Ferry de culebra: Ceiba Culebra – Puerto Rico Ferry anchored by Hornblower

In Puerto Rico, Privatization Jeopardizes Already Weak Ferry System in Vieques and Culebra

Photo courtesy of Weaventures

The town of Ceiba is located on the east coast of Puerto Rico, just south of Fajardo. The region is hot, humid, and especially attractive to mosquitos. It is also the site of numerous development projects that have gone nowhere and done nothing to revitalize the now-abandoned U.S. naval station.

The ferry system, which connects the island municipalities of Vieques and Culebra to the big island at Ceiba, is frequented by residents looking to meet their basic needs and tourists in search of tropical bliss.

But the Ceiba Ferry Terminal itself remains unfinished—a testament to the long list of projects that are also incomplete at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base. A lack of proper pavement and facilities is evident. An empty lot remains untouched because the government of Puerto Rico started construction of the terminal without acquiring a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Beside the main building sit rows of collapsible chairs beneath a large white awning. The sun seeps through the sides of the outdoor structure. In one corner, an electric metal fan spins but does little to cool off ticket holders. The exit is unpaved, uneven, and rocky.

In October 2020, following years of disrepair and unreliable service, Puerto Rico’s Public-Private Partnerships Authority (P3A) selected HMS Ferries, a U.S.-based ferry company, to assume control of the local government-owned Maritime Transport Authority (ATM). Residents have since demanded the cancelation of the 23-year contract, which stipulates that HMS Ferries “will receive $25 million the first year, $36 million the second, and $31 million every year afterward.”

But things have gotten steadily worse for Viequenses and Culebrenses under the new operator.

“This is our highway,” Nelson Melendez Brau, a Culebra resident, tells Latino Rebels. Melendez Brau is a member of the group Colectivo Somos Más Que 100×35 (We are More Than 100×35), a reference to the physical dimensions in miles of the big island. Melendez Brau says that the agreement with HMS Ferries “has been one of those contracts where the private company is the one that obtains all the benefits and the people who are supposed to receive the services receive very, very little of the services.”

A flashpoint in the fight for reliable ferry service came in March 2021, when protestors in Vieques and Culebra took to the sea in kayaks, temporarily halting all ferry service between the islands.

Earlier today in Culebra, a Puerto Rico police boat driver reversed & then advanced on peaceful protesters in a kayak, almost hitting them. They jumped out of the kayak before that happened. Protesters blocked an arriving ferry to protest unreliable ferry service. pic.twitter.com/7P92gvPUvD

— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) March 27, 2021

The ferry system is essential to the lives and livelihoods of local residents. Viequenses and Culebrenses alike rely on it to access medical services, employment, education, and groceries, and the unstable supply chain between these two municipalities and the big island has resulted in shortages of food and gasoline.

Residents have identified issues with the ferry system’s itineraries, accessibility, and vessels. The mayors of Vieques and Culebra recently denounced HMS Ferries for failing to give priority to residents in the sale of boarding tickets. There is “no longer a preferential line for residents,” according to a report by Primera Hora.

Melendez Brau recalls one incident at the ticketing offices. A problem with the system led employees of the ferry terminal to advise Culebrenses traveling to the big island to board the ferry without tickets. But when they tried to return home later that day, about 75 people were queuing for tickets and, ultimately, not everyone was able to go home.

“There were a couple of people who were left in Ceiba because the capacity of the boat was filled because there were a lot of tourists that day,” says Melendez Brau, adding that residents have been left stranded on multiple occasions. Some have even been forced to sleep in their cars.

Residents have become frustrated with the ferry’s departure and arrival schedule, which they say caters to tourists. If Culebrenses need to go to the big island, they typically have to get up at 3:30 a.m. to catch the ferry. Oftentimes, Viequenses have to wake up before dawn to use the ferry service as well. And although there is another ferry that leaves later, residents like Diana Ramos Gutiérrez —who recently wrote about the lack of delivery rooms for expectant mothers on Vieques and Culebra for Latino Rebels— complain that they “won’t have time to do anything” by the time the ferry arrives in Ceiba around 9:00 a.m. 

“They are failing in basic things like scheduling and trip capacity of both passengers and cargo,” Elda Guadalupe Carrasquillo of Colectivo Somos Más Que 100×35 told ABC News.

