escudo de veraguas island panama
Central America's most beautiful island paradise, Escudo de Veraguas, is Panama's best-kept secret. Situated just 10 miles off the Atlantic coast and east of the Valiente Peninsula, this horizontally shaped island is blessed with white sand beaches and surrounded by crystal clear turquoise waters.
A part of Comarca Ngöbe-Buglé, this remote and undiscovered island, inhabited only by small communities of indigenous tribes, is as close to Tahiti as you'll find in Latin America.
The island's northern side is breathtaking, with small, shallow bays and inlets running the entire length. Strips of white-sand beach line the coast, ideal for swimming and snorkeling. Numerous small islands dot the coastline, frequented by brown boobies and other tropical birds.
The island's southern side is less tropical in its appearance but still beautiful; most of the coastline is lined with mangroves and jagged outcroppings that extend well-out into the surrounding waters.
It is not going to be cheap! Boat trips departing from Bocas del Toro take at least 2 hours by boat, depending on weather and water conditions. Due to the costs and difficulties associated with organizing such a trip, most tour operators do not offer tours to Escudo de Veraguas regularly. Instead, they are scheduled during the dry months of July–October, when the seas are calmer and more predictable. With that said, if you have enough people and are willing to spend the money, somebody will take you there.
You can also depart from the coastal community of Playa Calovébora, which resides along Panama's Caribbean coast in the Veraguas province. However, you will need to get to Santa Fé first.