Attractions of Los Santos:

Carnivals:
• Festival Nacional de la Pollera (National Festival of the Pollera)
• The Festival of the Patron Santa Librada
• The Festival Nacional de la Mejorana in Guararé.

Beaches: Venado, Achotines, and Guararé cities have many beaches. Isla Iguana beach is well known for its blue water and white sand and this island is just about 25 minutes by boat from Pedasí.

Museums:
• Museum of Nationality (Museo de la Nacionalidad)
• The Museum Belisario Porras
• The Museum Manuel F. Zarate
• The Sitio Arqueologico Cerro Juan Diaz-an archaeological site.

Churches:
• The Church of San Antonio
• The Church of Santa Librada (1872): It is in Las Tablas and is a national monument.

Others:
• Guarare: This is surrounded by the little town of El jobo, Bella Vista, Las Lagunitas, La Guaca, La Pacheca and La Enea. There was an Indian chief named Guarari, who reigned over this part during Spanish colonial times and on whose name this town is named after. The pollera, the montuno and the music are special symbols of this town which are representative of the Panamian culture. This town hosts the festival, Festival Nacional de La Mejorana, which takes place from September 20th to 26th.
• Las Tablas: This city is the capital of the province. It is about 12 kilometers from the port Mensabe on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. This city hosts best carnival celebrations in the Republic of Panama. The national monumental church, the Santa Librada Church, is housed here.
• Playa Venao: This is a long beach of about three miles. It is about 6 hours from Panama City by drive. The waves are ideal for surfing and the waves are about 15 feet tall and never under 4 feet.
• Pedasí: This town is on the Azuero Peninsula which is a small coastal fishing village. The coastal roads are surrounded by scenic cliffs. One can see tide pools, beaches, and a traditional Spanish hacienda from here. There are many houses and lands that are purchased by Hollywood people.
• Red Frog Beach: This is a beautiful Caribbean beach in the province which is ideal for surfing and palms around.
• Isla Iguana Beach: This is a beach off the coast of Pedasi in the Panama Bay. This is protected by a wildlife reserve.
• El Morro: This is a rainforest in Toboga in the province. One can see Pacific Ocean from this area that is topped by this rainforest.
• Herrera: This is a neighboring province that is in Panama. This province got its name after the division of the Los Santos province. Chitre is the capital of Herrara and lies on the coastline of the province. Towards its north are the provinces by Veraguas and Cocle and to its south is Los Santos and to its east are Golfo de Parita and Los Santos and to its west is Veraguas. There are nine provinces in Panama and Herrara is the third in sugarcane production. The main economy is also due to this along with retail, equipment repair, banking, and domestic service. The other main industries include dairy, cattle, commercial fishing, alcohol, ceramics, clay products, mosaics, and cement. This province is popular for its festival Del manito ocueno which originated in the city of Ocu. Herrera is known for its best pottery in the country. There are many carnivals held in Chitré, Parita and Ocú. Chitre’s carnival is the most famous in Panama.

Best time to visit / climate:

Las Santos has a tropical wet and dry climate. The dry season is from January to April whereas the wet season is in remaining year. The best time to visit this place is in the dry season.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
This province can be reached in approximately 4 to 5 hours drive from Panama City.
To reach Panama City:
By plane: Tocumen International Airport is outside Panama City. This airport offers services for Copa Airline, American Airlines (Dallas/Ft.Worth, Miami), Delta Airlines (Atlanta, Georgia), Continental Airlines (Houston, Newark), Avianca (Bogotá, Colombia) and TACA (San José, Costa Rica and San Salvador, El Salvador) along with major Central American airlines, and several South American airlines and European Airlines. There are direct flights between Tocumen and New York, Newark, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Amsterdam, Madrid, and all major cities in the Caribbean area, Central America and South America, like Santiago de Chile.
By train:
Between Panama City and Colon, only one train service operates with a passenger car. This ride is a scenic ride with views of the Panama Canal and the tropical rainforest.

To get around locally, taking a taxi is the best way.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):
• Hotels at world66
• Restaurants at geckogo
• Hotels at geckogo
• Hotels at allstays
• Hotels at costaricalink
• Hotels at maplandia

Blogs / Sites about Las Santos, Panama:

• Blogs and reviews at travelblog
• Blogs and reviews at travbuddy
• Blogs and reviews at the travelpod

Images and photos of Las Santos, Panama:

• Images at google
• Images at travelpod
• Images at travel images
• Images at travelblog

Videos of Las Santos, Panama:

Video de Tamborito en Carnaval de Panama

“Into Panama” Courtrand’s photos around Los Santos, Panama

Los Santos Panama – driving a flooded road

Pedasi – Los Santos – Panama Traveling

Corpus Christy, La Villa de Los Santos Panamá

This region is divided into cities:
• Carti
• San Blas Islands
• Puerto Obaldia
• Rio Sidra
• Norgana
• Playon Chico
• Ailigandi
• Mamsucum
• Mulatupo o Sasardi
• Carreto

Ecotours, fishing, snorkeling, and touring of nearby villages are the main activities of the region. There are many beaches in the island of Carti, Ukupseni and Isla Pino.

