isla grande

honestly I had much higher expectations. It’s very sad how rude the locals are. There is barely any beach on the side we were; the only beach we found was on one side were there was a private beach from a hotel which we had to pay $8 and wasn’t worth it. It was VERY dirty, no trashcans, boats will just go wherever they want near the shore which I found very dangerous and unclean to swim. There was a path with stairs that we wanted to walk but it was filled with trash, we were scared to get hurt. We were in search of a nice bar to relax and have a cocktail, we thought we found it in the “rasta” bar called pupy, but the owner was drunk, rude, and aggressive. For the food we ate at the restaurant of a French couple, this place I recommend the food was very good much better than expected. You cant do much or enjoy the island because everything is too crowded, unplanned, dirty. It urgently needs to be cleaned and taken care of. I dont think ill be coming back for a while.

Beautiful beach, crystal clear water, golden sand, great swimming and snorkeling.Unfortunately, no good places to eat or even have decent coffee.The only hope is that situation will dramatically improve after planned nearby Kempinsky hotel and Condos are build.

During the three years we have lived here, this beach has steadily declined but somehow the charge for use has gone up. We took our grandkids here a couple of weeks ago and were really disappointed. We used to pay $2 for beach access; now it has gone up to $8 because you have use of "chairs" (white plastic cheap patio chairs); a "shower" (nothing more than a faucet outside; and the "bathroom" (which is absolutely disgusting and we hate using). Trash is taking over the island - piles and piles of garbage and old refrigerators line the beach just past the little cabana rooms. Very sad state. The beach is littered with beer cans; trash and foam food containers and plastic bags float in the water. I don't mind paying an increase in beach admission, if it is worth it. They need to take some of the money they are collecting and put it towards clean-up efforts. We will take the 30 minute boat ride to Playa Blanca instead from now on. If you do visit Isla Grande, you should expect to pay (in cash) $5 for parking; $5 total per person for the round-trip boat ride; and $8 beach admission. Make sure you aren't getting ripped off and don't leave valuables in your car. There is a small restaurant that serves mediocre food and beer on Isla Grande, but we always take our own cooler of food and drinks.

Pack a cooler and head to the beach.originaly one side was very dirty but if you take a speed boat to the other side you have clear waer great music and beers and jet skiing. Doesnt hurt to stop and pay your respect to the black Jesus on your way up. That is also very impressive to see

The ocean is not crystal clear. This area has a reputation for being dangerous. Exercise caution when traveling to this area.

I expected a lot more based on the reviews I read here. Crowds weren't an issue for me, I went on holiday period so it was somewhat crowded. Beware of the greedy boat captains, the fee is $2.50 each way based on the Cooperative Association that they have, but some of them were charging $5.00 and more per person. The first guy charged me $3.00 and then was trying to get more money telling me he had charged me wrong. I didn't give him anything and avoided him on the return trip.Unfortunately the island is not gorgeous. The only real beach beach had trash, there was trash on the ocean bottom and the water was murky too, although that last part might be from river runoffs after some recent storms. I stayed on the part of the beach owned by the hotel. I paid $8 for a chair and access to the "public showers" and bathrooms. There was only one shower in the open and the bathrooms were not clean. I had a good time by overlooking a lot of things, so I would not recommend this place to anyone. In the town the houses are packed and many were very dirty. There was trash in many places and in one place there was runoff from some waste water pipe. The locals know a lot of their income is based on visitors so they don't say anything to you, but the looks I got were very discouraging. I am Latino but even I got a lot of looks of desdain or even hatred from the island residents. I was planning to trek to the lighthouse and possibly stay overnight in a hotel, but I decided against it based on all of the above. It's a pitty that the government does not do enough to manage the island better. If there were efforts to educate the locals better and the government kept the place clean it would have probably been a decent place to stay.

I was in PC had one day to kill so decided to go to Isla Grande - on the other side of the country. After learning for hours on the internet how to get there by underground to the bus terminal, then bus to a town on the way, then taxi and then a boat - i decided its much easier to rent a car. And what a right decision that was! its a fantastic place, and so isolated you must have your car there to get back. It took me two hours of great ride, beautiful scenery and good roads. Half tank of gasoline, and got to be on the island for hours.On the island there is a small bar, good beer and some local food done on the spot - but most important - the see, the tropical views, excellent.

to many people and boats on the weekend. if you can, go on the weekdays!! But anyway, it is worth the trip

while studying abroad in Panama my friend and I took a charter bus, school bus and taxi to Isla Grande from Panama City. I LOVED IT.. minus the trash - it was kind of weird given how gorgeous this island is to be littered from top to bottom with trash. If you can get over the trash and look beyond - you'll see how gorgeous this island should be. You will have to hire a boat to cross from Panama to the island. We met some of the friendliest people on the island and even shared a taxi with the lady who runs the little hole in the wall restaurant on the island. This lady helped us find a cab driver that stuck with us throughout the whole trip and drove us all the way back to Colon to ensure that we were safe. Hands down, it was my most favorite meal in Panama. The fried plantains, slaw and fish were to die for.. I'm drooling just thinking of it.If you're in the area - stop by! Especially if you want a nice quick beach day trip from Panama City.

Went here because I heard about the "Caribbean-like experience" and was disappointed by lack of amenities and "extra" fees at the hotel. If you are looking for a quiet place at the end of the road, the water was great. (Went during the week and not a weekend)

Simple and small island, with blue cristal water, 120km from Panama city. Less than 10 min in the boat to cross from continent to this island. Good for day or weekend trips.

Like: small, inexpensive, pretty, Caribbean, does have a couple of restaurants with nice food on the menuDislike: not much to do, had a bad experience with a hotel and with a strong reaction to the food at their restaurant, there are more run-down buildings than there are ones in good shapeNot sure if I want to return.

The island is hopping....tours...wonderful restaurants. I wouldn't miss Sailing Bocas, catamaran tour for snorkeling. I'm an avid diver, and I was very disappointed with the dives and the condition of the reefs. However, the mangrove snorkeling is excellent with healthy corals. The island is drowning in garbage, however. All trash barrels were bursting, and trash littered the streets. For a popular travel destination, the island seems to have no reliable source of maintaining sanitation. The excuse is...."there is no money." It was a shame to see such disrespect for the environment in such a beautiful place.

From Panama city, it is only 2 hours away, this is a must see place. Water is turquoise and clear, also there are some coral and reefs all around here, great for scuba diving or fishing. Spent a weekend here, vacation homes for rent! must check

Have been going to isla grande all my life since Im panamenian and love the Colon area beaches. Isla grande is defenately one of the best places to go in Colon. Can highly recommend El Nido del Postre..., where Francois and Olga make the best food and desserts in the Island. They also have a small lodge at the same location. Very nice and clean, A/C and such.., However I feel its a bit pricy. Another good place to eat would be Villa ensueño, where they have octopus, lobster and about any seafood you can imagine for a reasonable price. However the Island tends to get crowded in the weekend with local tourist that leave tons of garbage. Besides this I would defenately recommend it for someone that loves either surf, snorkel or scuba. Not the best beaches of Colon....,, The best hotel in the island is by far Banana´s, but its on the opposite side of the island and there is not much to do there except obviously Banana´s Hotel.. Getting there is easy by bus. I would recommend first timers and backpackers to pick the bus at Sabanitas at the REY supermarket. Getting the bus from the Colon Bus terminal can be risky.