Beach· Cayos Zapatilla· Other Caribbean
Cayos Zapatilla (Bastimentos National Marine Park)
9° 15.3′ N · 82° 2.2′ W
Two uninhabited, palm-covered cays ringed with reef on the outer edge of the marine park — postcard white sand, clear water and hawksbill turtles hauling out to nest.
Practical
Position from Spanish Wikipedia (09°15'16"N, 082°02'14"W); GeoNames gives the group at 9.2644, -82.0526. North Zapatilla (14 ha) and South Zapatilla (34 ha) lie east of Bastimentos inside the marine park (Wikipedia). One cay is fully protected for turtles; the other has a rest hut, trails, restrooms and the ranger cabin (Tourism Panama). Entry fee about US$10 per person (Tourism Panama — verify). About 40 minutes by water taxi from Isla Colón; very busy with day tours (Wikivoyage). Hawksbill nesting on the west-side beaches March–September (Visit Panama). Bring all water and food; take all trash away.
Best for
The archipelago's most beautiful beaches and snorkeling
Season
Calmest Sept–Oct; turtles Mar–Sep
Nearby
- Las Bromelias Trail (Zapatilla 2)Right here
- Cayos Zapatilla Anchorage (Bastimentos Marine Park)0.5 NM away
- Zapatilla Reefs (dive & snorkel, Bastimentos Marine Park)0.7 NM away
- Zapatilla Shallows Snorkel (Cayo Zapatilla No. 1)1.2 NM away
- Salt Creek (Quebrada Sal) Landing & Anchorage4.4 NM away
- Coral Cay Snorkel Gardens5.9 NM away
- Crawl Cay (Cayo Coral) Over-Water Restaurants6 NM away
- Cayo Coral Reef Dive (Crawl Cay)6.1 NM away