Attractions of Kuna Yala and around:
• PEMASKY which means Proyecto de Estudio para el Manejo de Areas Silvestres de Kuna Yala: It is a bioreserve inside Kuna yala which started in 1983. This is a natural park near Nasugandi. This bioreserver preserves the heritage and marine and land ecosystems of Kuna Yala.
• The San Blas Islands are a group of 378 islands out of which only 49 are inhabited. It is an archipelago of Panama. These islands lie off the north coast of Isthmus. To its east is the Panama Canal. It has been home to Kuna Indians which are part of Kuna Yala tribe along the Caribbean coast of Panama. These tribes welcome tourists very warmly into their ancestral home. Their official language is Tule but Spanish is prevalent in schools. Tule is the spoken language of Kuna Yala tribes.
• Dog Islands: These islands are famous for snorkeling. One can find variety of tropical fish in these waters.
• There are tiny islands with beaches that are used for sunbathing or swimming.
• Isla Pelicanos: These island beaches are soft with white sand and clear with shallow water over a coral reef making it perfect for snorkeling. One can see tropical, colored fishes. The waves are calm and gentle here.
• The island of Achutupu: This Island has the best beaches for scuba diving. It is here that off of the coast one can see a shipwreck of a Colombian cargo boat which is a popular dive spot. The beaches have transparent turquoise waters.
• Kagantupu, Wichubwala, and Coco Blanco: These have secluded beaches with white sand and palm trees lined up.
• Thatched Hut Village: A tour through a Kuna village where one can see their huts, lifestyle, and costumes is a must do on these islands visit.
• Mola Shopping: The Molas that are created by The Kuna is great for look out as well for buying.
• Pargue Soberania: This is about 15 minutes away from Panama City and is a hiking place. The hiking trail goes through the rainforests with caves and lakes and bird watching, with fishing also being a part of it.
• The Panama Canal: This canal is about 77 km (48 miles). It is a shipping canal that is in Panama and this canal joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and has been the key for the maritime trade. The traffic is about 1000 ships in early days and present it is about 14,702 vessels a day. This canal has its own measurement system called Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) in tons. It is one of the largest engineering projects of the times. The alternate route is via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America.
• Panama Viejo: This was once the gateway city for the Spanish conquest of Latin America. Presently there are ruins of the battles which were fought with the English pirate Henry Morgan in 1671. There is a museum with Spanish exhibits near the site. One need to know Spanish or take a guide for translation for understanding as most of the exhibits is in Spanish.
• Casco Viejo: This is an established Spanish colonial city of 1671. This city was established after the downfall of Panama Viejo in battles and until 20th century, this city was Panama City. Panama bay and other sites depict its history with Spain, France and United States.
• Panama Canal Rainforest: The Panama Canal rainforests are one of the pristine rainforests in the world. The Soberania National Park is about 30 minutes away from Panama City and 45 minutes from the international airport. This is a base for ecotourism.

Best time to visit / climate:
The best time to visit these islands is from April to June and November to December. This time of the year is great for snorkeling and scuba diving, as the water is warm, clear, and calm. From January to April is the dry season and a perfect time for sun bathing.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
By plane: There are daily flight services from Panama City to El Porvenir via Air Panama. Air Panama also services Achutupu, Corazon de Jesus (Rio Diablo/Nargana), and Playon Chico.
By boat: There are boat options from Colombia.
Sailing boats are to/from Colombia/Cartagena.
Cargo boats leave to/from Carti Island and Porvenir Island (San Blas Island/Kuna Yala) to Puerto Obaldia into Colombia and motorized boats take only 5 to 6 hours.
By land: The road into San Blas Kuna Yala is vastly improving and is accessible all year round. A bridge has been opened, eliminating the need to cross the river in the vehicle. One can drive from Panama City to Carti in the San Blas Islands.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):
• Hotels at virtual panama
• Hotels at costaricahotels
• Hotels at costaricapages
• Restaurants at wikitravel
• Hotels at wikitravel
• Hotels at you.travel

Blogs / Sites about Kuna Yala, Panama

• Blogs and reviews at travelblog
• Blogs and reviews at travelpod
• Blogs and reviews at travbuddy
• Blogs and reviews at the lonely planet
• Blogs and reviews at blogtopsites

Images and photos of Kuna Yala, Panama

• Images at google
• Images at travel-images
• Images at igougo
• Images at galenfrysinger

Videos of Kuna Yala, Panama

Kuna Yala Molas

Kuna yala

Kuna Yala montage

San Blas Panama , Kuna Yala

Kuna Yala (San Blas) Panamá por Marco Simionato (fotos)

