For most of the twentieth century, no one came to Coiba by choice. The island harboured a feared penitentiary, closed in 2004, and this forced isolation produced an unexpected result: nature has scarcely ever been disturbed there. Today, Central America's largest island reigns over a marine national park of thirty-eight islands and islets, inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list since 2005. Expedition ships that anchor in the Gulf of Chiriquí find there one of the richest marine environments of the American Pacific.

No dock awaits the passengers. You disembark by zodiac, feet in warm water, onto beaches where previous footprints mostly belong to hermit crabs. This mode of arrival sets the tone: here, living things command the schedule.

The Park Rangers' Station

The day generally begins near the rangers' station, the only inhabited point on the island. You register there, consult the interpretation panels and quickly understand the scope of what unfolds in these waters: whale sharks passing through, manta rays, sea turtles, sperm whales and humpback whales frequent the sector according to season. From the neighbouring beach, kayaks and paddleboards allow you to follow the shore at your own pace, between the mangroves and the rocks where iguanas dry out.

Set back from the station, a few trails penetrate beneath the great trees. Howler monkeys signal their presence long before you see them, and the most attentive will spot the scarlet macaw, of which Coiba shelters one of Panama's last wild populations. Walking here demands little effort and much attention: the ear, as much as the eye, makes the fine encounters.

Granito de Oro: An Islet for Mask and Snorkel

Within short navigational distance, an islet the size of a village plaza concentrates what snorkelling offers best in the country. Granito de Oro: a fairy-tale name, a clear beach, corals within a few fin strokes. Below the surface glide parrotfish, moray eels, white-tipped reef sharks and turtles, in water whose clarity varies with the tides. Zodiacs deposit passengers directly onto the sand, and you organize your morning between underwater exploration and palm shade.

A Sea That Breathes

Between landings, keep your eyes on the water. Dolphins willingly accompany the boats, brown boobies dive headfirst around fish schools and, from July to October, humpback whales from the Southern Hemisphere cruise the gulf with their calves. The onboard naturalists know how to read these signs: a spout on the horizon, a fin, a flight of birds converging on the same ocean point.

Preparing Your Day

Coiba is earned through its very simplicity. No shops, no restaurants, no network: everything you will need must come down from the ship with you. Bring hat, sun protection, water shoes and a well-filled water bottle, with a dry sweater at the bottom of your pack for the zodiac return. Tropical humidity is felt from the morning on, and heat rises quickly on shade-free beaches. Safety distances from wildlife apply everywhere in the park: rangers ensure this, and it is what preserves the quality of encounters.

When the ship weighs anchor, the island returns to its only legitimate inhabitants. What remains from this day is a singular impression: that of having been admitted, for a few hours, into a world that functions perfectly without us. The former inmates of Coiba dreamed of leaving it. Today's passenger leaves it with regret, with the feeling of having glimpsed the world as it was before us.