Al Natural offers many opportunities to discover the vibrant nature and culture of the Panamanian archipelago of Bocas Del Toro.
We offer the following boat tours and excursions, usually 3 to 4 hours long:
BOAT TOURS
- Boat tours to the idyllic white sand beaches of the Zapatillas islands, with a great snorkeling stop, all within the protected land and water of the Bastimentos National Marine Park. During the months of August, September and October, it is often possible for us to organize special tours to Zapatillas to observe turtle hatching.
- Snorkeling tours to explore the colorful soft coral garden near Crawl Key, and others secret spots full of starfishes.
- Boat tours in a “cayuco”, the local dug-out canoe, through several mangrove rivers to discover a pristine mangrove forest, home to sloth, and the Indian villages of Salt Creek and its nature trail, home to the famous poisonous dart red frog.
- Boat tours to Dolphin Bay, where dolphins are easy to spot (please note, it is not possible to swim with the Dolphins).
- Boat excursions to Red Frog Beach, Long Beach or to Bastimentos town.
- Visit of a cacao farm and an organic farm and shop.
- We can set up special boat trips to the town of Bocas del Toro on Isla Colon. Sorry, no night trips are possible. Please note that you are welcome to go along for fa nominal fee of $10.00 p.p. with any of our already scheduled trips to Bocas.
FOR TREKKING
We offer various treks along the seaward beaches and through the jungle of Bastimentos Island. These treks, which are done with a local guide and packed lunches, last between 3 to 6 hours. They start either from the town of Bastimentos, from Red Frog Beach, or Playa Larga, when the sea allows it. These walks take you along all the seaward beaches of Bastimentos, including the magnificent Long Beach which is within the national park and through the jungle by using a primitive trail to reach the village of Salt Creek where we send another boat to take you back to Al Natural.
Also the nearby Indigenous community of Salt Creek offers various interesting treks, like the Camian Path where you can spot easily many of the local wild animals in their natural setting, like trails that lead you to Long Beach, to a bat cave or to a fresh water cascade, and the Medicinal Plant Tour. In all tours you are accompanied by a knowledgeable local guide from the village and many of them are learning English.
FOR BIRDING
The birding around Al Natural is great, you can spot many interesting birds, including Great kingfisher, Montezuma Oropendola, Green Ibis, Grey-necked Wood-Rail, Pale-billed Woodpeckers, Golden-collared Manakin, Mangrove Black Hawk, Northern Jaçana, King Vulture, various Sandpiper, Parrots and Hummingbirds and of course the Brown Pelican and many others. The best way to spot then is to walk along the beach. Very close by, you can spot on the top of a couple coconut trees many of the astonishing hanging nets of the Oropendola and many of those great looking birds flying around.
We are also offering a special birding tour, which start at down and takes you in boat to a cut in the island of Popa, an island in front of our island at 20 minutes by boat. There, when riding the water in the cut you can spot Keel-billed Toucans and other birds. Another way to see birds is to go to the Indian village of Salt Creek, there you can choose to take the tour “Senderos de los Caimans” with a local guise ($7.00 p.p. to be paid to the village directly), he will help you to spot birds.
FOR SURFING
For the surfing, there is a reef break very close by to Al Natural, at the point. I heard it is fun although it is not always feasible. The best surf is on the beaches facing the ocean in the island of Bastimentos. The closest spot is at Pelicano beach and is accessible by foot from Al Natural, but we usually take the surfers there by boat, or we go to Long Beach in the Marine National Park. Those spots are for experienced surfers only, we have no surf guide available at Al Natural. Those spots are secret spots, you will have the wave just for yourself!
Also If you are beginners or interested by a surf guide, we can organize easily for you a surf trip with experienced surf guides from surf schools in Bocas town, usually we take you to Bocas and you do the class there as there are easier spots near Bocas. You can easily rent surf boards in Bocas town.
If you take the all-inclusive package with us, we will take you to our surfing spots, like Pelicano Beach or Long Beach, for half a day as part of the package. Also if you want to take classes, we will arrange them and will take you to Bocas (half a day or the whole day) where you have access to many surf spots. What is never included is the surf guide or the cost of the surf classes.
FOR FISHING
We usually go trolling with our big motor boat for groupers, barracudas, king fishes and other Caribbean fish (equipment provided by the hotel).
We also organize fly-fishing in the open sea to catch bonitos, jack fishes, barracudas and small tuna (equipment to be provided by guests).
DIVING
For now, we are NOT offering scuba diving nor PADI courses at Al Natural at our PADI Zapatillas Dive Center. Diving is still possible, we arrange diving with a dive shop in Bocas del Toro. They come to the hotel or we bring clients to Bocas to go diving. All Diving activities MUST be booked in advance, 2 weeks in advance. Prices to be confimed.
RATES OF TOURS (PRICES ARE PER PERSON)
The availability of certain excursions depends on weather conditions. The rates of the tours depends on the number of participants.
| Prices Per Person | 2 Pers. | 3 or 4 pers. | 5 or more pers. |
| Mangrove rivers and village of Salt Creek for village tour or jungle and wild life trails w/ guides | $40.00 | $30.00 | $20.00 |
| Beach and snorkeling at Zapatillas Cays | $55.00 | $35.00 | $30.00 |
| Snorkeling at Coral Cay | $55.00 | $35.00 | $30.00 |
| Beach at Zapatillas with snorkeling at Coral Cay | $70.00 | $50.00 | $40.00 |
| Dolphin Bay with snorkeling at Coral Cay | $70.00 | $50.00 | $40.00 |
| Montezuma Chocolate Farm (+$20.00 p.p) With snorkeling at Coral Cay OR Dolphins |
$70.00 | $50.00 | $40.00 |
| Village of Old Bank (Organic farm of Up in The Hill +$40.00 p.p.) | $70.00 | $50.00 | $40.00 |
| Red Frog Beach (beach or zip line) | $65.00 | $50.00 | $40.00 |
| Susuro Ecological Trail on Isla Popa (+$20.00 p.p., 4 p. minimum) | N/A | $50.00 | $40.00 |
| Solth Island with snorkeling spot | $50.00 | $35.00 | $30.00 |
| Bird observation from boat at Canal of Popa Island (2/3h, 6:00am) | $45.00 | $35.00 | $30.00 |
| Surfing from boat at Pelicano Beach | $40.00 | $30.00 | $25.00 |
| Surfing at Playa Larga (2/3 hours, with boat and captain without surf guide, without surf board) | $55.00 | $35.00 | $30.00 |
| Trekking the open sea side beaches of Bastimentos Island starting at Red Frog Beach, then Long Beach, and crossing the jungle to Salt Creek and Al Natural, all day with guide and pique nick | $80.00 | $55.00 | $50.00 |
| Turtle Hatching at Zapatillas (4:00pm, Aug-Dec) | 70.00 | $55.00 | $45.00 |
| Fishing tour (trolling with fishing equipment) | $170.00 one fisherman $100.00 p.p. two fishermen |
||
| Fly-fishing (w/boat and captain, without equipment) | $145.00, one or two fishermen | ||
| If one person is doing the tour, rate per person for 2 person +50% Children: 50% |
|||
| Entrance fee to the islands of Zapatillas in the National Park, to the village, as well as the cost of the tours offered at the village, or the zip line at Red Frog, or the entrance fee at of the Cacao and organic farm are not included in the above prices. | |||
| +7% sale taxes
+10% suggested gratuities |
|||