KUNA YALA an ECO EXPLORER TOUR

Molas Kunas San Blas Islands Panama

Attractions in Contodara and around:
• Fishing is very popular in these islands. Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, Yellow Tail Tuna, Sailfish, Marlin, Red Snapper, Mero, Corvina, RoosterFish and Bojala are among the fish species that are found here on these islands.
• Pacheca Island is a spot for frigate birds and an ideal spot for bird watching. Swimming from Playa Sueca to Playa Larga is also enjoyable. It is also an area to spot sharks and turtles. Playas Cacique, Galeon and Canoa are other beaches of the place.
• Coral Reefs: One can find arrays of stony corals and reefs in Contadora.
• San Jose Island is another island which is spread over a land area of 44 sq. kilometers and has forests and beaches.
• Golf Cart Rental: There are golf carts available for rent; these being two seater, for golfing or to just move around the island.
• Beach Combing: One can enjoy walking along the beach or looking for shells, sea glass and green stones in beach water. The waters are crystal clear and warm. Mogo Mogo beach can be reached by boat.
• Walking Around: The walk along the island and in the streets is pretty enjoyable.
• Snorkeling from the Beach: There are rentals like Coral Dreams for snorkeling gear. They take one to the best spots for snorkeling from the beach.
• Snorkeling and Whale Watching Tours: There are snorkeling tours along with whale watching by companies like Roxanna and Guillermo at Coral Dreams Dive Shop.
• Fishing and Island Hopping Tours: The local fisherman offer to take the tourists on excursion for fishing. There are different species that one may catch like Sierra, Roosterfish, Dorado, a variety of snappers and Tuna.
• Scuba Diving: Guillermo at Coral Dreams Dive Shop offers even Scuba diving for divers.
• Sailboat Tours: There are sailboat tours by 44ft catamaran with facilities of lunch, drinks, snorkel equipment and kayaks.
• Whale Watching: there are Humpback whales that migrate from both the Southern & Northern hemisphere. About 30 species are available for watching. There are tour packages available for whale watching such as Whale Watching Panama which is offering 5 day and 2-3 day tour packages which include swimming with whale and dolphins too.
• Rio Mar: This offers warmest water and is a best surfing spot. One can also enjoy the beach wind and sip a drink enjoying the view and hear the waves splashing and relax.
• Punta Chame: This beach is ideal for wind surfing and the dry season is the best time for it. The other activity is kite surfing.
• Buenaventura: This beach offers plenty of water activities like surfing, snorkeling, swimming etc. If one is not going for these, just the peace of the beach is enough to enjoy.
• Gorgona: This beach is one hour away from Panama City. One can enjoy the beach activities here too in its warm waters.
• Playa Blanca: This beach resembles Florida beach, Nikki beach. One can swim in warm waters and other water activities.
• Amador Causeway: This causeway gives the best views of Panama City’s skyline and the Panama Canal. This is about a mile long causeway that connects four small islands with rock excavations. They also serve as breakwater to the Pacific Coast to the Panama Canal. A Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research aquarium, souvenir and specialty shops, a cruise port and a yacht marina are some of the causeway attractions. Some of the restaurants have ocean and Canal views

Best time to visit / climate:
The rainy season starts from May through November and a dry season from December through April and hence the best time to travel is from December through March as the humidity is low and rain chances are the least.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

By Air: There are multiple flights every day from Albrook Airport in Panama City which takes about 20 minutes.
By Sea: A ferry service is present between the causeway near Panama City and Contadora Island.
Get around: Golf carts, scooters or ATVs are used to travel around the islands. The size of the island is small and hence walking around is also a good option.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Hotels at tripadvisor
• Hotels at contadoraislandpanama
• Hotels at travel.yahoo
• hotels at bigtravelweb

Blogs / Sites about Contadora, Panama

• Blogs and reviews at travelpod
• Blogs and reviews at blog.panamatotal
• Blogs and reviews at travelblog

Images and photos of Contadora, Panama

• Images at google search
• Images at travelpod
• Images at contadoraislandinn
• Images at pearl-islands-contadora

Videos of Contadora, Panama

Contadora, Panama

Contadora, Panama

Contadora Island Panama

Contadora Island, Pearl Islands – Playa Galeon Beach

Whale watching at Contadora, Panama

Flight from Panama City to Contadora

Silent Flight of Pelicans Over Contadora Island – Panama

Hotel Punta Galeon, Virgin Ocean Snapshots (Contadora Island)

Attractions of Boca Chica and around:
• Boca Brava: This is an island in Panama in the Gulf of Chiriquí. One can access Boca Brava from David’s Enrique Malek International Airport. From Boca Chica, one can access by a boat.
• Gulf of Chiriquí: There are many archipelagos and islands and reefs in this area. This area has some of the richest mangroves and pelagic marine species of the world. This area offers activities like boating, sport fishing, surfing, scuba diving and snorkeling.
• Islas Ladrones: This Island is in the Gulf of Chiriqui in Panama. Islas Ladrones is situated to the south of Boca Chica and 27 miles away. This island is the ideal point for sport fishing and scuba diving in the Gulf of Chiriquí. This island has a variety of fish life, and divers can see many varieties of fish species like king angelfish, damselfish, surgeonfish, parrotfish, triggerfish, wrasse, gobies, blennies and Moorish idols. This island is unique as from May to November giant manta rays make an appearance and on a year round basis one can species of eagle, mobula and devil fish. Sharks of white-tip, black-tip and nurse are also seen all through the year along with humpback whales. Among the activities are scuba diving and diving for 30-80 meters and Snorkeling. Boco Chica is an ideal place for scuba diving and sport fishing.
• Isla Palenque: This is an island in Panama in the Gulf of Chiriquí. The word Palenque actually means a refuge for escaped slaves and this is given this name is due to Central America’s colonial periods Indians who were indentured to work in the Spanish mines in those times.
• Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriquí is in Gulf of Chiriquí and is a national park. This national park is spread over 14,730 hectares or 36,400 acres. This area has coral reef, mangrove swamps, marine meadows, forests, white sand, and with temperate air and weather. It is one of the hot spots of Bouquet. It has an archipelago called Las Isla Parida where one can see green iguanas, humpback whales (from August to October), hammerhead sharks, dolphins and multiple species of sea turtle on its island beaches. One can do scuba diving, snorkeling in the clear waters along with sport fishing in the Chiriquí gulf (which is beyond this national park). Islas Ladrones, Islas Secas, Boca Brava and Isla Palenque are the other islands.
• Coiba National Marine Park: This is on the island of Coiba. There are 37 surrounding islands and islets which are 30 miles off the Panamanian coast in the Gulf of Chiriquí. It is about twenty miles to the southeast of Las Secas and one can reach by boat to this archipelago. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• La Amistad: This is also known as the Friendship International Park. It is a bi-national (Panama-Costa Rica) natural reserve which falls in the mountains of the provinces of Chiriquí and Bocas Del Toro which is on the Panamanian side.
• Islas Secas: This is an island in Panama in the Gulf of Chiriquí. Islas Secas is situated to the east of Boca Chica and is 16 miles to Boca Chica. This island is also another ideal point for sport fishing and scuba diving in the Gulf of Chiriquí.