According to Melendez Brau, HMS Ferries released new schedules without soliciting residents’ input.

“The main problem is that they don’t talk to anybody,” he says. “They don’t consult with the people receiving services.”

HMS Ferries denies this claim. “We continue to engage with community groups and local elected officials to ensure system improvements reflect rider demand and needs,” HMS Ferries spokesperson Natalia Stevenson tells Latino Rebels.

ATM is responsible for evaluating and approving any schedule or fare changes, and there are currently no plans to raise ticket prices for residents.

“The recently approved Puerto Rico Ferry schedule was made in consultation between and with the approval of ATM, the mayors of both Vieques and Culebra, and HMS Ferries,” says Stevenson. “The [agreement] was carefully crafted to account for many potential circumstances in the future, and if a marginal fare increase becomes necessary in the next [23] years, we will work with ATM to ensure that any increase is fair and clearly communicated to our riders.”

Although Law 29-2009 requires citizen participation in the procurement process, residents allege that P3A did not consult them on matters relating to the ferry system. And when the government of Puerto Rico moved the terminal from Fajardo to Ceiba in 2018 in an effort to advance its development goals in the region, they did not consider residents’ concerns regarding the impact this would have locally.

Accessibility continues to be an issue that HMS Ferries has been working to improve. Ramos Gutiérrez, who lives on Vieques, says the Ceiba Ferry Terminal does not accommodate pregnant women and the elderly. She also claimed that front-facing communications from Puerto Rico Ferry have been geared toward tourists.

“What makes us more upset is the information part,” she said. “You go to the terminal and you don’t find the itinerary anywhere. How much does it cost for them to put a screen up with the schedules?”

For its part, HMS Ferries argues that the current solution is more accessible than the previous system.

“HMS Ferries-Puerto Rico implemented technology improvements through a new website, app, and ticketing system,” Stevenson said. “In addition, riders choosing not to use online or app features remain able to access ferry schedules, purchase tickets, and plan their trips in person at all terminals.”

Ramos Gutiérrez refutes this claim, saying the schedules are not available at terminals.

Este mes siquiera se han publicado horarios. Este anda recorriendo las redes y es la manera de informarse de la mayoría, pues tampoco está disponible en terminales y no todes tienen acceso o saben manejar la nueva página web, donde ya la gran mayoría de boletos están vendidos. pic.twitter.com/UCrivOn4qT

— Diana Ramos Gutiérrez (@dramosgutierrez) January 15, 2022

According to Stevenson, HMS Ferries is “manning all ticket windows at each terminal during hours of ferry service,” which is said to have increased the availability of ticket booths for customers. She also says that passenger and vehicle tickets can be purchased in advance at all terminals, though Latino Rebels was unable to independently verify this claim.

HMS Ferries states that employees of Puerto Rico Ferry notify ATM and local officials of any service alerts for occurrences affecting service. They also issue public notices for known schedule changes or alerts related to holidays or special events that may affect operations.

“To ensure riders are kept informed about Puerto Rico Ferry operations, schedule adjustments, service delays, and/or anticipated weather effects, service alerts are posted in the app, online, and on the Puerto Rico Ferry social media channels while announcements are made at each terminal and onboard affected vessels in operation,” Stevenson says.

Residents transporting their vehicles to the big island spend $40 per month for parking —another amenity managed by a private company— and their vehicles arrive one hour later than they do. The delay was supposed to be a temporary measure but has remained in place for months. Residents also have to take a shuttle to the parking lot 20 minutes away.

There are nine vessels in the Puerto Rico Ferry fleet, one of which is owned by ATM. According to Ramos Gutiérrez, there are only two ferries in service —one for Vieques and the other for Culebra— but HMS Ferries claims that the ATM vessel is the only one that is not in service. Residents say both vessels, luxury ships meant for traversing lakes, are not suitable for the maritime crossing.

According to both contracts, the vessels must be able to withstand oceanic conditions. The contracts also indicate that ATM leased them for $1 million each, not including the tens of thousands of dollars in processing costs. But as the new operator of the ferry system, HMS Ferries essentially has a contract with itself.

“They [made] themselves a contract for ships and they are the same people [contracting] the boats,” Ramos Gutiérrez says. “Because, supposedly, our boats [from ATM] don’t work—that is not true. Our ships have been in repair for years, some of them, and they don’t wanna pay to bring them back because if they do, they wouldn’t have this other contract of ships.”

