Coiba Island National Park, Panama
Today was our last day of cruising through the waters of Panama, and what a grand finale it was! We spent the entire day on Coiba Island, one of the largest, newest and most pristine national parks of Panama. For many years, this large island, the second largest in the Pacific coast of the Americas, was used as a penal colony and not as a tourist attraction or a wildlife refuge which kept the island protected from “development.”
Nowadays, it’s a different story, as the island has been declared a national park and a world heritage site by UNESCO. This morning we had the privilege to explore this beautiful island. We spent the morning at the ranger station in which we had a handful of activities including kayaking, swimming and going on a birding hike which turned out to be very rewarding! We got great sightings of crimson-backed tanager, red-legged honey creepers, great kiskadees, bare-throated tiger herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, and yellow-headed caracara among many others.
We chose to reposition the ship to a nearby inlet called Granito del Oro or “Grain of Gold” for some more kayaking and snorkeling which was the best by far of the whole trip. The snorkeling was perfect, as the water was clear and warm. We could see all different kinds of colorful fish. And for afterwards, the beach station was fully equipped with water, soft drinks, beers, towels, and chairs.
As a close to this perfect last day, we had a spectacular sunset.
Today was our last day of cruising through the waters of Panama, and what a grand finale it was! We spent the entire day on Coiba Island, one of the largest, newest and most pristine national parks of Panama. For many years, this large island, the second largest in the Pacific coast of the Americas, was used as a penal colony and not as a tourist attraction or a wildlife refuge which kept the island protected from “development.”
Nowadays, it’s a different story, as the island has been declared a national park and a world heritage site by UNESCO. This morning we had the privilege to explore this beautiful island. We spent the morning at the ranger station in which we had a handful of activities including kayaking, swimming and going on a birding hike which turned out to be very rewarding! We got great sightings of crimson-backed tanager, red-legged honey creepers, great kiskadees, bare-throated tiger herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, and yellow-headed caracara among many others.
We chose to reposition the ship to a nearby inlet called Granito del Oro or “Grain of Gold” for some more kayaking and snorkeling which was the best by far of the whole trip. The snorkeling was perfect, as the water was clear and warm. We could see all different kinds of colorful fish. And for afterwards, the beach station was fully equipped with water, soft drinks, beers, towels, and chairs.
As a close to this perfect last day, we had a spectacular sunset.
