柯义巴岛国家公园

This is one of those places that is difficult to describe. It is a "tropical island" by every definition. It looks imposing from a distance, inviting from just off shore, and a place you won't want to leave once you get on the beach. There are a few small cabins for those that want to stay a few days, but we didn't investigate them as we did this as part of a shore excursion while touring past on a cruise. We spent about six hours here snorkeling and relaxing on the beach. If you are lucky enough to come close to this island paradise, don't pass up the chance... stop off for a visit.

This National Park is pristine and a great place to snorkel. We visited the site while on the Tauck Costa Rica-Panama Canal cruise. The water is clean, but be sure to stay on the left side of the beach--left of the rock ledge--there are too many rocks on the right. The sand is a sanctuary for hermit crabs of all sizes!

Pretty IslandNice BeachesScuba around the islandsPretty relaxedTourists on Cruise Ships visiting this "deserted" island

While Coiba is known for its diving, it has great snorkeling too. We saw Sharks, Moray Eels, Sting Rays, Turtles, angel fish and more varieties of other fish than I can name. A number of trips are available in Santa Catalina. Shop around for a snorkel trip or you will likely be the only snorkelers on a dive trip.The island is about 1 1/2 hours away so you should plan at least a day for this (8:30am - 5:00pm)

I can fully recommend the multi-day trip to Coiba with Loes and Kees from Tanager Tourism. You first stay one night in their B&B house on the Panamanian coast, and from there take the boat to Coiba (about two hours). We had a little lunch there, and off we went snorkeling! The underwater world near the coral reefs was amazing, I had never seen so many beautiful fishes in my life. On the boat ride, we alreday saw dolphins, and during the snorkeling trip we spotted a lot of kingfishers, small reef sharks, a sting ray, and a sea turtle.During the days at Coiba, we also took some small hiking trips on the islands and a trip to some crocodile swamp area (but didn't see any). All food was provided or cooked by our guides, and was very good. They even had wine for dinner and where overall really mindful.We are very glad we decided to go to Coiba, and the unique experience was really worth the price!

I soon forgot about the 2 hour bumpy boat ride upon arriving, because it's absolutely beautiful! I do recommend getting out there early if going on a smaller boat, as the chop gets worse throughout the day this time of year. We stayed for two nights in the cabins on the island. They are very basic, but met all of our needs. I recommend running the AC in your room during the few hours the electricity is on. Bring any water or food you are going to need, they have a small kitchen, but you need to bring your own gas tank. They have a bbq pit that we used since we didn't know about bringing your own gas. There was lots of wildlife; monkeys, iguanas, and thousands of little hermit crabs that come out at night. The sand fleas came out at night also, so bug spray is nice to have. We did a scuba dive one day, and were picked up from the beach, so it was very convenient. I saw huge schools of colorful fish, sea horses, white tip sharks. Others I was with saw sea turtles and pilot whales. Overall, it was such a relaxing escape. Very quiet, with hammocks set up, perfect for napping to the sound of waves and the feel of a warm breeze. Bring your snorkel mask and go for a swim, there's a big sea turtle that was just hanging out in the water nearby the few days that we were there.

We saw a lot of monkeys, macaws (big red parrots), iguanas and a big crocodile called Tito by the local guards of the island.Great snorkeling: sharks, a sea turtle and huge schools of rather big fish.

I say surprise because I expected somewhat of issues to happen here, for one mosquitoes, and a lot of dangerous situations.In reality the place is a Joy, yes bring insect repellent but it shouldn't be as bad I barely got stung about 4 times...The road there from panama is a little long, about 3 hours on the Panamericana, and about 2 at a moderate 60 to 89 kph, when heading to the port. There are gas stations on the way but be safe and fill up.the port is very nice, it has a place to change clothes and a house near by where you can take a shower for a fee.The boat ride depends on your boat, but it is about 2 or less hours, our boat had issues so we took a little longer. And yes if lucky you will see Dolphins, turtles, sadly we saw no sharks or whales, but we did see some sting rays jumping.We stayed and the Adam complex which is a set of dorms scattered with a big rancho in the middle so sun was not an issue.They have water, but it's best if you drink your own water. You have more than enough bathrooms scattered around and rooms have AC.Plenty of islands to go to-Isla granito de oro ( snorkeling and just enjoy the beach)-penitentiary-aguas termales.-tons of other beaches.Besides the obvious:-I suggest bring enough shirts to stay clean as you would going to the beach on the amount of days you are staying.-Bring food and water as there is non there-dizzy pills just in case-A lot of sunblock -cameraHere is a quick video of some of the thing we saw Enjoy!!http://youtu.be/OMBICc9yLws

We did a dive trip with the Panama Dive Center in Santa Catalina. For our trip we did 2 dives, lunch, then they dropped us off on Coiba. We stayed at the ranger station. The staff there was very friendly and spoke both English & Spanish. The cabins are basic, clean & well kept. Our cabin had 6 beds & a mix of comfort levels. The AC works well. Electricity is on only during hours of darkness. There were plenty of outlets. There are a few trails that can be hiked to look outs. We saw howler & capuchin monkeys, a resident crocodile, birds & enjoyed hammocks for the afternoon thunderstorms. As we left the second day, the next days visitors were already off to snorkel the island. Bring toilet paper, food, bug spray, sunscreen & a good camera. There is a grill, bring your own fire. We paid for the overnight on the island through the dive shop, $20 US each. A must play!

