Our river boat ride (and a taxi) took us to the town of Puerto Viejo on the very southern most coast of Costa Rica. It is a beach town with a decidedly Caribbean/Rasta influence. Bamboo bars and restaurants line the beach front and serve cuisine from all over the world. We rented bikes to tour outlaying beaches, swim in the clear warmish ocean and visit a diving school. Diving was not available because the El Nino has stirred up the water, diminishing the visibility.

Continuing south on Central America’s Caribbean coast by shuttle van and boat we arrived in the island town of Bocas del Toro. Bocas is a small tourist town on one of the nine islands of the archipelago in northeast Panama. 

Bocas is all about the sea… boating, fishing, snorkeling, scuba and enjoying the beach. It is an interesting mixture of tourists, Panamanian residents and American expats. In Bocas we rented bikes to explore the town and island. While on our ride we stopped at a very expensive resort about five kilometers from town for a cold drink.

On another day we took a boat tour (yes, we had to wear the stylish life jackets) and saw playful dolphins, lazy, slow-moving sloths and an area where the sea floor was covered with golden starfish. We got to snorkel is crystal clear water alive with schools of vividly colored fish and coral. 

After nine days soaking up the sunshine and the Caribbean vibe of the eastern coasts of Costa Rica and Panama, we headed for the mountain town of Boquete, Panama.