This week, Travel Agent, Photographer and World Traveler, Shari Tucker, shares with us her culinary experiences in Bocas. Check them out!
If you’re hanging out in Bocas, you’re sure to be spending lots of energy surfing, SUPing, cycling around town and partying. Don’t forget to nourish your body properly to keep your energy up for all of your favorite activities.
There are lots of great locations on the islands to grab a healthy bite to eat at a reasonable price. If you are tired of the local fare of beans, rice and meat, branch out for some salads, wraps, smoothies or sushi! Lots of places also offer vegetarian options, so don’t be afraid to ask!
La Buguita
On my first day in Bocas Town I dropped by La Buguita Ocean Lounge for a tasty hummus sandwich and a peanut butter and yogurt smoothie. A bit of an unconventional combination I suppose, but it certainly hit the spot! Service was good (which can be a little hard to find on the island) and the food filled my tummy and my taste buds with delight.
Fountain of Youth
Fountain of Youth (Or FOY for short) serves up a great Buddha Bowl! A little on the pricey side ($15 USD with a drink), but ingredients are fresh and the bowl is huge like Buddha’s belly! I have a pretty healthy appetite but couldn’t finish my Mexicano bowl alone. They were out of avocado the day I was in (pains of being on an island waiting for fresh deliveries), but a mixture of brown rice, chicken, sautéed veggies, black beans and purple cabbage drizzled with some honey mustard dressing. Bam! Delicious!
Raw Fusion
Looking for a great happy hour paired with Sushi? Stop by Raw Fusion with its nice little dock over the water looking out at the ocean toward Isla Carenero. $1 beer and two for one cocktail special from 3-5pm is a great end to a relaxing afternoon or a great start to a party evening. A variety of $5 sushi rolls are on offer from spicy tuna to tempura shrimp. If you are feeling a little more than peckish, give their Geisha bowl a try. Katsu chicken (lightly breaded) on top of rice or soba noodles with carrots and broccoli on the side. It’s a great hearty and healthy meal for $10.
Bocas Blended
Three or four times a week I find myself walking to Bocas Blended, the colorful bus between Panama Dive school and Mamallena. It’s a lively spot, especially on Wednesday’s, when a lunch-time group gathers for a friendly poker game. It’s only open until 5:30 or 6pm each day, so it makes the perfect breakfast, lunch or afternoon snack spot. They have a variety of wraps, salads, fruit juices and smoothies to choose from. Service is great, the food is delicious and sitting in the shade with a breeze tickling your skin, looking out on the ocean is relaxing way to have a healthy lunch.
Take my advice and try the Thai Chicken wrap with a Caesar salad and mojito lemonade. The wrap has a bit of a spicy kick, but not too much and it’s the best Caesar salad I’ve ever had, topped with what I imagine to be a homemade olive oil, garlic and cheese puree of sorts. Mojito Lemonade might just be the best thing since sliced bread! Delicious and refreshing!
If you’ve got your swimsuit on, take an after lunch dip. Many a person walk down one of the small docks and hope in to cool off or swim to the sandbar a couple hundred meters away. Just be careful when you get out, as you’ll have to walk on some rocks.
It’s easy to get wrapped up into drinking and eating too much while you are on vacation, but there’s no reason you can’t at least over-eat healthy foods to fuel your adventures!
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