Colón Island (Spanish: Isla Colón) is the northernmost and main island in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago located in Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. The capital city of the province, Bocas del Toro, is located on the island and is one of Panama's main tourist attractions with over 150,000 visitors per year and an 8% annual rate of growth in tourism.
Colón Island
Isla Colón | |
|---|---|
 Bocas del Toro Archipelago | |
 Flag | |
  Colón Island Location of Isla Colón in Panama  Colón Island Colón Island (Caribbean) | |
| Coordinates: 9°23′15″N 82°15′30″W / 9.38750°N 82.25833°W | |
| Country |  Panama |
| State | Bocas del Toro Province |
| District | Bocas del Toro |
| Capital | Bocas del Toro |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (No DST) |
Facilities
editBeachfront hotels, restaurants, night clubs, discothèques and residential districts are prominent on Colón Island.
- Beaches: Itsmito Beach, also known as La Feria, Big Creek, Bluff, Mimitibi, Bocas del Drago, Starfish.
- Important locations: Main Park, Governor's Building, Hotel Bahia, Airport, Hospital, Cemetery, La Feria, Bluff, La Gruta bat cave, Bocas del Drago.
Access
editThe island has a strong boating community. Access to the other nearby islands in the archipelago requires either a private boat or rental of a water taxi.
By air, the island can be reached from Panama City via Air Panama.
From Almirante you may take a ferry or water taxi service.
The island has several marinas available for international boaters.
Local taxi service is provided mainly by yellow pickup trucks with 1T- followed by a number on the doors, and by 15 passenger mini-buses marked as Transporte Colectivo.
Geography
editEnvironment
editThe island is part of the Bocas del Toro Important Bird Area (IBA), designated as such by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of white-crowned pigeons and three-wattled bellbirds.[1]
Climate
editUnder the Köppen climate classification, Colon Island has a tropical wet climate. Temperatures remain constant throughout the year, averaging around 26.5 °C (79.7 °F).
| Climate data for Isla Colón (1972–2013) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 34.4 (93.9) |
34.2 (93.6) |
32.8 (91.0) |
34.4 (93.9) |
36.0 (96.8) |
38.2 (100.8) |
33.2 (91.8) |
35.6 (96.1) |
33.6 (92.5) |
33.0 (91.4) |
33.0 (91.4) |
32.6 (90.7) |
38.2 (100.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.6 (63.7) |
18.0 (64.4) |
17.6 (63.7) |
17.4 (63.3) |
17.6 (63.7) |
17.6 (63.7) |
17.0 (62.6) |
15.9 (60.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
18.0 (64.4) |
19.6 (67.3) |
17.0 (62.6) |
15.0 (59.0) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 29.3 (1.15) |
10.1 (0.40) |
13.1 (0.52) |
64.7 (2.55) |
225.1 (8.86) |
235.0 (9.25) |
168.5 (6.63) |
219.9 (8.66) |
253.9 (10.00) |
330.7 (13.02) |
252.3 (9.93) |
104.6 (4.12) |
1,907.2 (75.09) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 2.9 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 4.9 | 15.0 | 16.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 17.0 | 20.0 | 16.0 | 7.5 | 131.0 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 228.9 | 245.2 | 183.9 | 173.1 | 108.5 | 116.3 | 106.1 | 118.1 | 99.2 | 103.9 | 139.8 | 120.5 | 1,743.5 |
| Source: ETESA (sunshine data recorded at Bocas del Toro International Airport)[2] | |||||||||||||
Image Gallery
edit-
Governor´s Building -
Aerial view -
Waterfront -
Bocas del Drago -
Swans Cay -
Red poison dart frog
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Bocas del Toro Archipelago". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
- ^ "Datos Históricos : Estación Aeropuerto Intl. Bocas del Toro". Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. Retrieved August 16, 2013.