Anchorage· Escudo de Veraguas· Other Caribbean
Escudo de Veraguas Anchorage (west side)
9° 5.9′ N · 81° 34.5′ W · approximate
An open-roadstead stop off the west side of remote Escudo de Veraguas, inside the reef, with white-sand beaches and a west-side patch reef that expedition naturalists called a snorkeler's paradise.
Practical
ACCESS FIRST: Noonsite's Bocas page (last updated July 2025) says 'Isla Veraguas ... is now closed' (see Panama Restrictions) — confirm with MiAmbiente/AMP before going. Coordinate is derived and approximate, set about 250 m off the island's west shore (OpenStreetMap Isla Escudo de Veraguas outline); it is not a surveyed spot. Lindblad's Sea Voyager anchored off the island (2002), landed guests on the west side and snorkeled the west patch reef: lettuce-coral buttresses on sand, grouper, goatfish and surgeonfish. The yacht Savarona (2017) arrived at dusk with just enough light to work in around the reef, set a good anchor, and found clear water, coves, a small beach and big rays. Expect roll: a cruiser blog describes swell hitting the boat broadside after the wind dropped. Enter only in good overhead light. Ngäbe lobster fishermen live and work on the island; the island lies within the Paisaje Protegido Isla Escudo de Veraguas-Degó. No services of any kind; the nearest supplies and clearance are in Bocas Town.
Best for
Remote reef stop on the Colón–Bocas run (if open)
Season
Settled weather only; Sep–Oct calmest
Nearby
- Isla Escudo de Veraguas (Paisaje Protegido)1 NM away
- Tobobe (Punta Tobobe, Valiente Peninsula)14.6 NM away
- Bluefield Lagoon Anchorage (Bahía Azul, Valiente Peninsula)19.6 NM away
- Playa Raya Anchorage (Valiente Peninsula)21.3 NM away
- Tiger Rock (Roca Tigre) Dive21.5 NM away
- Cayo de Agua (Isla Cayo Agua)27.5 NM away
- Cayos Zapatilla (Bastimentos National Marine Park)29 NM away
- Las Bromelias Trail (Zapatilla 2)29 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).