This 13,226-hectare marine park is one of the most beautiful and important marine habitats in Panama. Apart from its reefs, it includes Zapatilla Cays and the mangrove system and lagoons of its south littoral. The inland area totals 1,630 hectares while the remainder comprises 11,596 hectares of mainly shallow waters. More than a dozen coral reefs protect a marine environment unequalled in most of the Caribbean because its remote location has insured that it has been left untouched; it is one of the three protected zones for the endangered manatee and the park is located on the south-central corridor of the Caribbean tarpon spawning grounds. Green turtles use the islands as nesting sites in August and September.

The park includes Playa Larga (Long Beach) and Zapatilla Cay, areas of great importance in the Caribbean for the tortoise, which is on the verge of extinction, and Canal and Green Turtles. Mangrove islets are important since they provide areas of high nutrient value for feeding the larvae stage of fish and crustaceans. In the terrestrial portion of the park, lagoons and mangroves provide swampy areas of scientific interest with a large lagoon where fresh water turtles, lizards and alligators live and reproduce. Bastimentos Park also has samples of primary and secondary forests characteristic of the archipelago of Bocas del Toro.

To visit Bastimentos Island Marine Park requires an authorization from ANAM (The National Environmental Authority) There is an ANAM office in Bocas del Toro (757-9244) which makes all arrangements, even boat renting. The park has a station on Zapatilla Cays with three guides. If you are interested in seeing both the Bocas del Toro International Friendship Park and Bastimentos Marine Park, but are short of lead time, we recommend consulting a specialized agency.