Definitely not kid stuff: The surf off Polo Beach is usually this gnarly.

©2007 Scott Doggett, Special to WhozHereNow.com

This strip of white sand between jungle and an endless, usually choppy sea on the north shore of Isla Bastimentos can go days without seeing a bipedal primate.

At least, that was still the case in 2007, a year after the person for whom the beach was named abandoned it after 40 years for an undisclosed sum offered by a gringo developer, who immediately renamed the site Playa Diamante (Diamond Beach) and posted a private-property sign.

Too bad, because Polo, a gentle soul of Jamaican descent who loved to tell strangers that a fly lived in his ear for most of the '90s, served delicious and inexpensive stew he prepared over an open fire near his shack. The shack is being replaced by a hotel.

At its eastern end, Polo Beach gradually tapers off as it enters the sea, allowing visitors to walk out a good stretch at low tide on calm-surf days. Indeed, one can walk out all the way out to where the sand meets rock floor and soon after, coral reef. But only on calm days at low tide.

Only strong swimmers should go so far, as the offshore current can be deceptively clingy and the nearest lifeguard station is 137 miles away.

The beach is reached by foot path from the island's southern edge (that might change when the hotel is completed). The boatman who takes you there will know the way. Expect to pay $25 or so per person, depending on the size of the party and the greed of the boatman, for the round trip.

Location

North Shore

Isla Bastimentos

Bocas del Toro

Panama