coiba island and santa catalina tour x villa michelle a travel guide and hotel in panama

8/14/2019 Coiba Island and Santa Catalina Tour x Villa Michelle a travel guide and hotel in Panama

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SANTA CATALINA ANDSANTA CATALINA AND

COIBA ISLANDCOIBA ISLAND


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COIBA NATIONAL PARKCOIBA NATIONAL PARK

ClimateThe climate in Santa Catalina is tempered by it location onthe Pacific Ocean. Tropical year round, it is divided into thedry season during Panamas summer from Decemberthrough May and the wet season or winter June to

November. The entire year, temperatures hover between90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit (30-34 Celsius) during the


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Things to see and do in and around Santa Catalina,Panama

The attraction to Santa Catalina, Panama is its natural beauty and vast naturalresources. With the Pacific Ocean roaring up on its beautiful black sand beaches,Santa Catalina is the launching point for fantastic nautical adventures and a serenefishing village.

Surfing has for decades been the main draw for visitors to Santa Catalina. But thereason Santa Catalina exists is its access to abundant fish populations. Fishing andscuba diving are rapidly growing in popularity.

The same type volcanic outcroppings that create the incredible surf break at PlayaSanta Catalina,

create excellent dive and fishing spots just offshore. A short boat ride from shore

delivers the diving and angling enthusiast enormous populations of fish and underwater structure.

Dozens of islands are scattered throughout the ocean, just a short boat ride from SantaCatalina. Many of these islands offer relatively unexplored white sand beaches withsurf breaks that equal and sometimes better the world renowned break at La Puntain Santa Catalina.

On land, Santa Catalina offers beautiful beaches, good food and affordable

accommodations. Visitors to Santa Catalina come for outdoor recreation andrelaxation. While there are a number of gathering spots for evening dinners andsocializing, Santa Catalina is not the all night party spot found in a lot ofCentralAmerican surf destinations. The person wandering the beach at 5 am is morelikely an early bird surfer grabbing some solo time with the waves than a stragglerpartier left over from the night before.

With its flocks of parrots, warm waters and uncrowned beaches, Santa Catalina,

Panama offers travelers the option for a quiet getaway or an activity filled vacation.Whether your ideal day is lounging undisturbed on an isolated beach or a day of


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Coiba National Park Coiba National Park (Nacional Parque Coiba) is

group of 38 islands including Coiba Island (Isla

Coiba) and the waters surrounding them.Coiba National Park is located in the Gulf ofChiriqu off of Panamas Pacific coast covers430,825 acres.

Because of its rich and well preserved naturalresources Coiba National Park and its SpecialZone of Marine Protection was declared a WorldHeritage Site by UNESCO in 2005. Cited for its

high levels of endemic mammal, plants andbirds and ongoing evolution of new species,Coiba National Park is consider by UNESCO tobe an outstanding natural laboratory for

scientific research and a key to the survival of


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BeachesThe two primary beaches in Santa Catalina are

Playa Santa Catalina and Playa Estero. Both areblack sand beaches produced from an adjacentriver and offer gentle waves with large tidechanges through out the day. While Playa Santa

Catalina is the busier of the two, either can offera pick up soccer game or other activities withthe locals.

The beach waters around Santa Catalina areroutinely tested are have been awarded theBandera Azul Ecologica or Ecologic Blue Banneraward for their purity.

Playa Santa Catalina Playa Santa Catalina is the main village beach


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ISLAS DE COIBAISLAS DE COIBA


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Cebaco Cativo Octavia Pelonas

Isla Coiba and Coiba National Park Surf Spots Santa Catalina Punta Brava

Punta Roca La Puntica El Estero

Islands around Santa CatalinaIslands around Santa Catalina
http://www.santacatalinabeach.com/coiba.htmlhttp://www.santacatalinabeach.com/coiba.html


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Coiba National Park encompasses the majority of the Gulf of Chiriqscontinental shelf and island structures. Coiba National Parks 38islands offer a great ecological and marine diversity. White sandbeaches, hardwood tropical forests and wildlife found nowhere elsein the world make these islands breath taking.

Included in the park are the following islands Coiba

Jicaron Brincaco Uva Rancheria Canal de Afuera Jicanita Pajeros Afuera Montuosa And 28 smaller islets

The Islands of Coiba NationalThe Islands of Coiba NationalParkPark


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Isla Coiba or Coiba Island is the anchor to the Coiba National Park infrastructure. It is the largest islandconsisting of 50,314 hectares or 124,320 acres of mostly virgin tropical rainforest. Locatedapproximately 30 miles off the Panamanian cost, Coiba Island is remote and relatively undevelopedwith over 80% of its natural habitat intact.

Coiba Island is hilly at its center with a number of rivers draining to the ocean. The largest of the riversis Rio Negro or Black River. The jungles of Coiba are home to howler monkeys, scarlet macaws, andcrested eagles. Because of its isolation and location, it has been noted for its growing number ofendemic species.

For bird watchers, Coiba offers 97 of the 147 species of birds found in Coiba National Park. Coiba is arefuge for Crested Eagles and Scarlet Macaws, birds who have virtually disappeared from the rest ofthe Republic of Panama. Coiba also offers 20 endemic birds species including the Coiba spinetail.The beaches and waters surrounding Coiba Island offer shelter to four turtle species: leatherback ,hawksbill , olive , loggerhead .

Other local species include the Coiba Island Agouti (Dasyproctae coibae) the Mantled Howler Monkey, aopossum and a white-tailed deer. Over 30 varieties of bats call Coiba home.

