Leg 112 MPBO - Bocas del Toro (Panama) to MROC - San Jose (Costa Rica)
MPBO - Airport Info
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ICAO code: MPBO
Airport name: Bocas Del Toro Intl Airport
Location: Bocas Del Toro
Useful information
Airport elevation: '
Time zone: UTC-
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: '
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
Bocas del Toro Info
The archipelago of Bocas del Toro in Panama is situated on the northwestern coast of Panama in and around the Bay of Chiriqui. This isolated region of Panama has only recently been discovered by international travelers. It is for this reason that much of the island chain remains in pristine and untouched splendor. It is a diver and outdoor lovers paradise with unspoiled coral reefs, deep-sea fishing, boating, kayaking, snorkeling and long sandy deserted beaches. Traveling to Bocas, as the locals call it, can either be as simple as taking a 40 minute flight from Panama City or as adventurous as going over land by bus and water taxi. Either way it is a destination unlike any to be found elsewhere in Panama.
The people of the province are made up of mainly indigenous tribes, many of which still live in small isolated villages scattered throughout the islands. Add to this a healthy mix of people originally from Jamaica and you have an atmosphere that is more closely aligned to the islands of the Caribbean. The pace of life is slow and relaxed with nobody seeming to be in much of a hurry. Locals travel between the islands in dugout canoes, some with motors, but most without. These canoes, or pongas as they are called, litter the waterways and channels, especially in the morning when everybody is either going to the main island or the mainland. During this rush hour, most adults are traveling to the mainland to work in the banana fields and the children are going to the schools on Isla Colon.
Located on Isla Colon is the province's capital city, Bocas del Toro. This was the headquarters for United Fruit at the turn of the century and was an important shipping and receiving port. With the movement of the center of operations to the mainland in the mid-fifties, Bocas towns importance to what would later become Chiquita Bananas faded. It still remained the center of government in the province with the governor's mansion, hospital, schools and church. The 1991 earthquake that separated many of the old wooden structures from their foundations capped the slow slide into unimportance and decay.
By the early nineties Bocas began to feel the effects of the Central America Peace Accord. With the regions increased stability, the area become more accessible to the adventurous traveler. The first visitors to show up were the backpackers, who came to the area because of its inexpensive lodging and to explore its untouched beaches. As the years progressed, more and more tourists began to appear and the word of mouth began to spread about this uncut gem.
Over the last few years the entire province has seen the beginnings of a tourist boom, with a number of middle range hotels and restaurants being opened in and around Bocas town. The town now boasts of three different PADI dive shops, many different styles of restaurants, a deep sea fishing outfit, numerous sailboat and catamaran cruises, mountain bike and moped rentals and a lot of fabulous seafood. Various half, full and multiple day trips can be arranged that combine different elements of what is available in the region.
MROC - Airport Info
ICAO code: MROC
Airport name: San Jose - Juan Santamaria Airport
Location: San Jose
Useful information
Airport elevation: '
Time zone: UTC-
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: '
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
San Jose Info
San José (Costa Rica), city, capital of Costa Rica and its San José Province, on the central plateau of the country. Situated at an altitude of about 1170 m (about 3840 ft), it is the nation's largest city and a commercial, manufacturing, transportation, and cultural center for the surrounding agricultural region, in which coffee, sugarcane, and livestock are raised. Government activities and tourism are also important to the city's economic base. San José, which contains a mix of colonial Spanish-style structures and modern architecture, is the site of the University of Costa Rica (1843), which includes the Tropical Studies Organization and the Latin American Demographic Center; the National Library; and the National Archives. Points of interest include the National Museum, featuring displays of art and natural history materials; a museum with exhibits of religious art and artifacts; an 18th-century cathedral; and the National Theater.
Established in 1736 as Villa Nueva (New Town), the settlement was selected as the nation's capital in 1823. During the 19th century San José developed as a center for coffee production, and it became a major manufacturing city in the mid-20th century. Population (2000) 309,672.