Old Bank Overview

Orientation And Transportation. The village of Old Bank (a.k.a. Bastimentos) has no roads, only a semi-paved 1km path running along the water. With your back to the water, west is to the left. A park lies toward the western end of town, as do most of the docks, where you can catch boats to Bocas del Toro. The police station is near the park. They have no telephone, and communicate with the station in Bocas by walkie-talkie. The Clínica is farther to the west. (Open M-F 8am-4pm.)

Boats leave Bocas Town from the Taxi Marítimo pier next to Le Pirate and head to Old Bank (more frequent in the morning, 6am-6pm; US$2.50). To get back to Bocas, head back to the dock and wait for a boat to come by (usually 1 every 10min. or so). To reach Cayos Zapatillas on the other side of the island, your best bet is a tour operator. An equally good option is to ask around at the docks for a boat—independent operators are all over. Agree on a fare beforehand (approximately US$25).

Accommodations. All the accommodations in town are budget, although facilities vary widely. Up a hill just right of the docks is the cheery Hostal Bastimentos , which offers the most backpacker-style accommodations on Bastimentos, with cold-water baths, great views of the water and town, and a “Chill-Out Bar” with hammocks and a big TV. (☎507 757 9053. Free kitchen access. Singles US$12; doubles US$18, with bath US$30.) Hotel Caribbean View offers the most luxurious accommodations in Old Bank. Victorian style architecture, dark-wood furniture, and the most amenities in Bastimentos. Rooms have A/C, TV, and private hot-water baths, and upstairs rooms have balconies. (☎507 757 9442; hotelcaribbeanview@yahoo.com. Doubles US$62; triples US$77.)

Food. When it comes to restaurants, what Old Bank lacks in variety, it makes up for in quality. Alvin Kecha , a few blocks west of the main docks, is perhaps the best deal for hungry visitors to the island, with tremendous savory portions of bocatareño fare (US$3-7) on a small deck with colorful tables and chairs. (☎6700 6109 or 6517 7053. Open daily 4am-9:30pm.) A few blocks west of the docks is locally owned Restaurante Roots , where guests sit on tree-trunk chairs in the open-air patio enjoying seafood dishes US $6-17. All food is served to the tune of reggae music. (☎6491 5494. Open daily 11:30am-11pm.)

Beaches. The island’s beautiful beaches are connected by a series of trails along the northern and eastern coast. To get to Wizard’s Beach, take the path (marked with a sign for “Wizard”) that branches inland near the eastern end of Old Bank’s main cement path and proceed for 20min.; after rain, it might be worth taking a boat (US$2) to avoid a 30min. walk through mud. If you do walk after rain, be aware that the mud here is mixed with clay and will not come out of clothing, so wear something you don’t mind getting tinted red. Beware: extremely strong currents make swimming dangerous. The next beach to the east is Playa Segunda, also known as Red Frog Beach for the little red frogs that are found only here (the frogs are harder to spot on sunny days). This is a favorite tourist destination, and it has good surfing during the dry season.

A popular beach farther down is Polo’s Beach, one of the best beaches in the entire archipelago. The sole inhabitant of Polo’s is Don Polo, an amiable hermit who’s lived there for over 40 years. He’ll let you camp on his land for US$10 per day, with three meals included (if you don’t mind eating grilled iguana and bush rat, among more traditional seafood). There are no services, but that’s part of the charm. Don Polo is famous around Bocas (he was even featured on Wild on E! ), so any boat will know how to get there (approximately US$15-20).

At the opposite end of the island from the town of Old Bank lies Punta Vieja, a secluded beach that offers astonishingly clear water and great snorkeling. Not only do many turtles nest here during the night, but there is an awesome reef right out front and the Ngöbe village of Salt Creek is nearby. Many tour operators in Bocas Town run tours to both the reef and Salt Creek (US$15-25).