THE TOWN

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Changuinola is the more important town of the Bocas del Toro province, due to is the center of this banana region and the gateway, for the people coming from Costa Rica by land, to the spectacular Bocas del Toro islands and to many wildlife areas in the region.

Changuinola is also the headquarter of "the company", referring to the Bocas Fruit Company (former Chiriqui Land Company or United Fruit Co.), the largest employer of the region, as well as has most of the regional government office (except the tourism bureau which is located in Bocas del Toro, Isla Colon), four banks, five hotels and several restaurants.

There are two bus terminals, one of the buses to David, capital of the Chiriqui province, and the other of the local, regional and international (Costa Rica) buses. Both terminals are located in the 17 de Abril avenue.

The buses that departs from this terminal connect to the towns of Almirante (29 kms), Chiriquí Grande (100 kms) and the nearby villages of El Silencio, Las Tablas, Guabito (border with Costa Rica, 16 kms), Finca 44, Finca 63, and many other destinations in the surrounding farmland.

At Finca 63 departs the boats of Bocas Marine Tours, a marine taxi company that makes the trip to Bocas del Toro islands in safe and fast boats, navigating by river channels and sea, a spectacular trip through the San San-Pond Sack Wetland Reserve, that you cannot miss.

The Changuinola Airport is serve by two airlines: Aeroperlas and Turismo Aereo, with flights to/from David (25 min), Panamá City (1 hour) and Bocas del Toro (10 min).


Along the 17 de Abril Avenue (main street) is where you find all the commerce, including hotels, restaurants, banks, supermarkets and a lot of general merchandise stores (almacenes).

Changuinola's population (about 50,000) is an ethnic mix of ngobe indians, black jamaicans, chinese, mestizos, latins, arabs and americans. Their common language is the spanish but is easy to hear english, Jamaica style, arab, chinese and local indigenous ngobere and naso-teribe.

         

Changuinola is NOT a resort town. But any tourist would certainly find it multi-faceted and interesting, if they can look beneath its "rough exterior!".