Best time to visit / climate:
The best time to visit this place would be December through March which is the dry season.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
Boca Chica is less than an hour from David’s Enrique Malek International Airport. Boca Chica is a small fishing village that is 5 miles from Boca Brava. There are daily regular flights from United States and Canada to David airport.
To go around, one can access Boca chica by boat, water taxi or by foot.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Hotels at wikitravel
• Hotels at bocachicabeach
• Hotels at designhotels
• hotels cheaper deals at hotelscombined

Blogs / Sites about Boca Chica, Panama:

• Blogs and reviews at travelblog
• Blogs and reviews at lonelyplanet
• Blogs and reviews at Travelpod

Images and photos of Boca Chica, Panama:

• a href=”http://www.google.co.in/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,18167,23628,26761,26849,26869,27520,27557,27744,27868,27937&xhr=t&q=Boca+chica+images&cp=17&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=bqT8TL-lDImHrAeP-PGZCA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCcQsAQwAA&biw=1024&bih=653″ target=”_blank”>Images at google
• Images at holidaycheck
• Images at tripadvisor
• Images at travelpod

Videos of Boca Chica, Panama

Boca Chica

Playa Boca Chica

Parks
• Viñales: This is a national park with mountains and caves that is in Pinar del Rio province. This park is known to have some of the best tourist facilities.
• Parque Nacional La Güira (La Güira National Park) – This is another national park with mountains and caves that is in Pinar del Rio province.
• Parque Nacional Ciénaga de Zapata (Ciénaga de Zapata National Park): This is another national park that is in Mantanzas province; people come here for bird watching, scuba diving, and beaches.
• Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes (Topes de Collantes National Park): This is another national park in the Sierra del Emcambray Mountains, straddling Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, and Sancti Spiritus provinces.
• Parque Allejandro de Humboldt (Guantanamo privince): This place offers walking and conservation movements and is approximately 40km away from Baracoa.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit this Biological reserve is between December and April. One can avoid the horrendous storms and hurricanes and avoid the sticky heat of the Cuban summer which can be unbearable for some.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
Las Terrazas is about 70 kilometers to the west of Havana and Viazul (bus company) has bus service from Havana and on to Pinar Del Río and Viñales. Soroa is 87 kilometers west of Havana.
By plane: One can reach Cuba from Canada, Mexico and Europe by arriving at Jose Marti International Airport that is outside Havana. Cubana de Aviacion is the major carrier in Cuba and connects to Mexico, South and Central America, Canada and Europe. One can either take a taxi to Havana centre or take a bus service.
By boat: There are no regular boats or ferries to Cuba but private vessels may enter the marina Hemingway in Havana or marina Aqua in Varadero.

Getting around

By plane: Cubana de Aviacion or Aero Caribbean covers larger distances and operate on routes:

Cubana de Aviación
Havana – Camaguey – Havana, Yakovlev Yak-42D
Havana – Santiago – Havana, Yakovlev Yak-42D

Aero Caribbean
Havana – Camaguey – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Guantanamo – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Baracoa – Havana, ATR 72-212
Havana – Bayamo – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Cayo Coco – Cienfuegos – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Cayo Largo del Sur – Varadero – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Cienfuegos – Cayo Coco – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Las Tunas – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Manzanillo – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Moa – Holguin – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Nueva Gerona – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Santiago – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Varadero – Cayo Largo del Sur – Havana, ATR 42-300/320

Global Air (Mexico)
Havana – Cayo Coco – Holguin – Havana, Boeing 737-200
Havana – Holguin – Cayo Coco – Havana, Boeing 737-200
Havana – Santiago – Havana, Boeing 737-200

By train: The main line runs Havana and Santiago de Cuba. It stops at Santa Clara and Camagüey. Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Morón, Sancti Spiritus, and Pinar del Rio are the other cities that can be reached by train. Tren Frances operates between Havana and Santiago de Cuba alternately.

By bus: Viazul is the bus service in Cuba for public transport to tour the island. Astro is another bus line for touring in Cuba.