The North end of the island is the most accessible from the mainland and is the home of the ANAMranger station. This is the most visited end of the island and home to beautiful white sand beacheswith clear water. The close proximity of other islands such as Rancheria and Las Canales makes this apopular playground for divers and day visitors.

The South end of the Isla Coiba is relatively untouched by humans. It offers large waves and pristinebeaches. It is a favorite for surfers staying in Santa Catalina who are looking for a memorable ride in

Isla CoibaIsla Coiba


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The second largest of the islands that dot the geography of CoibaNational Park, Jicaron is located of the Southeast tip of Coiba. Itcontains lush vegetation, large swells, and rocky beaches throughout much of the shoreline. With the assistance of local guides, Jicaronalso offers pristine pocket beaches, deserted serenity and Pacificisland beauty at its finest. Jicaron is a short distance for steep oceancanyons used by migratory pelagic animals to hunt and travel along

the transcontinental routes.

Scuba diving and snorkeling offer views of huge schools of large fish.Sightings of large varieties of rays, sharks, sailfish, and marlin arepossible. On the surface, spinner and spotted dolphins, orca,humpback and pilot whales and feeding yellow fin tuna may delight

the visiting boat. Jicanita

The english translation of Jicanita is "Little Jicaron". Located off thesouthern tip of Jicaron, Jicanita is the result of thousands of years ofstorms and wave action on the southern tip of Jicaron. With the seaeventually carving the tip off , Jicanita became its own islet. Jicanitaoffers similar features as its parent Jicaron.

Jicaron (2,002 ha)Jicaron (2,002 ha)


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REEF DE BAHIA DAMASREEF DE BAHIA DAMAS


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Bahia Damas is the somewhat protected bay on the east side of Isla Coiba,Panama. Its waters boast the second largest coral reef in the Eastern PacificOcean. At 135 hectares or 335 acres, it is one of the largest reefs in CentralAmerica.

In addition to being home to a large coral community, the reef gives refuge toenormous schools of fish of all sizes. Sightings of large groups of manta rays,sharks, tuna, snapper and other fish are common as are a multitude of

dolphin and whales species.

The reef is subject to a variety of natural influences including El Ninos warmingeffects and changing tides and ocean currents. This convergence of naturalphenomenon make the Bahia Damas reef a treasure not only for divers butalso for researchers evaluating the effects of natures intermingling forces.

The reef environment of the Bahia Damas is fragile. To protect this valuableresource, scuba diving should be arranged through the professional diveoperations that service the park area. These operators can arrange theproper permits and have a vested interest in protecting the reefs that providethem and their clients such incredible adventures.

The Reef of Bahia DamasThe Reef of Bahia Damas


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A small islet off the northeastern coast ofIsla Coiba namedGranito de Oro has emerged as one of the most popularstops for visitors interested in snorkeling the abundantwaters ofCoiba National Parkand picnicking on one of themost pristine beaches in the world.

Its steep volcanic outcropping forms a structure which holds thebeautiful white sand in place and creates a reef structurewhich shelters a large variety of beautiful marine life. Itis the aquarium ofCoiba, offering easy access to eels, turtlesand large schools of fish.

Granito de Orooffers the casual snorkeler a diversity and

volume of marine life that many avid scuba divers spendtheir lives trying to see. The waters surrounding it have beencalled one of the top 10 diving destinations in the world.

Granito De Oro, Coiba NationalGranito De Oro, Coiba NationalPark, PanamaPark, Panama


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CARCEL DE COIBA ISLANDCARCEL DE COIBA ISLAND


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Mention Isla Coiba to the average Panamanian and treasured marine parkand abundant ecosystemare probably not the image that pops into their mind. For modern day citizens ofPanama, stories ofimprisonment, torture and death are more like to come to mind.

Coiba Island was Panamas version of Devils Island. From 1919 to 2004, the penal colony on IslaCoiba was home to the countrys most dangerous criminals as well as home to many who foundthemselves on the wrong side of the political struggle. At its peak, The Coiba Island Prison housed3000 inmates in about 30 camps spread around the islands.

Los Desaparecidos was the name given to the hundreds or even thousands who disappeared inPanama under dictators Omar Torrijos and Manuel Noriega, never to be seen again. It is believedthat many of these unfortunate individuals either ended up in unmarked graves near the Coibaspenal colony or to have been dismembered and fed to the abundant shark population in itssurrounding waters.

After the fall of the dictatorship, Coiba resumed its role as a criminal prison camp rather than

political prison. In its final days, prisoners were the run of the mill thieves, murders and rapistsserving their debt to society by farming and ranching the island to provide for their own existence.

The prison is now closed. The prisoners have been relocated to other facilities and anything of valuehas been removed from the site. The remaining structure is slowly being reclaimed by jungle and themarine air. Its crumbling buildings and simply marked graves serve as the only memorial toCoibasdark history.

The fear of the prison and its inhabitants inadvertently resulted in preservation of the largest untouchedrain forests in the Americas. Because of the deterrent of the penal colony, about 80% of the islands

Penal Colony of Isla CoibaPenal Colony of Isla Coiba


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By Villa Michelle a Travel TourBy Villa Michelle a Travel TourGuide and cheaperGuide and cheaper

accommodation in Panama.accommodation in Panama.Visit the most complete Panama

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coiba island and santa catalina tour x villa michelle a travel guide and hotel in panama

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