HMS Ferries denies this claim also.

“Those statements are incorrect,” says Stevenson. “All vessels in operation are suited for, inspected, and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard to meet the unique conditions of Puerto Rico Ferry’s island service routes.”

Although residents have complained that the luxury ships do not have ample space for their groceries and belongings, Stevenson assures Latino Rebels that HMS Ferries has been working to resolve this issue.  “Though the vessels in service provide space for storing items, after meeting with local mayors and residents, HMS Ferries-Puerto Rico has added storage capacity onboard to provide additional space for those traveling with groceries and other items,” she says. 

Viequenses and Culebrenses alike typically have to go to the big island for food due to high prices in the island municipalities. Act 60 beneficiaries moving to Vieques and Culebra are elevating the cost of living.

Ramos Gutiérrez stresses how newcomers can afford to spend hundreds of dollars at the local markets while Viequenses cannot. “They have the power and money to do that,” she says.

Among schools that Puerto Rico’s pro-statehood party gvt is closing, is the ONLY high school on the small island of Vieques. They already experience austerity & colonialism on a larger scale than the big island. They havent had a hospital since 2017 & lack a reliable ferry system https://t. co/zf3hHJXaO5

— devilette (@deviIette) January 16, 2022

Ramos Gutiérrez tells Latino Rebels that around 250 houses were sold in Vieques in 2021—most of which are believed to have gone to Act 60 beneficiaries.

“The demographics are showing that we’re not poor anymore, but that’s not true,” says Ramos Gutiérrez. “I have seen an invasion.”

En el caso de #Vieques, el cambio de precio de alquileres 2016 a 2019 tuvo un alza de más de un 10%. Esto si se encuentran alquileres, dado que toda el área habitable de la isla se encuentra saturada de Airbnb. #Culebra en el segundo mapa ni se ve… #PuertoRico pic.twitter.com/Ke70DdtpGp

— Diana Ramos Gutiérrez (@dramosgutierrez) January 12, 2022

Colectivo Más Que 100×35 has vowed to challenge the 23-year agreement between ATM and HMS Ferries.

Melendez Brau outlined the group’s next steps. “When they voted on the contract, there [were] an even number of members on the board, [which is] against the bylaws. So, in effect, the contract is null,” he said. “We are trying to take this to court.”

Melendez Brau tells Latino Rebels that the group is still trying to have either the mayors of Culebra and Vieques or the individual appointed as a member of the public interest “put their names on the lawsuit” against ATM.

“Whoever accepted the terms of this contract violated his fiduciary duty to ensure the best use of the public funds that have been entrusted to him … which makes a private company financially benefit,” he wrote in a letter. “This observation is not capricious, rather it is based on the reading of the contract.”

***

James Baratta is a freelance journalist graduating from Ithaca College in May 2022 with a B.A. in journalism. He has written for Common Dreams, Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, and Truthout, among others. Twitter: @jamesjbaratta

Informations sur le ferry de Culebra à Casa Hibiscus

Ferry Information

Location

The ferry terminal is located in Ceiba, PR. It is approximately a one hour drive from the San Juan International Airport.

Discover Puerto Rico website ferry information: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/ceiba-ferry-terminal/

Address: Ceiba Ferry Terminal  Marina Drive  Roosevelt Roads

Google Maps: Ceiba Ferry Terminal

Advance Ferry Tickets

• Website: https://www.puertoricoferry.com/
• Ferry schedules and daily itineraries are available on https://www.puertoricoferry.com/
• Advance sales are not always available.
• Purchase round trip tickets.
• Tickets can sell out fast because there is a limited number of tickets offered for sale online.
• The online booking tool usually lets you purchase tickets about 3 weeks in advance.
• Start checking the online booking tool 3 weeks in advance of your departure date to Culebra to purchase available online tickets.

In Person Ticket Purchasing 

• Ferry tickets are available at the Ceiba ferry terminal.
• Ferry schedules and daily itineraries are available on puertoricoferry.com
• Arrive at the ferry port at least 1 hour in advance of the departure time to purchase your tickets.
• Holidays can be very busy so it is recommended you arrive a few hours before your departure time to purchase tickets.
• Purchase round trip tickets.
• Cargo ferry tickets, which include tickets for cars, are usually only available on the day of travel and must be purchased at the ferry terminal in person. 
  Be aware that commercial vehicles and resident vehicles have priority boarding. Space is often limited. 
• Afternoon tickets are usually more available than morning tickets.

