Shelly's BBQ Bocas del Toro

Shelly’s BBQ is a small restaurant and looks like a hole in the wall located in Bocas town. Do not let this fool you. The food is great. My personal favorite is the crispy pork tacos. The shells are fried and crispy and the pork is tender and juicy which makes a very dynamic combination. It takes a bit longer than the other meals since they have to fry the tortillas, but it is worth the wait.

The Shelly’s Special is also a go to item. You can chose between beef brisket, pork or baby back ribs. All of these are worthy choices. Also, the hot sauce and pico de gallo are decent. While the price tag is a bit on the high side, it is still worth it.

Balboa Beer Distributor in Bocas del Toro

Spending a day on a boat in Bocas del Toro typically requires copious amounts of ice cold beer. There are three popular Panamanian brews: Panama, Atlas and Balboa. My personal favorite is Balboa, which is a light and refreshing beverage. Also, it is very accessible since there is a distributor right on the water in Bocas town.

Bring in your old crate of empty bottles and get a replacement crate for less than $15 for 24 beers in a bottle. Always go for bottles. The cans have a different and in my opinion, unpleasant taste.

If you want to experience the true cuisine of Bocas del Toro, Beso del Drago is the place to go. Typically a dish will consist of mostly starches, but not the bad kind like you find in the States and Europe. Bocas cuisine consists of a lot of rice, noodles and plantains. Whereas in the US you find a lot of over processed meals from fast food restaurants and mega supermarkets.

A dish of pork, rice, noodles and lentils will cost you around $3.50 USD. While the pork is a small portion it still equals roughly 25grams of protein. And if you are a fat back enthusiast like myself, this meal will satisfy your needs with a piece of cooked fat with pork attached. Add hot sauce.

Beso del Drago is located right in Bocas town at the municipal boat dock that Bocas Villas uses for client transportation. Good beer, good food, just don’t get anything on the gringo menu such as fish tacos. You will get your food after your dinner companions have already finished.

An article posted in Yahoo Finance has mentioned Bocas del Toro as one of the top 8 spots for retirement abroad.  The weather and the Caribbean of course make Bocas del Toro a great place to retire.  The article also looked at a health care index that puts Panama on par with Portugal, the options being the local hospital in Bocas as well as the bigger medical centers in David and Panama City.  What I am a little confused about is that Panama tied with Costa Rica for monthly affordability.  Costa Rica has a 13% sales tax compared to Panama’s 7%, and Costa Rica’s import tax is a whopping 23% for merchandise.  The tax on cars in Costa Rica is the blue book value: any given car costs twice as much in Costa Rica as Panama.  The rating is from some affordability index, so it just depends what kinds of goods were compared, but it is surprising to me having lived in Costa Rica.

 The other positives mentioned were Panama’s “pensionados” program that offers significant discounts to retirees on things like transportation, and the prevalence of English as a spoken language in Bocas.

Bocas del Toro is clearly a place that depends upon boats and now

A nature lover’s paradise and one of Panama’s most popular tourist spots, Bocas’ 5,000 residents are still way outnumbered by the surrounding wildlife. Enjoy the town’s laid-back vibe and easy access to the region’s nine major islands, 52 keys and roughly 200 tiny islands. There are two marinas for those who want to explore this archipelago’s treasures. And reader Dan Cranney reminded us that “this island archipelago off the Caribbean coast of Panama is one of the few hurricane-free places in the Caribbean.”

Everything here revolves around the water and the diversity throughout the islands.  There are so many places to go and different reefs and islands to explore on daytrips or you can drop anchor anywhere and spend the night.

A new program by the Panamanian government includes travel insurance for all visitors entering the country on tourist visas.  The New York Times recently wrote this article and accompanied the story with a picture of a man in a bikini bottom (I’m not sure if he is in need of medical attention or not).  Regardless, this is a great idea for tourism in Panama and not something I have heard about being done elsewhere.  

The insurance is paid for by a $40 departure tax and the insurance expires 30 days after entry.  The coverage allows $7,000 in treatment for accidents or disease, $2,000 for emergency dental, and $20,000 for accidental death.  Even accidents during adventure activities (horseback riding, white water rafting, fishing, etc.) are covered, which is a good point to make clear to tourists. 

The insurance does not cover accidents or death involving alcohol or drugs, nor does it extend to prior illnesses or conditions.  Had the insurance covered accidents and death caused by alcohol and drugs, Panama and Bocas del Toro could have expected a much hipper crowd.  Here at Bocas Villas we could have had the type of traveler who feels good about coming to a foreign country and overdosing on street drugs.  As the program is, I think we can expect to attract professional adults, responsible travelers and small families.  So, instead of going for the hip, chemically and financially unstable tourists, the insurance appeals to a more responsible, professional group of people, just the kind we want to come visit our beautiful islands.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the contest or accommodations. Cheers!