Taboga Island · Blog
Blog
Stories, traditions and dispatches from the island, written from the village.
July 15, 2026
Best Time to Visit Taboga Island
When to visit Taboga: dry season, rainy season, whale watching and local festivals to plan your trip.
March 12, 2026
Taboga Blooms With Its Women: A Women's Day Tradition
How Taboga's Comité Pro-Cultura celebrates International Women's Day on March 8 with 'The Flower in the Hair,' honoring the Island of Flowers.
July 17, 2024
The Rogelio Sinán Project: Little Libraries for Taboga
An idea to promote reading on Taboga with book-exchange shelves honoring Rogelio Sinán, the celebrated Panamanian writer born on the island in 1902.
January 5, 2023
We Are #TabogaPanama: Your Guide to the Island
Meet #TabogaPanama, the social media project helping travelers plan their trip to Taboga Island with boats, hotels, restaurants and tours.
October 18, 2022
The Little Taboga House and Its Forgotten Plaques
An old house on Taboga once displayed plaques telling the island's history and its first families — heritage now at risk as the house decays.
September 23, 2022
Sea Turtles in Taboga: A Community Rescue
On September 18, 2022, a sea turtle came ashore to nest on Taboga: the story of the egg rescue and the volunteer group #tortugastaboga.
August 2, 2022
Hiking in Taboga: Trails, Gear and Tips
A hiking guide to Taboga's trails to El Vigía and La Cruz hills and El Jobo beach, with recommended gear and tips from a local hiker.
July 1, 2022
Taboga on a Budget: A Day Trip Cost Breakdown
A budget day trip to Taboga in 2022: transport, food and activities with reference prices from that date, based on the author's own experience.
April 27, 2021
Tabogas: An Art Contest Idea for the Island
An idea to bring art students to paint Taboga's landscapes, with a drawing and painting contest as an incentive to capture the island's beauty.
March 15, 2021
#TabogaPanama by the Numbers in 2021
A snapshot of the #TabogaPanama community's social media following, recorded in March 2021 across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
January 26, 2021
Diving in Taboga: Bottles, Shipwrecks and Arrowheads
Taboga was once a stop for conquistadors and pirates, and diving around the island still turns up bottles, dishes and arrowheads today.
January 9, 2021
San Pedro Church of Taboga: A 1685 Landmark
The second-oldest church on the Pacific coast of the Americas, founded in 1685: a historic landmark at the heart of Taboga's devotion.
November 18, 2020
Taboga Through Time: A Return to 1995
A look back at the author's first visit to Taboga in 1995, and a reflection on how little the island has changed twenty-five years later.
October 1, 2020
Reopening a Magical Island After Lockdown
In October 2020, Taboga prepared to reopen after covid-19 lockdown, with new rules in place and the hope of tourism's slow return.
June 30, 2020
San Pedro Feast Amid Uncertainty in 2020
A chronicle of Taboga's June 2020 San Pedro feast during the covid-19 pandemic, as the island recorded its first positive cases.
June 23, 2020
El Jobo: Taboga's Secluded Beach
How to reach El Jobo beach near La Restinga: a 30-minute walk on an overgrown path, with views of Panama City and Chame across the bay.
May 19, 2020
The Sea Fair in Taboga: An Idea Worth Reviving
Taboga once tried its own Sea Fair with real success, but couldn't keep it going — a case for reviving it with an organizing committee and a fixed date.
May 12, 2020
Art Everywhere: A Mural Idea for Taboga
A proposal to fill Taboga with color, with art students from various universities painting water tanks with designs inspired by the island.
May 8, 2020
Taboga Photo Expo: Taking the Island to the City
An idea to display large-format photos and artwork of Taboga in busy spots around Panama City, like Casco Viejo or Albrook Mall.
April 2, 2020
Pandemic Times in Taboga: A Closed Pier
How Taboga experienced the covid-19 pier closure in March 2020, and how seabirds returned to its shores as visitors stayed away.
January 6, 2020
Summer 2020 in Taboga
The author announces the start of summer 2020 in Taboga, with packed beaches, boat trips, fairs, and that year's carnival right around the corner.