Parking

• Parking is available in Ceiba.
• There is a daily rate for each vehicle.
• The parking lot is located about 1/4 mile from the ferry terminal.
• Shuttles run back and forth from the parking lot to the ferry terminal.

Phone

• Toll free: +1 800-981-2005
• Main: +1 787-497-7740
• Culebra Ticket Office: +1 787-742-3161

Note

• The inside of the ferry can be very cold. I usually wear long sleeves, lightweight pants, and bring a lightweight blanket/sarong to cover up.
• Be prepared for delays and cancellations i.e. charged electronics, snacks, and beverages.
• There are two types of ferries. One is called the Cargo/Passenger ferry and the other is a Passenger ferry.
  
• If you are planning on bringing a rental car on the Cargo ferry it is advised you check with the rental car agency to ensure bringing the rental car to Culebra is allowed by the rental car agency.
• It is usually impossible to get someone on the telephone. The ferry staff is busy serving customers in person.

Posada La Hamaca, Culebra – Updated 2022 Prices

• Option and Price Information
• Amenities
• Accommodation Conditions
• Guest Reviews (143)

We are working on translating this description into your language. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Less than 1 km from Datiles Beach, Posada La Hamaca is set in Culebra and offers free WiFi, concierge services and a tour desk. Featuring family rooms, this property also provides guests with a terrace. The property is 2 km from Cayo Pirata and 3 km from Cayo Verde.

Rooms are complete with a private bathroom equipped with a shower, the units at the inn have a flat-screen TV and air conditioning, and certain rooms will provide you with a balcony. At Posada La Hamaca every room has bed linen and towels.

Guests at the accommodation will be able to enjoy activities in and around Culebra, like fishing.

Melones is 1.3 km from Posada La Hamaca, while Playa de Cascajo is 2.5 km away. The nearest airport is Benjamin Rivera Noriega Airport, 2 km from the inn.

Couples especially like the location – they rated accommodation in the area for a trip as a couple at 9.6 .

Posada La Hamaca has been welcoming Booking.com guests since Dec 7, 2019 2021.

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Benefits of this option


Great Location: Highly rated by recent guests (9. 6)

---

Select dates to see availability and prices.

Room type

Holds

Double room with 2 double beds

2 double beds

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Economy Class number

1 single-spacial bed

show prices

bed

1 dual13

Twin Room

2 Double Beds

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Triple Room with Balcony

3 Double Beds

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Nearest beaches

• Daytils beach

  8.0 Very nice beach

  550 m from accommodation

• Beach Plaia-de-caskaho

  9. 8 magnificent beach

  1.1 km from the option of accommodation

• Melones

  9.1 Excellent beach

  1.1 km from the option of accommodation

• Tamarindo Beach

  9.6 Gorgeous beach

  2.3 km from property

• Malena Bay Beach

  9.0 Superb beach

  2.5 km from property

• 4 Punta Beach
• 40032

  8.4 Very nice beach

  2.5 km from property

FAQ about property

See what other guests are asking to learn more about this property.

• Do you know what that means?

  Greetings! Enhorabuena! Estamos 3 minutes caminando, approximately Una vez baje de la embarcación, camina hasta la panadería, gira a su derecha y nos encuentra al final. Antes del Puente de Hierro.

  This is a translation –

  Reply July 10, 2022

• Hello. What is the best way to get to Culebra by boat? Can we take a taxi?

  Hello! Hello!
  You must take the ferry. Timetables and tickets can be found on the Puerto Rico Ferry website.

  This is a translation –

  Reply November 9, 2022

• We are arriving tomorrow at 10pm on the ferry (Icela Vanessa Campos Ortiz) we have a reservation for two. Registration at this time is ok?
  All ferries are sold out, except for the late ones.

  Hello! Claro ke si!

  This is a translation –

  Reply July 6, 2022

• how far from flamenco beach?

  we are 10 minutes away from flamenco by car or taxi

  We have the option to board the ferry at 21:30. Will verification be a problem?

  Hello! Hello! If you have a booking with us. We will let you know how to get to your room.