I stayed in this fantastic place for 3 days, and I loved every second of it. The Island is remote, and it all is as tranquil as it can be. The beds are humble if you stay in dorms, but clean and comfortable. The beach are busy with tours and other tourist two hours a day, the rest of the 24 hours you will get the feeling of having it to your self. To me it felt like a peace of paradise wich I did not expect. In my first day I saw Nekus, monkeys, Tito the huge crock and more crabs and birds then I can count. We also saw a turtle out in the sea, and whales from fare, but they where there. This Island is not putting the name "little Galapagos" to shame. The rangers are extreemly friendly and even shared their food with us. To go here you need the following: Bikini, and a throwover. Food and water for your stay, mosquito repelent and your camera. Shuttle is ordered from Santa Catalina ap. 70 USD, and so is diving if you want to that. Diving is spectacular here, and on one of our dives we saw 7 sharks at once... that is spectacular anywhere :) Do your self a favour and go!!!!! One tip is to do a diving trip or any other trip, have them leave you at the Island and then pick you a few days later. That will save you the transport fee and get yo u two for one. I paid 200 USD for two dives and 3 days on the Island. That was the cheapest one I could find.

Ever see a Humpback Whale while diving? WE did , countless sharks , so many fish of so many types . Howler Monkeys, white faced Capachino monkeys. crocodiales, whales entertained us during meals from the shore. this and so much more , and thanks to Camilo, Santiago, Peter and all the crew at Panama Dive Center for giving us the best dive trip we ever had and we are seasoned well traveled divers. and already planning or next trip to see whale sharks off Coiba Island Panama. spend at least 2 nites on the island , we were able to get 9 dives in 3 days great food and personel service and a great price. Just do it

Coiba is pure magic and adventure. Taking the drive to the little harbor, watching the gear get loaded onto the boat, meeting your captain and first mate and then taking off for your adventure for the next two days, the excitement still hasn’t left me. The boat ride is long, but it’s awesome and I had butterflies in my stomach the whole time from pure anticipation of what was to come . We saw porpoises and turtles and they would stop the boat and make sure we all had an opportunity to check them out. Pulling into Coiba was breathtaking. I’ve never seen anything like it. The beach is gorgeous, the hundreds of moths floating across the beach was something I’ll never forget. The fellow travelers on Coiba were all lovely, the wildlife, the food, the conversation, all incredible. Our accommodation on Coiba through ANAM was great. We went into it as if we would be camping on Coiba, except it was so much better, really. You have a bathroom people. At night you will likely have lights and a/c and you’ll be so happily exhausted from your day that you will PASS out. The beds were comfortable, we pushed our twin beds together for snuggling purposes and we slept fine. My children slept well and really you’re not there for luxury sleeping quarters, you’re only in your cabin to change your clothes and sleep and it was more than adequate and it was very clean. Travel with a sense of adventure and look at the unexpected things that happen not as an annoyance, but as part of the adventure of being on an amazing island. Loes is fantastic and a gift to have as a host. Incredibly intelligent, funny, cool and his love of Coiba and Panama is wonderful to experience.Use their website! Almost every question you have has already been answered there. The packing list they provide should be the only things you bring. Trust me. You won’t want to deal with extra stuff and you’ll basically be living in a swimsuit anyway. Pants and a light long sleeve shirt are nice to have at night on Coiba. The bugs found me especially declious in the evening and I think clothes were have protected me more than the bug spray did. My daughter isn’t a strong swimmer and they had a “human seahorse” that was another set of eyes on her at all times. There was one time where she got a little spooked by something in the water and before I even knew what was happening, the sea horse had taken off and was by her side making sure she was safe. That is priceless. I felt entirely safe at all times, whether we were in heavy current snorkeling around an island or searching for crocodiles in the mangroves or hiking through the secondary forest looking for monkeys but seeing snakes instead. I just couldn’t even imagine doing this trip with anyone as capable or knowledgeable as Loes. The boat captain was awesome and I loved watching him navigate the waters of his country. My only regret is not knowing more Spanish so we could communicate with them because I’m certain it would have been awesome. Don’t hesitate to bring your children. My two kids didn’t always want to snorkel but there was always something to entertain them, whether they were playing on the beach, hacking coconuts, or just playing on the boat. Everyone accommodated them and made them feel special. Sitting on the bow together watching them bounce off the waves, having the captain tease them and splash them with water, it was an unforgettable trip for them with memories they will cherish.The snorkeling is amazing. The variety and the sheer number of fish you will see is outstanding. Having Loes within eyesight was worth it because he was able to point out amazing things you may otherwise miss. The agenda always felt perfect, we were always well fed, being allowed to dictate how much time we wanted on a parricular adventure was so nice and not being commited to a strict schedule was great. Our evenings together, drinking wine and talking with new friends and eating delicious food on the beach while my children played games in the sand was the perfect way to end our two spectacular days on Coiba.The only thing I would suggest is to bring your own snorkel equipment if you have the room in your luggage. It will just save you time not having to sort through their equipment and you’ll be sure it works and fits you well and it will allow you more time in the water which is what everyone wants!Don't hesitate to book this trip with Tanager and Loes and Kees. It was an unforgettable trip.

We had a great day snorkeling here with Coiba Dive Center. We paid 55 dollars + 20 dollars entrance fee to the park, which I think is pretty much as cheap as it gets for this attraction. They took us to three locations to snorkel, and we spotted dolphins, sea-turtles, stingrays and sharks! The guides seemed very good at knowing where the interesting fish were. The islands are also very beautiful, and we also saw some monkeys. A great day, recommendable!

We made a boat trip to Isla Coiba (UNESCO World heritage Site). If you’re lucky you can see dolphins, whales, manta rays, turtles, monkeys, sharks and even an alligator. Go snorkeling or scuba diving and don't forget to make a hike on the island.

Very good snorkelling, beautiful stops. Our group lost a lot of time paying the park fees as the authorities did not want to give the pensionado discount to people who qualified for it.