Travel to Vinares after reading these travel books from Amazon:

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• iguide
• Tripadvisor
• Umbrellatravel

Blogs / Sites about Cuba:

• Cuba24
• Travelpod
• Travelblog
• Eurekamag.com
• Lonelyplanet

Images and photos of Cuba:

• Google Image Search
• iguide 1, iguide 2
• http://www.cubatravelphotos.com/

Videos of Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra Del Rosario from youtube:

Reserva de la Biosfera Sierras de Béjar y Francia

Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra del Rincón (Repoblación de conejos)

Attractions around Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriquí, Panama:
• Volcano Baru: Which is also known as Volcan Barú; it is the highest and tallest mountain in Chiriquí of Panama. The road is very steep to the top. There are cellular towers and rock faces covered with graffiti and with a magnificent view in this place. It is about a height of 3,474 meters (11,398 ft) and is a dormant volcano. It is to the south of the Continental Divide which is in the western Chiriquí Province. The area is very fertile and served by Chiriquí and Caldera rivers. Cerro Punta is to its west and Boquete to its east. This is also known as the Baru Volcano National Park and is the core of the reserve. This core is the highest mountain of Panama which is known as the Baru Volcano.
• Finca Dracula Orchids farm: This farm is five minutes from the Los Quetzales Lodge in Guadelupe. It houses one of the complete orchid collections that are found in Latin America.
• Sendero Los Quetzales: This is also known as the Quetzales Trail. This is a Natural trail which is a link between the Boquete and Cerro Punta villages through La Amistad International Park.
• Parque Internacional La Amistad: This is also known as the Friendship International Park. It is a bi-national (Panama-Costa Rica) natural reserve which falls in the mountains of the provinces of Chiriquí and Bocas Del Toro which is on the Panamanian side.
• Coffee Plantation of Boquete: This region is famous for gesha coffee which can be visited and enjoyed and one can buy coffee that is grown on the volcanic slopes.
• Whitewater River Rafting on the Chiriquí Viejo: River tours that are about 1/2 day long and full day rafting excursions. Among them are:
o Chiriquí River Rafting
o Panama Rafters
o Boquete Outdoor Adventure
• Visit Paradise Garden: This is a Wildlife Rescue Center in Panama which takes an entrance fee in order to support the centre.

Best time to visit / climate:
The best time to visit this place would be December through March which is the dry season and from May till November it gets wet and above 3000 meters it gets very cold at night. To have best views one should be on the peak at dawn, else due to fog visibility is low.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
One can reach Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriquí from David’s Enrique Malek International Airport and can also be reached by boat from the small fishing village of Boca Chica. From Boca Chica, one can access by a boat. Boca Chica is a small fishing village that is 5 miles from Boca Brava. One can access Boca Brava from David’s Enrique Malek International Airport.

Enhance your trip through these travel books on Amazon:

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Hotel
• iguide
• Tripadvisor
• Hablayapanama
• Yahoo travel

Blogs / Sites about Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriquí, Panama:

• Fodors
• isls.com
• WordPress Blog
• Lonelyplanet

Images and photos of Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriquí, Panama:

• Google Image Search
• iguide
• http://boqueteoutdooradventures.com/sea/golfo1
• Venezuelapana

Videos of Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriquí on Youtube:

PARQUE NACIONAL MARINO GOLFO DE CHIRIQUI

Island Property on Boca Brava, Panama

“Love at First Sight – Isla Boca Brava” Jdhermann’s photos around Isla Boca Brava, Panama

Cueva del Cable (Cave of the Cable)
Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 10 km
Start: Rancho San Vicente
End: Hoya de Jutia
San Vicente-Ancón
Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Difficulty: Low
Length: 5 km
Start: Hotel Rancho San Vicente
End: Ancón

Maravillas de Viñales (Wonders of Viñales)
Time: 5 hours
Difficulty: Low
Length: 6 km
Start: 2 km from Moncada
End: 1.5 km from Moncada

El Pinar y Su Encanto (The Pine and His Charm)
Time: 4 hours
Difficulty: Medium
Length: 2.8 km
Start: Hotel Rancho San Vicente
End: Hotel Rancho San Vicente

Entre Valles y Montañas (Between Valleys and Mountains)
Time: 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Low-Medium
Length: 10.8 km
Start: Hotel La Ermita
End: Hotel La Ermita

Tradiciones Campesinas (Traditional Countryside)
Time: 7 hours
Difficulty: Low-Medium
Length: 7 km
Start: Intersection of the road Capón and the Viñales-Puerto highway
End: Comunidad República de Chile

Del Infierno al Paraíso (From Hell to Paradise)
Time: 6-7 hours
Difficulty: Very high
Length: 8.6 km
Start: Resolladero río El Novillo
End: Mural de la Prehistoria

Tradiciones de Viñales (Traditional Viñales)
Time: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: Low
Length: 5.7 km
Start: Hotel Los Jazmines
End: Hotel Los Jazmines

Los Paisajes en al Valle (The Landscapes in the Valley)
Time: 4 hours
Difficulty: Low
Length: 7.6 km
Start: Intersection of the Viñales road and the La Ermita Hotel
End: Intersection of the Viñales road and the La Ermita Hotels

En el Corazon del Valle (In the Heart of the Valley)
Time: 4 hours
Difficulty: Low
Length: 11 km
Start: Viñales Museum
End: Farm House in Viñales

Del Mirador al Valle (The View of the Valley)
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Low
Length: 4 km
Start: Hotel Los Jazmines
End: The town of Viñales

De la Mano del Guajiro (Of the Hand of the Peasant)
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Low
Length: 4 km
Start: Viewpoint at Sitio del Infierno
End: Primary School El Sitio

Cave Exploring:
1. Cuevas Del Indio: These are Indian caves located five kilometers to the north of Vinales. There is also a boat tour here.
2. Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás: This cave that is 15 kilometers to the west of Gran Caverna de Santo Tomas that is near El moncada. It is the biggest cave in Cuba.