December 18, 2019
El Morro and La Restinga in Taboga: Where the Names Come From
Where the names El Morro and La Restinga in Taboga come from, per Spain's Real Academia dictionary, with a short author's note on these landforms.
November 7, 2019
Independence Month in Taboga
Taboga celebrates Panama's independence month with parades and school activities, as November opens the island's high season.
October 16, 2019
The Witches of Taboga
A Taboga legend about the women who practiced witchcraft on the island and the bonfires once seen on the beach at dawn.
October 14, 2019
Taken by the Devil
A Taboga legend about a badly behaved boy and what happened to him one afternoon in town, as told for generations.
October 14, 2019
The Dog of El Morro
A Taboga legend about the islet of El Morro, once a shipyard, and a dog's loyalty to owners it never stopped waiting for.
October 14, 2019
The Fish Man
A Taboga Holy Week legend passed from grandmother to grandson, about a young man who defied the beliefs of his time by the sea.
October 14, 2019
The Man at the Pier
A Holy Week legend from Taboga about a man seen walking the pier who vanished without a trace whenever approached.
September 16, 2019
Checking In on Our #TabogaPanama Accounts
The author recounts the scare of losing access to his social accounts over a forgotten password, and how a coworker helped him recover them.
May 22, 2019
Expo Turismo Panama 2019
The author announces TabogaPanama.com's participation in Expoturismo 2019, the network's seventh consecutive year at this national tourism fair.
February 12, 2019
Carnival in Taboga 2019
The author announces Taboga Carnival 2019 starting March 1, with both of the town's streets joining in, packed hostels, and an invite to greet Los Piratas.
February 6, 2019
Taboga and World Youth Day
The author recalls how Taboga welcomed World Youth Day 2019 pilgrims: translating into English and Portuguese, packed beaches, and a very warm experience.
September 19, 2018
At the Doorstep of High Season
The author explains Taboga's 2018 tourist seasons and his idea to erase the gap between high and low season, plus the holiday calendar through carnival.
August 16, 2018
Humpback Whale Watching in Taboga
From June to October, humpback whales migrate to the Panamanian Pacific and can be spotted from Taboga on specialized watching tours.
March 24, 2018
Taboga Panama in English: Going Bilingual
A short 2018 note from the site's owner on adding an English version of tabogapanama.com after realizing he was losing tourists to the language barrier.
August 1, 2016
Taboga Express Boats: 2016 Schedule and Prices
How to catch the Taboga Express ferry from Amador Causeway: prices, phone number, and full schedule from the original 2016 post.
April 14, 2016
Summer in Taboga Extends Into 2016
Two summer 2016 events in Taboga: the Euphoria festival on April 16 and the third Panama-Taboga Crossing on April 24, per the original post.
March 8, 2016
Pirate Bazaar in Panama and Government Investment
The author on going from the Yo Me Reciclo fair to setting up a Pirate Bazaar in Panama Viejo, and his reaction to a government plan for Taboga.
November 22, 2015
Taboga Update - Summer 2016
The author's 2015 plan to refresh every tabogapanama.com social channel ahead of summer 2016: website, Facebook, blog, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
June 6, 2013
Taboga Adventure Itinerary 2013
A detailed weekend hiking itinerary for Taboga in 2013: Friday in town and El Morro, a pirate Saturday up to El Vigía, and Sunday at La Cruz.
September 21, 2010
A Weekend with the Wilkins Family
A 2010 diary of a family weekend in Taboga with the Wilkins family: beach time at La Restinga, jumps off El Morro, and a night of dancing in town.
September 8, 2010
Extreme Taboga: A Timed Hiking Trial
The author logs a minute-by-minute 2010 test hike through Las Tres Cruces, El Vigía, and the dump lookout, timing it for a future Ecochallenge route.
January 20, 2010
Taboga's 2010 Community Projects
Seventeen ideas and proposals for the island published by tabogapanama.com in 2010: cleanups, signage, sweaters, a museum at El Vigía, and more.