Anyone travelling to a tropical destination envisions beaches with lounge chairs and umbrellas. We also thought there was a beach in Panama City; not exactly true. Taboga Island is your closest choice; not necessarily the best choice.
There are many options to get to the island, most of which are private and/or all inclusive tours. They start around $65 USD per person, not including hotel transfer. We decided, as you might guess, to do it like the locals.
We headed to Albrook station on the Metro and after about a 20 minute wait we boarded a bus out to Flamenco Island. We were aiming to get the 930 express ferry and with only moments to spare, we bought our $20 ticket and boarded.
The trip takes about 30 minutes and travels through what Tim called the Panama Canal parking lot. Hundreds of ships anchored, waiting for one reason or another. Impressive!
We arrived to the island and with several hours to kill, decided to take a walk around. Cute little island, both beautiful villas and the most run down. Everyone was friendly.
We tried to find a pack of beer at a store but no luck. Happily, when we arrived to the beach, there was many little stands selling cheap beer and snacks. Not often that you don't get gouged at a tourist area like a beach. 30 percent markups on a beach on an island is completely acceptable.
We enjoyed the beach, watching many tours come and go; kids kicking soccer balls and all the dogs playing. The water was clear and warm and it was not too hot with overcast skies. Our four hours came and went before we knew it.
We boarded the ferry to return, and although we enjoyed the ride again, we were pretty tired. The return trip was pretty much the same as our arrival. We grabbed a quick snack (Burger King) and went back to the Hotel. Tim was out before I knew it. It was a quiet night, maybe a bit too much fresh air.