Best time to visit / climate:
The best time to visit Vinales is between December and April. One can avoid the horrendous storms and hurricanes and avoid the sticky heat of the Cuban summer which can be unbearable for some.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
By plane: One can reach Cuba from Canada, Mexico and Europe by arriving at Jose Marti International Airport that is outside Havana. Cubana de Aviacion is the major carrier in Cuba and connects to Mexico, South and Central America, Canada and Europe. One can either take a taxi to Havana centre or take a bus service.
By boat: There are no regular boats or ferries to Cuba but private vessels may enter the marina Hemingway in Havana or marina Aqua in Varadero.
By bus: Viazul runs buses twice a day from Havana and Pinar del Rio.

Getting around:
By bike: One can use a bike to go around but one has to get one’s own bike for that.
By plane: Cubana de Aviacion or Aero Caribbean covers larger distances.
By train: The main line runs through Havana and Santiago de Cuba. It stops at Santa Clara and Camagüey. Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Morón, Sancti Spiritus, and Pinar del Rio are the other cities that can be reached by train. Tren Frances operates between Havana and Santiago de Cuba alternately.
By bus: Viazul is the bus service in Cuba for public transport to tour the island. Astro is another bus line for touring in Cuba.
By boat: Cienfuegos or Trinidad incorporates the Canarreos Archipelago and the Juventud Islands or Jardines de la Reina Archipelago to Windward Islands is the bases for boat rides.

Travel to Vinares after reading these travel books from Amazon:

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Restaurant
• Hotel
• Cubahotelreservation
• Tripadvisor
• cuba-junky.com
• Travelpod

Blogs / Sites about Vinales:

• Lonelyplanet
• Travelpod
• bugbitten.com
• globenotes.com

Images and photos of Vinales:

• Google Image Search
• Fotosearch
• Tripadvisor
• Lonelyplanet
• Tripadvisor Canada

Videos of Viñales from Youtube:

Vinales Valley, Vinales (Cuba) – Travel Guide

Unesco World Heritage “Vinales Valley”, Cuba

Vinales Valley Cuba – World Heritage Site

Indian Cave, Vinales Valley, Cuba

VIÑALES VALLEY PINAR DEL RIO CUBA

Horse ridding in Vinales

Bahamas Attractions

• Power boat Adventures: This is in the capital Nassau. One can enjoy stingray and shark encounters, with the iguanas and have a good lunch. It is scary for some of the tourists as the wave might cause the boat to shake around.
• Bacardi Distillery: This distillery was established in 1962. This is a production house for rum that is sold on the island. One can take a tour and taste sample cocktails and buy them at the store. Its gift shop is still in running mode but the distillery was closed in 2008.
• Blue Lagoon Island and Dolphin Encounters: This is an exciting tour and cruising through Nassau Harbor on large, high-speed catamarans to the beautiful private island, giving a just perfect trip. Dolphin Encounters also offers a close encounter with California sea lions along with Dolphin swim.
• Daq shack: This is a local flavor to Cable Beach. It is situated direct from the Wyndham and Sheraton. The local straw market, food and cigar vendors are part of the shack. One can enjoy Caribbean music and have fun.
• Arawak cay: This is a cay which is known for its Fish fry. The local flavor of fish can be tasted here. Other Bahamian cuisines are also available.
• Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas: This is a notch, swimming with sharks and diving expeditions are available.
• Nassau: This is the capital of the Bahamas and is on New Providence Island. This is a colonial Caribbean city which has modern American culture. It is a combination of old and new in its facilities with an old-world charm. Many of the town’s buildings are dated back to 18th century.
• Junkanoo: This is known to be the biggest event in the Bahamian calendar. This is a street carnival which is held on December 26 which is also known as the Boxing Day. On New Year’s Day Junkanoo groups rush all through the town. Nassau town is the centre of this festival. Junakanoo music is played which has African rhythms and medley on cacophony. Every year the costumes are made from the scratch.
• Dolphin Encounters: Dolphin encounters are where one gets to swim with dolphins. One can also watch from the side. This is located on Salt cay.
• Bahamas Historical Museum: This museum is housed in Nassau and exhibits the pre Columbian times to present times, around 50 years of the history of Bahamas. It has interesting historical artifacts.
• Pirate Museum: This is a tour which takes us to a journey to the heart of downtown Nassau and back to 1716. There is a replica of the pirate ship “Revenge” which can be boarded and seen from the inside.
• Aqua venture at Atlantis Paradise Island: The Atlantis resort that is located on Pirate island houses the largest water park of the world and is spread on a 97-acre Park. There are many waterslides and river rides with special effects that are great fun.
• Bimini Islands: These islands are a group in the Bahamas with an underwater cave system. It is 50 miles (80km) east of Miami and has an area no larger than 10 square miles (26 sq km). The main island of North Bimini, is seven miles long (11km).
• Paradise Island: This Island is connected to the New Providence Island by two bridges. This island has a variety of beaches and hotels and resorts. Cable beach is the popular one.
• Freeport, Grand Bahamas Island: This Island has white beaches and aquamarine seas and is fifty miles, that is, 80 km, east of Miami. Free port is an inland which is preferred by visitors for stay or they choose Lucaya which is a seaside suburb.
• Andros Island: This is the largest island in Bahamas. This island is ideal for scuba divers and fisherman. This island is not that developed but tourist enjoy on the island.
• Exumas Islands: The Exumas comprises of a myriad set of islands and cays. They are spread over hundreds of miles. There are two parts of the islands, the largest is the Great Exuma and the little is the Little Exuma.
• Long Island: This Island hosts one of the main events of Bahamas, a yachting race called Long Island Regatta. It is held in the town of Salt Pond every may. People from all over the world come here to watch it. It is one of the unspoilt islands of the Bahamas.
• Eleuthera Island: This Island has no hotels nor cruise ships and hence not very crowded. It is spread almost 100 miles (161km) but is at most two miles (3km) wide. Harbor Island is considered to be its satellite island.
• Hartley’s Undersea Walk: One can take a walk along the oceanic floor here. Diving is popular and is easy with the use of undersea botanical helmet which is useful for a normal breathing experience and dry hair.
• Pine tree Stables: Here people are taken on a two hour Bahamian horse back ride. This ride starts from Freeport and through the Pine Tree forest, through a castle and then to the dunes and along the beach.

