BOCAS YOGA STUDIO, BOCAS DEL TORO, PANAMA
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Bocas Del Toro is a Caribbean paradise with
an international flavor, for the free spirit. Bocas Del Toro offers incredible
turquoise blue waters with white sandy beaches and wild unexplored rainforest.
The archipelago consists of 9 major islands and nearly 300 smaller cays and
islets. The vast clear unspoiled waters have been attracting and impressing
travelers, adventurers, explorers, and boaters since the days of Columbus.
Bocas Del Toro is Panama's top tourist attraction, offering beautiful deserted
beaches coupled with rainforests with rich biodiversity - so much so that
the Smithsonian Institute has their Tropical Research Institute here.
Isla Colón, home of Bocas Yoga, is the most visited and developed of the Bocas Del Toro islands. The charming, laid-back town of Bocas (population about 7,000) is on the southeastern tip and acts as the provincial capital, with a variety of ocean-front hotels and delectable restaurants (with many vegetarian options, including the Indian restaurant OM). Bocas Town has a rich history, a lively nightlife and an easy to meet, mostly English speaking population. The presence of a large American community in the former Canal Zone for almost a hundred years deeply impacted the culture of Panama. The U.S. dollar is the currency accepted of Panama and there are two ATM in Bocas Town.
Bocas Del Toro, or the "mouth of the bull" is the name of the province that borders Costa Rica in the North West corner of Panama. The islands of the archipelago of Bocas Del Toro have had a more peaceful existence than some areas of the country. They were not colonized by the Spanish as little gold was found here so the indigenous tribes were left in peace. Buccaneers came here but mainly to repair their boats and, if legends are true, bury their treasure. French Huguenots settled here in the 17th century. Later when the banana industry flourished, former slaves from other Caribbean islands and Colombia came to work. This is a diverse community, where English is widely spoken and life is lived to a Caribbean beat. The area is now being discovered by international tourists (particularly since the Survivor programs) and more and more people are staying for retirement or building a second home.
The archipelago of Bocas Del Toro is an island-lover's
delight, and an explorer's paradise, featuring big jungle-flanked rivers,
huge areas of virgin rain forest and long stretches of coastline largely devoid
of human beings. Almirante Bay alone has over 320 islands ranging in size
from 200 feet to over 45 miles long. Large channels lead directly to the Caribbean
assuring clear water and a constant year round refreshing sea breeze. No hurricanes
have ever touched the Bocas area due to its "below the hurricane belt"
location.
Bocas offers secluded beaches, island tours, wildlife-viewing,
birding, snorkeling, diving, surfing, sea-kayaking, spelunking, bicycling,
boating, eco-adventuring, rainforest hiking, and of course, yoga! Bocas is
Panama's top tourist destination and with good reason. Where else can you
enjoy gorgeous beaches fringed with rainforests, high cliffs and deep rivers,
and hundreds of miles of unspoiled protected shoreline? The Lonely Planet
guide calls Bocas a "biologists' fantasy".
Spending time among the secluded island beaches and diving in the warm Caribbean waters helps to make one forget the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Life in Bocas Town on Isla Colón has much to offer, yet is relaxed, where no one is in a hurry. So, come to Bocas Del Toro to discover unspoiled wonders of nature, and while practicing yoga, discover your True Self….