  This is a translation –

  Reply July 16, 2022

Landmarks nearby *

Bathroom

• Toilet paper

• Towels

• Bath or shower

• Private bathroom

• Shower

Bedroom

• Underwear

outdoors

• Garden furniture

• Sun deck

• Terrace

• Microwave oven

• Refrigerator

Sports and recreation

• Fishing

Media and technology

• Flat screen TV

• Cable channels

• TV

Internet

Wi-Fi is available in the entire hotel and is free of charge.

Parking

No parking available.

Transport

• Public transport tickets

Services

• Transfer
  Additional charge

• Private check-in/out

• Concierge services

• Tour Desk

Reception desk

• Invoices issued

Security

• Fire extinguishers

• Video surveillance outside the building

• Video surveillance in common areas

• Smoke detectors

• Key entry

• Smoking areas

• Air conditioner

• Family rooms

• Non-smoking rooms

Health services

• Public baths

The staff speaks these languages

• English

• spanish

Accommodation conditions


Posada La Hamaca takes special requests – add in the next step!

check in

14:00 – 20:00

Departure

Until 10:00

Cancel/
prepayment

Cancellation and prepayment policies vary depending on the type of option chosen.
Please enter your dates of stay and review the booking conditions for the requested room.

Beds for children

Child Policy

Children of all ages are welcome.

To see exact prices and availability, please enter the number of children in your group and their age when searching.

Crib and Extra Bed Policy

No extra beds or baby cots available.

No age limit

There are no age restrictions for check-in.

Pets

Pets are not allowed.

Cards accepted by the property

Posada La Hamaca accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.

Posada La Hamaca accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.

1640950,1625600,1644490|4,1596380,1588860,1632160,1644490,1641750,1631090,1641750|1

How is a beach day trip to Taboga Island in Panama?

After a few days in Panama, next to the ocean, overlooking a hotel room on the Pacific Ocean, it was finally time to go to the beach.

Pilgrim Calypso Taboga Panama

After a few days in Panama, next to the ocean, with a view of a hotel room on the Pacific Ocean, it was finally time to go to the beach.

I chose my hotel, the Radisson Panama Canal, in part because, despite its remote location from the center, it is right next to the Balboa Yacht Club Pier, which offers a ferry to some island, such as the Taboga express.

After asking the day before the appointment how it works, I woke up and went on time to the place where I was supposed to buy tickets.

Compare prices

Flights to Panama

Taboga Panama ferry sign

Panama: Find local activities

First surprise following the signs and arriving at a closed office, some local workers who were waiting nearby started the day told me it was the place is closed and it has moved to Flamenco Island, which is on an artificial island at the end of the coast of Panama, a road built from stone dredged from the panama canal.

No problem, it’s around 7:45 am and according to the online timetable the Calypso tabogaexpress leaves at 8:30 am.

Since it’s about 13 km on foot, which I had already done on Thursday the week before during my Biomuseo designed by Frank Gehry visit and walk from Amador Causeway to Panama Bay and it takes 2 hours, I decided to book an Uber. which cost me 2.67 US$.

Panama Causeway

Taboga Ferry

I arrive overtime on the Taboga ferry and realize when it arrives there are two of them.

Looking online, I only see the fast, express express Taboga, which takes 30 minutes and runs several times a day for $20 round trip and departs from Flamenco Island for duty free.

Taboga Express Ferry

Amador Causeway Card with Calypso Ferry or TabogaExpress High Speed ​​Ferry to Taboga Island

But my Uber driver, thanks to him, dropped me off at Punta Culebra, which has another ferry that takes one hour to get to islands, for half the price, a trip of 10 dollars, which is a lot!

Since I’m not in a rush, and actually getting pretty bad reviews for day trips to Taboga, mostly saying it’s boring and the whole day is too much, I’m very happy to save a few bucks.

Calypso Pilgrim Taboga Panama Facebook Page

Isla Taboga Panama Ferry Prices and Schedule

After buying my ticket, I get a coffee from a nearby shop along with a bottle of water as I noticed I forgot to bring one from my hotel room. The combination of the two costs me $2 and I drink my coffee while taking a few shots in the area, having about 30 minutes more to wait before my flight.

