ADVENTURES IN PANAMA ABOUND

PART 1: ISLA TABOGA

Cruisers visiting Panama find adventures on land and out on the water.  Over the years Posse members have collectively seen so much of what the country has to offer.  There are so many great adventures to chose from.  A quick list includes: Isla Taboga, the mountain towns of Boquette and El Valle, the Canal Museum in Casco Viejo, the sloth sanctuary in the Gamboa Reserve, cruising the Coiba group, cruising the Perlas Islands, walking up Ancon hill overlooking Panama City, touring the Miraflores Lochs….and many many more.  Part 1 of ADVENTURES IN PANAMA ABOUND will explore the interesting history and adventure opportunities at Isla Taboga, Panama.

Rich in historical significance and boasting a relaxed getaway charm, Isla Taboga is an excellent place to visit near Panama City.  The island is so close to the city that there are multiple daily 30 minute ferries that bring people to and from the island for $17 round trip.  People visit to enjoy the beach, restaurants, hotels, multiple hiking trails, and the history.

Isla Taboga was discovered in 1513 by the Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa.  Many subsequent explorers who crossed the Atlantic from Seville, Spain would disembark in what is now Portobello on the Caribbean coast of Panama, cross the isthmus of Panama on foot or by horseback until they reached Panama City.  They would then board canoes to the galleons anchored off Taboga.  Deep waters with good holding surround the island and made it an excellent place for large vessels to find safe harbor from which to explore and conquer new lands near and far.

Like the ships of old the same anchorage is used today by modern transporters awaiting passage through the Panama Canal.

Going back 500 years again: By 1524 Father Hernando de Luque founded a church in the center of town and christened the town San Pedro.  The Church, while noted for being one of the oldest churches in the Western Hemisphere, is still standing and well cared for.

In the late 1500’s the island was renamed Taboga.  “Aboga” means “abundant fish” in the indigenous language of Taboga’s early inhabitants.  In the 1500’s many of Taboga’s inhabitants on record were slaves from Venezuela and Nicaragua.  The first Catholic saint of the Americas is said to have been born on the Island.  There is a cross in her honor on a hilltop with a beautiful view.  Today many people think of Taboga as the ”Island of Flowers” for all the flowers cascading over walls (from the most well maintained to the ancient, crumbling ones) and growing in the jungle.  The island is 12 square km; town itself, like many on the nearby islands, is quite densely packed and surrounded by wild jungle.

Today, one can travel along all the residential footpaths or in golf carts on the narrow streets in an afternoon and could spend days and days meandering through the jungle in search of treasure, wildlife, or relics of the past.

Treasure: Early prosperity turned Taboga into a target for piracy.  In the 1600’s pirates became a formidable force in the area and Taboga was no stranger to their presence and pillaging.  Infamous Pirate Henry Morgan among others is said to have sacked the island and used it as a base while attempting to sack Panama City and other nearby islands.  Legend has it that there are ashes of pirates inside the walls of the church and treasures buried on the island.  One can walk to a monument called Los Tres Cruzes to see the three graves of pirates that attempted to disturb the peace on Taboga.  They lost their lives in the fight and have remained as a symbol to all who visit.  Taboga is not to be sacked ever again. Wildlife: Taboga is a volcanic Island that rises above the sea with a dense and healthy tropical forest.  While hiking through the forest we were treated to many (74) poison dart frog sightings, the smell of flowers, the sound of rain paddling the canopy overhead, the refreshing cool of mist hanging in the air slowly dripping down to the dark brown forest floor.  On the highest peak we enjoyed being at eye level with the largest and smallest of birds, from the black headed vultures to bright green teeny-tiny hummingbirds. Relics of the past:  In the 1840’s the Pacific Mail and Steamship Company set up a shipping company on Taboga thinking they would move mail and produce throughout the region.  They ended up moving gold and gold diggers to and from California during the Gold Rush.  There are remnants of their shipyard operation on Isla Morro which is connected to Taboga by a sand spit.  In 1885 a medical center was built on the island while the French were making their attempt at the Panama Canal construction.  Many workers would take ill and go to Tabogo for care and quarantine.  While convalescing on Taboga, French painter Paul Gauguin, painted a scene of the bay that is appreciated to this day.  Additionally, the US military build a base on the island during WWII.  A bunker was built on the highest point with a 360 degree view that today offers a welcome breeze and incredible views of Taboga Bay, Panama City, the perlas Islands, and ships awaiting Canal transit.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LEGENDS AND HISTORY OF TABOGA SEE THIS LINK: http://cerritotropicalpanama.com/pdf/1Piratetalesandtruths.pdf