When Christopher Columbus visited the islands of Bocas del Toro in 1502, on his fourth and final New World voyage, he was so taken by their beauty that he affixed his name to many sites: Isla Colon (Columbus Island), Bahia de Almirante (Admiral's Bay), Isla San Cristobal (Christopher Island), et cetera. Those who explore the archipelago today discover that she's still a natural beauty, with just enough improvements to make a Bocas stay comfortable and yet adventurous.

Most of the people who travel to the archipelago do so to snorkel, surf, scuba dive or simply escape from the stresses of life at home in a tropical environment where their biggest decisions of the day are often pina colada or rum & Coke, seafood soup or grilled snapper, surfing a long-peeling reef break or a short but exhilarating beach break, putting in some hammock time or doing more snorkeling, sunbathing on a golden beach or making friends at a casual watering hole. Those tough choices and choices like them are why Bocas has become the most popular tourist destination in Panama.

The archipelago consists of six large, mostly forested islands and scores of smaller ones. The large islands are Isla Colon (61 sq km), Isla Popa (53 sq km), Isla Bastimentos (51 sq km), Isla Cristobal (37 sq km), Cayo de Agua (16 sq km) and Cayo Nancy (also known as Isla Solarte, 8 sq km). Most of the large islands now offer accommodations, with Isla Colon hosting to the lion's share.

Home to the only airport in the archipelago, Isla Colon is by far the most visited and developed island in the chain. Beaches ring Isla Colon to the north, east and west, and on its southern tip lies the largest community on all the island, Bocas Town. This is where most of the archipelago's accommodations, restaurants, bars, tour operators, shops and water taxis can be found. It is a splendid place to hang out for a few days, exploring the archipelago at will or chillin' to the mellow vibe of a Caribbean town.

The islands are a biologist's dream. They and the adjacent shore represent an isolated pocket of lowlands, semicircled by the foothills of the Talamanca range and by the mangrove forests at the mouths of the Rios Changuinola and Cricamola. Because of its isolation, the region's wildlife include many species found nowhere else. Such is the case, for example, of the red frogs of Isla Bastimentos. The thumbnail-size hoppers don't even appear on neighboring islands.

A lovely, conifer-like tree dominates the forest canopy of the larger islands, giving a unique look to their jungle, which supports lots of wildlife, including sloths, monkeys and armadillos. Every October and November, jaguars swim from the mainland to several islands to hunt wild turkeys and peccaries in the rainforest. The mangrove forests found on most of the islands support American alligators and caimans.

Culturally, the islands are inhabited by a distinct group of Indians, the Ngobe-Bugle. Most of the Indians continue to reside in wooden, thatch-roofed huts without electricity or running water and they survive by fishing and subsistence farming. Their chief mode of transportation remains the cayuco, or dugout canoe, but today they are most often motor driven, although you can still see some powered by sails made of rice sacks.

Only 10 years ago, a week wouldn't pass without a torrential storm sweeping the islands. Downpours often lasted hours without let-up, and the enormous raindrops they delivered sounded like gunfire when they struck tin roofs. Today, the islands don't receive as much rain, but if you happen to arrive during a storm, don't despair. Go with the flow. A good rain shouldn't prevent you from snorkeling or scuba diving or chatting with friends or making new friends, and it needn't stop you in your tracks if you pack a travel umbrella.