Want to dive where the oceans meet? Make your ultimate diving fantasies a reality...come and scuba Panama! The isthmus of Panama, running on an east-west axis, finds the Atlantic Ocean on its northern shores.

Azuero Peninsula
The Azuero peninsula has various luring dive areas; Isla Iguana, Punta Mala, Cam Butal, Santa Catalina, Los Frailes, Isla Cebaco among others. The diving is somewhat similar to the other areas in the Pacific in the underwater terrain and sea life. Most of the divers travel to these sites by car; a five, six, or seven hour drive awaits you. No dive operations, but very virgin territory.

Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro is an ideal place to live an unforgettable SCUBA diving or snorkeling experience. You will be glad to have discovered this beautiful unspoiled spot, visited by Christopher Columbus in 1502, during his forth and last trip. Bocas offers countless clean beaches, clear waters great for diving along fabulous live coral reefs. A typical diving excursion to Bocas del Toro would be a three-day excursion. On the first day, leave the domestic airport first thing in the morning and arrive at Bocas around 8am. If you have not made hotel reservation, find some lodging. After you have settle in your room, get some light lunch and take off on a local cayuco for four hours, on Caribbean reefs looking for old bottles. On the second day, after a scrumptious caribbean or continental breakfast, you take either a boat or bus ride to Boca Del Drago (1 hour ride), a special beach, ideal for picnicking, beachcombing, swimming, and snorkeling. From there, you can rent a cayuco to travel to either "swans key", "flat rock", "sail rock", or to travel the water channel through the jungle. Return to the hotel at the end of the day. The third day, after breakfast, the morning is for you to roam the town until your plane takes you back to Panama City around 3pm. Non-divers can plan side trips to other islands, Indian villages, or to Changuinola, "Chiquita Banana" birthplace. You may go through the banana plantations and processing plant, walk through a cacao (chocolate) farm - the best quality in the world. Ride the "Banana Express" train, rustic and picturesque and the ferry boat "Isla Colon" across the Almirante Bay.
For more diving information, contact Starfleet Eco Adventures, at scubaStar@hotmail.com

Darien
The Pacific coast of Darien, realm of the Black Marlin, huge Amberjacks and "Dog-Toothed" Snapper is a sportfishing's paradise. The area can be reached by either flying into the town of Jaque, or by private boat. It has been known of budget-conscious divers loading a zodiac with a small engine onto one of the cargo boats and go there for four or five days. Although no formal dive operation exists, some outfitters will gladly customize a tour for your group and guide you through the area. Be prepared to see blue and deep waters, with large inquisitive fish coming at you as if you were just driftwood. It is strongly advised to secure the services of a reputable guide whenever wandering through the Darien.

Panama Central Zone - Atlantic Side
Portobelo
Portobelo... from where all gold from South America left for Spain. Portobelo, lust of Pirates, harbors on its depths their galleons and mysteries. Right before the town, there are several diver operators that offer trips to the local waters including "Buena Ventura Island" for shallow and deep diving, with an intriguing drop-off. Or, if your interest is in searching pirate's history; "Drake's Island" is your site, right where Sir Francis Drake was set to rest. Divers still look for Drake's coffin, that is perhaps totally encrusted with coral. A short boat ride can take you to "Salmedina Reef", a semi-submerged reef that took its share of wooden vessels. Not far, lies "Three sisters" islands with a conglomerate of underwater terrain, sea flora and fauna. Close to shore there are several dive sites totally accessible by car. Because of the rivers running into the sea, this area is known to have the famous Tarpon; a great rod-fighting fish; very impressive to see underwater.
Isla Grande
Moving further East from Portobelo, we find "Isla Grande" a typical Antillean community with a beautiful small beach and several guest houses plus a main hotel to suit your diving and rooming needs. On its western end, a unique labyrinth of canyons offer a beautiful dive.
Gatun Lake
For a new experience in diving, consider Gatun Lake, in the Panama Canal. Instead of fish and coral, one can see all kinds of French and American dredging equipment submerged here, including dumpsters, drills, boilers, and trains--eerie objects to find underwater.

Pacific Central Panama Zone - Pacific Side
Pearl Islands
For divers, the Perlas Islands have it all. From shallows to deep water, from coral heads to rocky drop-offs, from the tiny sea wrasses to the four-hundred pounders Jew Fish (large sea bass). Underwater photography and sportfishing is a must in the waters surrounding the island of "Contadora". The island boasts a five star Caesar Park hotel and several other first grade "cabana" style hotels. Marine sports are available for the non-diver. By the way, the name "Contadora" was given, because in the old days, it was where they did the counting of the pearls fished out of this set of "Perlas Islands".

Pacific Lost Coast
Coiba
Coiba is the largest island of Panama, and because of its inaccessibility was turned into a penal colony where most of the prisoners worked the land during the day and went back to their cells at night. Being a penal colony, its shores, remained virgin to fishermen, boaters and divers. There is, however, a number of large and small islands that surround Coiba; where crystal waters and white sands make you feel like Robinson Crusoe. And if it is unspoiled on the top, just think how virgin it is on the bottom. It is said that nothing tops diving in the Coiba area, but perhaps it can be said that "nothing tops diving in Panama". Whether is snorkeling or tank diving (scuba), the diving enthusiast is bound to find something of interest in any of the various waters of Panama. Panama offers both the lively and colorful clarity of Caribbean style Atlantic and the vast and mysterious Pacific Ocean full of large marine species, exactly where Balboa discovered it. Scuba adventures For those interested, try contacting Scuba Panama (507-261-3841) of Panama City.

San Blas Islands
The famous "San Blas Islands", all 378 of them, more than one for each day of the year, say the Cuna Indians that inhabit these white sanded specs on the northeastern shores of Panama. San Blas can be reached by air from the Panama City airport. You select which one of the countless airstrips you wish to land; from there, you leave it entirely to your hosts, the Cuna Indians, will assist you in making your stay memorable. "Porvenir", "Nargana", "Aligandi", are three of the airstrips that divers visit the most. Right upon landing you can make the arrangements for your meals and lodging, although it is advisable to make arrangement from Panama City. Your hosts will make the necessary arrangements to have a dug-out cayuco available for your dive trip, operator and all. This is "snorkeling paradise", because of the vastness of snorkeling area these islands have to offer. There, you would be staying in thatch roof, Cuna style homes, with a white sandy floor.You can select to sleep on a bed, or on the famous hammocks. All this, in an unspoiled and clean atmosphere. Don't miss it. SCUBA-diving is not permitted on these islands, only snorkeling.