Best time to visit / climate:

This island has a tropical marine climate and the waters of Gulf Stream are warm. The place is attacked by hurricanes and tropical storms and floods. The hurricane season lasts (officially) from June to November. The hotels charge their highest prices during the peak winter period from mid-December to mid-April and are the peak period for touring. Late summer or summer is the best time to visit the place.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map
Or click and paste the URL below on your browser:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=New+Providence,+Nassau,+Bahamas&sll=25.06,-77.345&sspn=0.264352,0.44014&gl=uk&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Nassau,+The+Bahamas&ll=25.060099,-77.345123&spn=0.279903,0.44014&z=11

How to get there:
Visitors from US, Canada, EU and Japan do not need an advance visa for stays of up to three months.
By plane: the capital Nassau, on New Providence, and Freeport, on Grand Bahamas are the largest airports of Bahamas. There are smaller airports in other places.
By boat: The capital, Nassau, on New Providence Island is one of the world’s busiest cruise ship ports, and is served by ships that originate from Florida, Freeport on Grand Bahamas Island.
Getting around: One can go by Bahamasair from Nassau or take bus services from Nassau/New Providence or take a taxi or rent a car to go around the place. Mail boats are served in almost all islands in Bahamas and are the cheapest mode of transport.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• Wheretostay
• Caribbean.com
• Bahamas-travel.info

Blogs / Sites about New Providence:

• Travelpod.com
• http://www.newprovidenceblog.com/
• nj.com
• Travelbuddy.com

Images and photos of New Providence:

• Google Search
• Trekearth.com
• Tripadvisor.com
• pbase.com

Videos on youtube:

