Though I normally shop around first, I was sold after talking to the people over at Olas tours (located just around the corner from the police station). With no time to waste, we jumped on the boat that was just getting ready to leave and headed out to Dolphin Bay, Coral Key, and Zapatillas Island. The thing I most loved about this tour was that each stop was beautifully different from the others, and our guide, Willy, was happy to adjust the stop times to meet our group´s preferences.
After leaving around 11:30, we boated through perfectly still, mangrove surrounded waters to reach our first destination- Dolphin Bay. According to Willy, you have an 80% chance of seeing dolphins on any given day, as this bay is home to a pod year round. The dolphins are free to roam out into the open ocean, but seem to prefer this secure bay which abounds with jellyfish- one of their favorite foods.
After leaving Dolphin Bay, we grabbed at our cameras once again to capture the insanely beautiful waters surrounding Cayo Coral. To make the most of our time, we ordered lunch at the local restaurant and then headed off to snorkle while it was being prepared.
Though the food wasn´t anything to write home about (next time I´ll pack a sandwhich and some fresh fruit), the views made up for it. And did I mention there were Maccaws?
The next and final destination was Isla Zapatillas (aka one of the most gorgeous islands in Bocas.) The aquamarine water and complete lack of development in this national park made it the perfect place to lay back and nap while listening to the gentle waves hit the beach.
A perfect ending to a perfect day? I think so.
