The waterfront
Colourful houses and boats.
Baruc Acosta — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Baruc Acosta — CC BY 3.0 · Baruc Acosta — CC BY 3.0 · Baruc Acosta — CC BY 3.0 · Baruc Acosta — CC BY 3.0
Isla Grande, «big island», is a small island in the Caribbean Sea in Colón province on Panama's north coast, about 13 km north-east of Portobelo in a straight line, with about 988 residents in 2023. Despite its name it is a small island. Recent historical reviews suggest it is the island Christopher Columbus and Rodrigo de Bastidas called Bastimento in their accounts of voyages between 1502 and 1503. Green hills cover the island, clear turquoise water and coral reefs surround it, and on the side facing the mainland colourful wooden houses and small restaurants line the shore. From the hilltops there are views over the coast and the rocky islets nearby. Visitors arrive on boats run by local people from the mainland, and there are no cars on the island, only walking paths. The water between the island and the mainland is good for water sports and surfing all year. Islanders carry an Afro-colonial heritage that shows in their food and culture.
Colourful houses and boats.
Views of the coast.
Clear water.
Colón province, Caribbean coast, Panama
By boat from the mainland.
Yes, all year.