon and the island of Carenero, just a few hundred yards and a $1-water-taxi-ride away. Fare of nearly every kind can be found, including Italian, seafood, steaks, fried chicken, hamburgers, Thai and Indian. A good breakfast can be had for just a couple of dollars, a big lunch for $3.50, and dinner easily less than $10. It's easy for travelers on tight budgets to save money here and most end up staying longer than they had originally planned.

For us, it's not destinations that count but the journeys themselves. So we've been taking our time building our home and are enjoying island life to the fullest. If the surf is good, we may not go out to our property for days. If it's flat and the water is crystal clear, we might take the kayak out for hours finding new snorkeling spots around Carenero or Isla Col¢n. The coral reefs are spectacular. We see dolphins, sea turtles, lobsters, crabs, octopus, cuttlefish, nurse sharks, remoras, eels, stingrays, electric rays, manta rays, and every kind of reef fish imaginable. The variety of the coral itself is awesome - so many different colors, shapes and sizes.

We spot sloths and monkeys nearly every day and still stop the truck and get out to watch them. We have both two-toed and three-toed sloths and five species of monkeys including the noisy howlers and the cute white-faced Capuchin. Some of the ponds have alligators, caimans and/or crocodiles in them. We come across snakes on occasion and finally got a decent reptile identification guide so we can know what we're seeing. The long, thin, neon-green vine snake that looked so harmless turns out to be quite venomous. We also have coral snakes, bushmasters and the dreaded fer-de-lance or velvet snake. Well, after all, this is a tropical rainforest island. Better watch where you step.

Parrots are constantly squawking as they fly erratically overhead and we have counted more species of birds in the last few months than we saw in years back in the States. From tiny hummingbirds to the magnificent frigatebirds, the variety is stunning. As a recent visitor pointed out, it's like being in the huge bird cage at the San Diego Zoo. Only better.

Obviously, this place and its pace are not for everyone. We were at the beach not long ago having a picnic after snorkeling for a few hours. Some tourists walked over and started up a conversation. They had heard about Bocas del Toro and instead of taking their annual trip to Cancun, decided to give it a try.

"Boy did we make a mistake," one guy said. "In Cancun we can stay out all night barhopping and never hit the same place twice. There we can drink and dance all night, sleep all day and party all week. This place needs to come alive."

They can go back to Cancun.

I hope this place stays just the way it is.

Getting to Bocas

By Air

Major airlines fly to Tocumen Airport in Panama City and most arrive in the afternoon or evening. Since flights to Bocas leave in the early morning and early afternoon, an overnight stay in Panama City is usually in order. I highly recommend sending an e-mail in advance of your arrival to Jose Saenz (bocasfrog@yahoo.com) saying when you will arrive and what price range hotel you wish to stay in. If you're bringing a surfboard, he needs to know that, too, so he can pick you up in his 15-passenger van instead of a smaller car. Also, let him know if you plan to leave on the morning or afternoon flight to Bocas and he will make your reservation in advance - you just pay at the counter when you check in. Jose will take you from Tocumen Airport to your hotel and pick you up the next day to take you to the regional airport for the one-hour flight on Aeroperlas to Bocas. He charges for his services but no more than the taxis do and he's the safest driver in town. He can also take you sightseeing and speaks excellent English.

By Water

Water taxis leave hourly (or thereabouts) from Almirante and Changuinola during daylight hours. Passengers pay $5 for the 30 to 45 minute trip. The car ferry leaves Almirante Wednesday through Sunday at 9:00 a.m. and takes almost two hours to arrive at Bocas. Cars pay anywhere from $20 to $35 at the whim of the ferrymaster. He may even pull out a primitively typed up sheet that says you should actually be paying $45. Pedestrians pay $5.

Sailors should contact the Bocas Yacht Club and Marina in advance to reserve a slip. (www.bocasmarina.com) E-mail: bocasyachtclub@yahoo.com

Where To Stay In Bocas

Best choices in the moderate range:

Laguna Hotel (www.hotellaguna.net)

La Veranda (www.laverandapanama.tripod.com)

Bahia Hotel(www.hotelbahia.biz)

Posada Los Delfines (www.posadalosdelfines.com)

Hotel Bocas del Toro (www.bocas.com/hbocas.htm)

• The Om Cafe  (Indian)
• Da Claudio -at the Laguna Hotel  (Italian, German, Seafood)
• El Pecado (Thai, Seafood)
• The Pirate (Hamburgers, Chicken, Seafood)
• The Reef (Hamburgers, Sandwiches, Seafood)
• Bahia Hotel (Italian)
• Bocas del Toro Hotel (American, Caribbean, Seafood)
• Alberto's Ristorante (Pizza, Italian Pasta, Seafood)
• Buena Vista Bar & Grill (American, Caribbean, Seafood)
• Liki Tiki (Mexican, Seafood, Caribbean)
• Don Chicho (Various Buffet-Style Selections)
• Bumper's Bar & Grill (Clam Chowder, Fish, Chicken)

• Sunset Grill (Mexican Food, Seafood, Steaks)
• Pargo Rojo (International with Emphasis on Seafood, Middle Eastern)
• The Buccaneer (Seafood, Caribbean, Daily Specials)

www.bocas.com