Taboga Island Day Trip

Taboga is the island Panama City residents head for when they want sand, sea air and a slower pace without a long journey. It lies in the Gulf of Panama, a short boat ride from the Amador Causeway, and it is known as the Island of Flowers for the blooms that spill over its hillsides and garden walls. The village is a cluster of pastel houses, small guesthouses and beach restaurants around a curved bay, with a hillside church that is often described as one of the oldest in the Americas. The painter Paul Gauguin is said to have spent a short spell here in the 1880s, on his way through the isthmus, which is a favourite local story. There are no big resorts and few cars, so the island is easy to explore on foot. A catamaran day trip is a comfortable way to do it. The sailing itself is part of the appeal, with the skyline of Panama City shrinking behind you, ships waiting off the canal entrance and pelicans skimming the swell. Most day trips of this kind combine time on deck with a swim stop and free time on the island, and the better ones include lunch and drinks, so you do not need to plan anything once you are on board. Details differ by operator, so read the itinerary for the exact timing, what is included and where the boat leaves from.

What you do on the island is wonderfully simple. Swim off the beach in calm, warm water, walk up through the village to the church and the viewpoints above the bay, order fresh fish at a beachside table or rent a sun lounger. Walkers can follow a trail up toward the island's hilltop for views across the gulf and back to the city skyline.

Nearby, a small rocky island is a nesting site for pelicans and other seabirds, and boats sometimes pass close to it, though you should expect to watch from the water rather than land. Between roughly July and October, humpback whales visit the Gulf of Panama, and some operators add whale watching to the day when conditions allow. It is never guaranteed, so treat any sighting as a bonus.

Why a catamaran rather than the public ferry? The ferry is cheap and fun, but it runs to a fixed timetable, and you will need to buy tickets, arrange transport to the departure point and plan your own meals. A catamaran day trip handles all of that and gives you a more relaxed pace, with shade, music and a crew to handle the swim stops.

Groups are usually mixed, with couples, friends and families, and the atmosphere is sociable rather than formal. If you are prone to seasickness, take a tablet before you sail, because the gulf can be choppy in the wetter months. Bring a swimsuit, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and a little cash for anything you want to buy on shore.

When to go and how to fit it in: the dry months from roughly December to April give the calmest seas and the most dependable sun, but the island is pleasant year-round and quieter on weekdays, since many Panamanians visit at weekends and on public holidays. Allow a full day, because the trip combines a morning departure with a long, unhurried stretch on and around the island and a return in the late afternoon.

It makes a good rest day between busier sightseeing days at the canal and in Casco Viejo, and it pairs well with an evening in the old town once you are back. For something shorter, consider the sunset catamaran on Panama Bay.