Destiny’s Day of Paradise and New Providence

Nassau – Bahamas New Providence Island – by Esther Borbas

Snorkeling Southwest Reef, New Providence, Bahamas

Attractions of Islas Palenques, Chiriquí, Panama
Wildlife:
• Whale watching: One can watch the humpback whales only once in a point of year as these are migratory whales. This archipelago displays their acrobatic behavior with leviathans of deep travel of miles on icy waters and winter feeding at the poles.
• Bird Watching: The Frigate bird colony on Coco Island at Islas Secas Resort is worth watching and a beautiful experience as one can watch many species of birds on the archipelago.
• Coiba National Marine Park: This is on the island of Coiba. There are 37 surrounding islands and islets which are 30 miles off the Panamanian coast in the Gulf of Chiriquí. During the period 1919 to 2004, this island was a location for political prisoners and a penal colony for criminals in Panama. It is about twenty miles to the southeast of Las Secas and one can reach by boat to this archipelago. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Islas Ladrones: This Island is in the Gulf of Chiriqui and is an island. The word Ladrones means “thief” in Spanish. Islas Ladrones is situated to the south of Boca Chica and is 27 miles to Boca Chica. This island is the ideal point for sport fishing and scuba diving in the Gulf of Chiriquí. This island is full of fish life; divers can see many varieties of fish species like King Angelfish, Damselfish, Surgeonfish, Parrotfish, Triggerfish, Wrasse, Gobies, Blennies and Moorish idols. This island is unique as from May to November giant manta rays make an appearance and on a year round basis one can view species of eagle, mobula and devil fish. Sharks of white-tip, black-tip and nurse species are also seen all through the year along with humpback whales. Among the activities that tourists do are scuba diving (with a visibility of 30-80 meters) and Snorkeling. Boco Chica is an ideal place for scuba diving and sport fishing.
• Islas Secas is located in the Gulf of Chiriquí and is an island. This island, Islas Secas, is situated to the east of Boca Chica and is 16 miles to Boca Chica. This island is also another ideal point for sport fishing and scuba diving in the Gulf of Chiriquí. The visibility is good in dry months and right for sport fishing as the fish flock from corals and rock to form schools. One can also see White-tip sharks, rays and turtles along with moray eels, lobster and nudi branchs and Humpback whales. One can watch the humpback whales only once in a particular time of the year.
• Diving: The Secas Archipelago with its neighboring island groups like Ladrones, Paredas and the Coiba National Park and the park being an UNESCO World Heritage site gives us the best adventure diving in the world. This island is governed by five oceanic currents and is rich in eco-regions. The Tropical Eastern Pacific, the islands of the Gulf of ChiriquÌ and the marine biodiverse life and habitat is unique here and is not there in other islands like the Galapagos and Coco Islands, Costa Rica. One can watch about 800 species of fish which include about thirty-three species of shark including the Reef White Tip, Scalloped Hammerhead, Bull, Tiger, and the bizarre Guitar shark.
• Kayaking – Sailing – Surfing: There are hidden coves, reefs, beaches along with mangrove forests which is a biggest attraction of this island. One can go through an all Kayaking safari. There is a blow hole which is also known as Buffona which is a natural phenomenon on Isla Cavada. One can do the best surfing from April through October.
• Boca Brava: This is an island in Panama in the Gulf of Chiriquí. One can access Boca Brava from David’s Enrique Malek International Airport. From Boca Chica, one can access by a boat. Boca Chica is a small fishing village that is 5 miles from Boca Brava.
• Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriquí is in the Gulf of Chiriquí and is a national park. This national park was found in 1994 and spread over 14,730 hectares or 36,400 acres. This area has coral reef, mangrove swamp and marine meadows with forests and white sand with temperate air and weather. This has been given the tag “one of Panama’s best kept secrets.” It is one of the hot spots of Bouquet. It has an archipelago called Las Isla Parida where one can see green iguanas, humpback whales (from August to October), hammerhead sharks, dolphins and multiple species of sea turtle on its island beaches.

Best time to visit / climate:
Isla Palenque’s temperatures are consistent year round but the dry season is from December through April and the rainy season is from May through November. So the best time for visiting this island is December through April.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
From David’s Enrique Malek International Airport, the island of Isla Palenque can be accessed by boat from the small fishing village of Boca Chica which is just about 5 miles from Isla Palenque over water. This takes about one hour or less and from port of Pedregal it is a 50 minute scenic ride.
To get around electric GEM bikes and cars are available for the resort residents.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• http://iguide.travel/Isla_Palenque
• Tripadvisor (link1, link2)
• http://www.boutiquehotelcalamia.com/hotelcalamiapanama.html

Blogs / Sites about Islas Palenque Chiriquí, Panama:

• http://www.islapalenque.com/blog/
• http://adamspictureblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/isla-palenque.html
• http://www.islapalenque.com/blog/2010/03/furniture-finds-in-panama/

Images and photos of Islas Palenque Chiriquí, Panama:

• Google Search
• http://www.islapalenque.com/blog/2009/12/scale/
• http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Palenque.aspx
• http://www.facebook.com/pages/Isla-Palenque/103250256395958?sk=wall

Videos of the island “Isla Palenque Chiriquí” from Youtube:

Isla Palenque by Chopper

Isla Palenque Shoreline

Whales and Dolphins off the Coast of Isla Palenque

Best time to visit / climate:

The Turks and Caicos Islands are arid. Grand Turk is part of Turk islands and hence the weather is same. In the winter the weather is generally in the 70 – 80°F range. The temperatures easily climb into the 90°F during the summer. The island gets less than 50 inches of rainfall a year. Most rainfall occurs during the hurricane months of summer. Hence better to avoid or at least be careful during this time. Sunshine and breezy cooling winds are the norm in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

By plane:
Grand Turk is one of several islands in the Turks and Caicos Islands. To reach Grand Turk one has to fly into the island of Providenciales at Providenciales Airport and from Providenciales take a local flight to Grand Turk on Air Turks and Caicos Air Turks & Caicos.
American Airlines has schedules flights from many US cities to Providenciales International Airport. Other major carriers from the US include Spirit Airlines, US Airways and Delta. British Airways offers flights to London. WestJet Airlines and Air Canada offer flights to Toronto.
By boat: Many cruise ships stop at the Carnival Cruise Terminal which is to the south end of the island. One can take a boat from the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas or Cuba.
Get around: Taxis are accessible in Grand Turk. There are car rentals available and motorcycle rentals too on the island.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Grand_Turk
• Tripadvisor Hotel
• Tripadvisor restaurant
• Yahoo travel
• http://www.bohioresort.com/

Blogs / Sites about Grand Turk:

• http://www.bohioresort.com/
• http://en.wordpress.com/tag/grand-turk/
• Travelpost.com

Images and photos of Grand Turk:

• Google Search
• Tripadvisor
• Turksandcaicos
• http://search.pbase.com/search?q=Grand+Turk

Videos from Grand Turk island on Youtube:

Grand Turk Island

Grand Turk – Port Introduction

Cruise – arriving at Grand Turk

Grand Turk Island Margaritaville!! Turks & Caicos

Grand Turk Slideshow