About 30 other people are also waiting for the ferry, mostly large groups of 5 or 6 people, and most of them carry huge coolers with them, which they fill with ice and drinks bought from this small shop.

Well that makes sense since prices are usually higher on the islands if there is even something available.

Ferry timetables and information Taboga

On the ferry Taboga Panama

Calypso Taboga

Departure time for our ferry called Calypso Princess, which of course starts with the ticket check.

But on top of that, two soldiers from the Panamanian army check our IDs, passports for foreigners like me, and IDs for locals.

Nothing special, but it seems a bit odd if a local boat is going to a local island… afraid we’ll cross the Pacific to get away from their (almost tax-free) country?

I find a good spot on the upper deck of the boat, at the back, with what will be a great view of the city skyline.

View of Panama City from the Taboga Ferry

The trip with the Taboga Island Ferry is quite pleasant, with great views of the skyline as the island is not very far away.

After getting a little bit from the entrance to the Panama Canal, we start to pass between all the cargo boats that are waiting for their turn to cross the canal, a very unique and beautiful experience.

There are so many of them! The more we pass, the more it seems that we can see around.

View of cargo ships from the ferry Calypso Taboga Panama

Isla Taboga

Arriving on the island of Taboga, we can see how pristine the water is compared to Panama City, which basically does not have a good sandy beach.

It looks nice and the island is actually much bigger than it appears on Google Maps.

Arriving at Taboga Island

Docking at the pier, we all get off, and a few people hand over leaflets for restaurants in the city. However, nothing is as pressed as some other resorts can be and the people are quite nice.

I ask some locals about getting snorkel gear and they direct me to the main beach, past the Palace Taboga spa hotel, where everyone goes anyway.

Palace Taboga Hotel & Spa

Isla Taboga Panama beautiful ocean view

On the way, I ask some other workers again about snorkeling opportunities and get the same answers, get to the main beach, which I do.

Arriving at the beach, all other tourists get comfortable, rent umbrellas for $5 and sun loungers for $5.

Taboga Beach Beach

Still can’t see anything snorkeling around, I keep following the path that goes around the island.

After getting a little more on the island, the view becomes even more beautiful and I stop to take some pictures in the middle of a small village or more likely just tourist houses, perhaps not a village in its own right.

View of the city of Panama from the island of Taboga

Isla Taboga Panama

After the village, I find myself in some kind of jungle, and the path disappears into the vegetation.

I’m starting to wonder if I’m coming back or keep looking for snorkeling gear?

When I hear a great noise of leaves and I can’t see what’s hidden, I decide to go back, probably nothing more.

The way to isla Taboga

Returning to the beach, all the other people who came with me have already taken their places under umbrellas, and the seller now has time for me.

I ask him about diving and he leads me to the place where I went but couldn’t see because he was close. The salesperson helps me find an employee of this booth.

He tells me that I can rent snorkeling equipment for $5 for the whole day or take a coral underwater tour for $25, which I agree to.

He tells me that he doesn’t do the tour himself, won’t go see if it’s available and come and find me on the beach when he has an answer.

Well… I never heard from him again =)

Beautiful Taboga Beach

Taboga Island Panama

However, on my way back to the beach, I get thirsty and stop at a stand where I get a local beer for 1, 5 dollars. Foreign beer sells for $2.50 and cocktails for $5.

It’s a little more than the mainland, but not really crazy expensive.

I take my beer to the beach, rent an umbrella and put down a towel.

Having a beer under the sun at Taboga Beach

Swimming in the Pacific, the water is beautiful, very clear and the temperature is just perfect.

Not cold, not warm, it should be very close to outside temperature, which is around 30°C.

Having had some good floats, it will soon be time to get another beer!

Some bands around are playing music on what should be Bluetooth speakers and there is a great vibe on the beach, everyone is friendly and seems happy.

Hotels – Helsinki

Clear blue water on the island of Taboga

Isla de Taboga

There was a group of girls sitting next to me. At some point they start dancing and one of them asks me to join, which I do.

7 girls say they are from Colombia, from different cities: Pereira, Cartagena and Baranquilla.

They also work in the same Greek restaurant, which I promise to visit the next day, and Monday is the only day of the week.

Helicopter arriving at Taboga Island

Friendly and cheerful, we end up talking all day, playing beach soccer, enjoying warm water, drinking and having lunch.

