This village of 450 people is not terribly scenic—it’s a bit too simultaneously poor and modernized for that—but it’s worth a visit, at least for those already on Isla Bastimentos. It’s approached by water on the southeast side of the island, between Cayo Crawl and Punta Vieja. The approach can be one of the best parts of the trip, as the boat has to pass through dense mangrove channels where there’s a chance of spotting sloths.

The boat docks next to a concrete path that peters out at the edge of the village. Visitors must pay US$1 a head to enter, and sign a registry. There’s a meager souvenir shop that has crude, painted wooden figures of animals, some chácaras (traditional woven Ngöbe-Buglé handbags) and a few other things, but nothing too memorable.

The center of the community is a spacious field with a cinderblock school house, a dining hall, and a dance hall. A lot of the traditional Ngöbe culture has disappeared from the village, though there are still some thatched-roof houses on stilts and residents who still adhere to their traditional religion. The villagers are courteous if a bit reserved; but if you speak some Spanish, you should have little trouble finding someone to chat with.

There isn’t much else in the village, but there’s a nice forest hike from here that leads to Playa Larga. The trail starts at the far side of the village. It’s a good idea to hire a villager for a few dollars to lead the way and point out the flora and fauna. It’s also possible to do this hike without a guide, but as always don’t head off into the forest alone or in flip-flops. The walk takes about an hour each way and there’s a chance of spotting armadillos, conejos pintado, and other small creatures.