Golfo de Chiriqui

In 2010 Kevin & I had planned to round out our Panamanian adventure in the celebrated Bocas del Toro.  While there's much to be said for Bocas, it wasn't quite our speed.  Plus, it was rainy.  We boarded a collectivo & headed back to David.  We picked the brains of some fellow travelers, talked to locals, & consulted Lonely Planet.  We decided to head to the less-visited Golfo de Chiriqui, an hour south of David.

It's not the easiest place to reach.

From David, we convinced a taxi to drive us to the gulf.  I had called a hotel owner from Bocas, so they met us at the port.  Otherwise we would have been fairly stranded pretty much in the middle of nowhere.  Thankfully that didn't happen.  (I believe in logistical organization.)

We stayed at a small hotel.  It was super cheap.  The food was great.  People were awesome.  Animal life everywhere.  That said, it was an uncomfortable mattress on a tile floor.  The only other options in this area were two resorts catering to sport fishing.  If you're so inclined you can find lots of sport fishers, world sailers, & retirees in Panama.

Depending on their plan, some sailers will fuel up in this area before making the big Pacific trek to Fiji or New Zealand.  We met several world boaters & visited a few vessels.  It's a surprisingly accessible adventure if you're strategic.

I spent my mornings like this:

Then walked to the swimming cove, saying hi to these guys:

It was a great walk.

Then hours swimming laps & reading under a tree:

At night we played cards with staff & guests.  That's it.  If it sounds boring to you, you probably shouldn't go.  Personally, I believe in boredom.  Going somewhere with less stimulus is immensely healing.  No TVs, radios, telephones.  Just incredible, natural beauty.  Great company.  The time to listen to my own internal rhythms.  That's my travel philosophy-- always end somewhere peaceful.  Come home refreshed.