Caribbean Beaches

We started our day with breakfast, overlooking the sea and coral reefs.  Last night, Ryan told us that Meghan is the talent behind their menu and recipes, and this morning she didn’t disappoint.  Meghan served us vegan banana bread and a tropical fruit salad topped with coconut and cacao chips.  The bananas, coconut and cacao were all harvested from the property.   We ended up chatting with her for over an hour while we ate, and got the entire backstory of their place.  She’s lived quite a life, and they’ve truly built something special here!   

We planned a beach day, so after breakfast we prudently applied sunscreen and caught a water taxi to Red Frog Beach.  This well known beach had all the amenities and is on most people's must-do list in Bocas.  Meghan clued us into Polo's Beach, which is a 30 minute walk from Red Frog Beach.  That would be our destination! 

Waiting at our dock.

Red Frog Beach is definitely gorgeous!  The water is clear.  The waves are big. There are chairs and umbrellas for rent, a restaurant complete with a DJ, and you can even buy t-shirts and sarongs.  Volleyball nets are set up too.  

Red Frog Beach

We took a few pictures and headed off to Polo's Beach!  It took a little navigating, and we kept coming to dead ends.  But, with the help of our favorite navigation app Gaia, we found our way along the shoreline and arrived at Polo Beach.  

Polo's Beach is DEFINITELY not touristy.  It is, however, an idyllic and wild Caribbean beach with coral reefs just offshore.  It looked like a movie set!  Upon arrival, we were greeted by Señor Polo himself.  Señor Polo is in his 70s, and claims ownership over the property.  There is a lot of disputed property around Bocas, and a big resort also claims land ownership here.  One thing is certain, Señor Polo has been living by himself at Polo Beach since he was a child.  He keeps the beach tidy, and sells coconuts and lobster to people who make their way to the beach.  On one online forum, it was claimed that Polo sold some of 'his' land and is a millionaire, but chooses to live in a shack on the beach.  He seems half man, half myth.

Señor Polo

We bought a coconut from Señor Polo, who grabbed it from a pile on a bench next to his shed.  He hacked off the end to expose the water and Jeff handed him $2.  We thanked Señor Polo for sharing his beach and found a secluded, shady spot to make our home for the afternoon. 

The beach was fantastic!  We enjoyed snorkeling and hanging out on a beautiful and secluded Caribbean beach.  We even had a dog join us for some of our time.  

Around 3:00 pm, we decided to make our way back towards Red Frog Beach.  Along the way, Jeff spotted a sea turtle laying her eggs between the path and the water.  Amazing!  What a treat!  She was BIG, and didn't seem disturbed by us.  Even so, we didn't linger too long, and let her get to her important work.

We had a bit of time to kill at Red Frog Beach, so we bought a couple of cervezas.  Shortly, we made our way to the dock to meet our boat taxi to our cabana.  What a perfect day!