They arrive with a cooler filled with Smirnoff ICE maracuja (passion fruit) and they offer me a drink after I drink the beer.

Very nice, they are all so cute. We speak mainly Spanish, not sure if they understand me very well, but I am very happy to be able to practice my language skills in good company.

Taboga Island beautiful water

Around 2pm they decide they are hungry. I don’t really, but I make sure to join them to order food from a nearby restaurant.

After comparing two restaurants, we choose a restaurant with an ocean view and I order corvina, this local fish from the Pacific side of Latin America, accompanied by patacon (also called toast, fried pieces of wormwood), a small salad and fish sauce.

$15 is a great deal. The restaurant has a great view of the bay and asks us to wait 15 minutes to get our order, 8 courses in total.

OceanView restaurant with ocean view

After receiving them, we return to our sun loungers and drive to the beach.

I can’t eat without sauce, being a huge fan of tomato sauce, and this fish sauce doesn’t quite taste like it. However, it’s very good and this impromptu lunch with new friends and amazing views seems great.

Corvina fish with patacon pick up to eat on the beach

After that we realize that we have only one hour left before the ferry home. Some of us, myself included, decide to go for one last swim, while others are already beginning to dry off under the very pleasant sun.

Time to get back on the ferry!

Hotel Taboga

Ferry Isla Taboga

We were one of the last ones to take the ferry before we left. The trip back to the mainland aboard the Calypso has a few small turbulences but nothing major and seems to go faster. ..

View of Taboga Island

Back to CauseWay Panama on an artificial island, we’ll wait with the ladies for the bus back to town.

One of the girls crosses the street to buy shaved ice for everyone, which is very nice with her, including me, to my surprise.

The people in Panama are so nice! Local residents as well as foreign residents.

While waiting, we meet a guy who was also waiting for the bus, also from Colombia, from Baranquilla, the same city as some of the girls in the group.

Shaved ice cream while waiting for the bus

There are no indications at the bus stop: no schedule, no route, literally nothing, so we can only wait and see.

Some people who are also waiting for a bus become impatient and take a taxi instead of waiting for the next bus.

After what seems like an endless wait, the bus finally arrives for about an hour.

We enter and one of the girls offers me her card to get on the bus. The bus is inside the turnstile and can only be entered with a card. .. which means I couldn’t get in without the help of the girls.

Bus arriving at Amador Causeway Panama

After getting a seat, I ask them who I owe $0.25 to and they tell me not to worry about it.

Meanwhile, night has fallen on the city, along with a storm in Panama City that we could feel free away, we can’t see much from inside the bus.

Close to my stop, the ladies ask the bus to stop for me and I can return to my hotel, tired but happy after an amazing day at the beach with great gatherings of generous people.

I will do my best to visit them and offer them a drink next time!

Budget for a day in Isla Taboga Panama

• Uber from hotel to pier $2.67 (€2.33),
• Bottle of water and coffee $2.5 (€2.2),
• Ticket prices by ferry to Taboga $10 (€8.7),
• One beer on Taboga Island $1.5 (€1.3),
• Pick up lunch $15 (€13),
• Bus back home. $ 25 (21.8 €),

Total for the day about 60 US dollars, or about 50 €.

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Ferry Schedules and Information Taboga
Calypso Pilgrim Taboga Panama Facebook Page
Taboga Express Ferry
Ferry Information Taboga

Flights to Panama City

Pool Dinner on Radisson Panama Channel

Where is Taboga Island in Panama?

Taboga Island How to get there? Taboga Island is located south of Panama City and the only way to get there is by boat.

The best way to get to Taboga Island from Panama City is to drive at the end of the Amador Causeway and from there just take the $20 Taboga ferry round trip.

Taboga Ferry price: $20 with the Taboga Express Ferry which takes half an hour, or $10 with a standard boat which takes one hour to reach Taboga Island.

Taboga Island Information

Where is Taboga Island in Panama? South of Panama city

Hotels on Taboga Island Panama

See below the list of available hotels on Taboga Island:

• Hotel Vereda Tropical, about $70 per night,
• Villa Caprichosa
• Agua3 Sol Villa
  & B Inn Cerrito Tropical, about $60 per night,
  • Taboga Palace SPA Hotel
  • La Posada by Minita
  • Palm Beach Taboga, Al Mar Front.