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I hope you're not planning to drive in Panama City, unless you're with someone who knows the city well and can guide you. Street signs are few and far between. You have to know the safe route from A to B, and that's where GPS, especially one that is based on Google Maps, will get you into...

I've been diving Portobelo for the last 15 years. (And, yes, it too has changed a lot.) I can't say enough about Golden Frog Scuba. Rey's rates are better than Panama Divers or Scubapanama, and his service is top shelf. There are two different areas of diving in Portobelo; the protected...

I have dove Bocas del Toro at various times over the past 20 years. Before the lionfish, overfishing and bleaching coral (in some places), I liked Bocas better than Roatan. It had more species of coral than anywhere else in the Caribbean. For most of the year, you'll dive inside the barrier...

Ditto Ryan's comments. Rey is a great DM. He also goes to the better dive sites (Tres Hermanas and Salmedina) that the other local dive ops only visit when the seas are totally flat from September through November. Golden Frog's rates are better, too. I gave up trying to book with the dive...

I have dived Bocas del Toro many times, but not recently. There are three or four dive shops in Bocas Town and another on Bastimentos (nearby island). La Buga is best. Most of the year, diving is shallow -- 15 to 60 feet. Before the lionfish arrived, I liked Bocas better than Roatan. There...

Visibility at Portobelo will vary between 50 and 15 feet. It depends on the dive site and the weather. January is the dry season in Panama, which means there will be less run-off affecting visibility. My wife and I dove Portobelo a few weeks ago. The vis was 30 to 50 feet. We didn't see as...

My wife and I will be diving with Tres Pelicanos Jan 27 - Feb 1. We are staying at Casa Mexicana.

You're right, Coiba is a good seven hour drive from the city. The closest diving from Panama City is Portobelo, 90 minutes away on the Caribbean side. Diving there used to be very good. Lionfish, warming water and run-off from nearby construction have done a number on the shallow reefs. Viz...

Arbu -- yes, the ANAM cabins at the ranger station are still closed indefinitely. The dive ops are using a hostel at Bahia Honda, on the mainland, to house multiday divers. I have not read one favorable review about the place. Most complain about mold throughout, including pillows and sheets...

Yes, that's the correct site. Have a great time!

It really comes down to the two long term dive ops in Santa Catalina; Coiba Dive Center and Scuba Coiba. I have dove with Scuba Coiba. The owner, Herbie, is very responsive to emails and it probably the most "customer focused" and honest. He goes out of his way to help visitors and divers...

The best diving in Panama is Isla Coiba. It will take a day to get there from Panama City, but it's well worth it. January and February are when you can usually see whale sharks and mobula in the area. You'll also see lots of reef sharks (black and white tipped), turtles, large frogfish, a...

I don't know about the other countries, but Costa Rica and Panama require "proof of onward travel" in order to enter the country. You may be able to do that with a Tica bus ticket, which can be purchased online, say from San Jose to Panama City or Bocas del Toro. But, when you get to Panama...

I have dived a lot around Panama, but not Contadora. I tried numerous times to contact the only dive op there, but never received a reply. My Panamanian friends (who are divers) have told me and my wife to avoid Contadora. It's expensive, there is very little to see and the dive operator...

Coiba is not a place for a beginning diver. In fact, Scuba Coiba has a warning on their website to that effect. Roatan -- particularly CoCo View -- would be an excellent choice for both beginning and advanced divers as well getting your Rescue certification. The staff is very good, they have...

If you go in September, the whales may still be there. They calve around Coiba during July, August and the first half of September. I'm not sure how close you can get to them, as boats are required to keep their distance. Visibility will be better in September, too. The nutrient rich layer...

My Panamanian friends tell me that July through September are the best months to dive Coiba. The colder, lower layer that brings the plankton (and less visibility) is still low in the water column. That also means no whale sharks or manta rays. Yes, it is! Let me know if you need a tour guide.

Scuba Coiba has changed divemasters since I was last there, two years ago. That's a very good thing, and I've read good reviews about the new DMs. Yes, Coiba can be very challenging with strong currents and low visibility. In late January/early February, I found the currents to be much...

gb_williams ... 24 Sep - 01 Oct ... Casa Mexicana ... Tres Pelicanos

What would I be dragging my bag(s) over? Is it a paved sidewalk or dirt and gravel?