Danielle If you research beaches in Panama City, Taboga Island will be one of the first results. And for good reason. It’s an easy ferry ride from the city and the island has some gorgeous beach access. It’s a beautiful reprieve from the city.
Understandably, the restaurants in beach towns generally focus on seafood offerings. Since going to the island can be a full day trip, it’s good to know what vegan options are available.
So, let’s go through the full day trip from the city and what it looks like as a vegan.
Getting There
The easiest (and cheapest) way to get to the island is to take the Taboga Express Fast Ferry. When you purchase your ticket, you have to choose your departure time from Panama City. To make the most your day, I recommend trying to book one of the morning ferries. The morning options include 8 am, 9:30 am, and 11 am. I chose the 8 am because I wanted a full day on the island. A roundtrip ticket for adult tourists costs $24.
You also have to choose your return time when you book. I chose the latest weekday option, 4 pm. On weekends and holidays, they also run a ferry at 5 pm.
The 30-minute ferry ride takes you through Panama Bay. It’s also where ships enter/exit the Panama Canal, so you get to ride past some of the container ships. I had gone to the Panama Canal the previous day, and the ship I saw pass through the canal was actually one of the ones that we passed heading to Taboga Island!
If you choose the 8 am ferry, your day will start bright and early. The meeting point for boarding the ferry is at the very tip of the Amador Causeway. Most likely you’ll be staying in or around Casco Viejo, which is about a 20-minute drive from the entrance. When I tried to book an Uber, I had a few drivers cancel the trip, so just be sure to give yourself enough time to arrive before the ferry leaves.
I got there about 10 minutes early, checked in, and boarded. I was actually one of the last ones there, so if you want to choose one of the better seats on the ferry, aim to be there closer to 30 minutes early.
I learned my lesson from the morning, so I got in line for the return ferry 30 minutes early to get a seat at the front of the ferry. Surprisingly, I wasn’t even the first in line—I was actually about 20 people deep. I’m pretty sure the first few and last few ferries are the fullest because most people also try to maximize their time on the island.
Tour Options
If you’re the type of person who prefers tours, the Taboga Ferry also offers tour packages. There are several options ranging from $24 for just the ferry ride to $145 for the Deluxe Day Pass.
The $35 ticket includes the ferry ride and a 1-hour walking tour through town.
For $75, you get the ferry ride, beach chairs and umbrellas, the walking tour, and lunch (the website does indicate that they offer a vegan option).
If you want to splurge, for $145 per ticket, you get everything from the $75 package plus hotel pickup and drop off and a vehicle tour to the top of the island.
I opted to just do the basic ferry ride ticket, mainly because I wanted the freedom to try different restaurants and to do the hike. But, I think these all-inclusive options are great if you want to just relax and not have to worry about planning.
The Town
The town of Taboga Island is quite small. The population is under 2,000. It’s truly tiny.
There are a few hotel options if you do decide to stay on the island instead just doing a day trip.
I loved how small, charming, and unpretentious the town is. It’s steeped in history; a refreshing change of pace from the hecticness of Panama City.
Because of its size, the town is very walkable. You won’t need to worry about taxis; most everything you’ll want to do is within a 15-minute walking distance.
Below is a helpful map of the town and the island.
The Food
Ok, let’s get to the heart of the matter. Is Taboga Island vegan friendly?
The Short Answer: Not really. But it’s not completely devoid of options.
The Longer Answer:
Most of the restaurants on Taboga Island specialize in seafood, so vegetarian/vegan options aren’t particularly abundant. Most of the restaurants may have simple vegan sides that can be combined to make a full meal. A few restaurants do have specified vegetarian/vegan entrees or appetizers.
You also have the option to bring food with you as you would on any beach day. There’s not a full grocery store on the island, though there is a small tienda. If there’s anything specialized that you want, be sure to bring it with you.
Casa Taboga
Casa Taboga is bit out of the way from the main clump of restaurants, but in a town this size ‘a bit out of the way’ is about a 10-minute walk.
If you’re looking for a vegan entrée, this is pretty much the only restaurant that offers one. They have a Vegan Burger and a Vegan Spaghetti (with onions, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and olive oil). I went with the spaghetti.
I won’t say that this was the best pasta I’ve ever had. It’s very simple, but it’s filling and it’s nice to have an entrée option. The $10 price tag does seem a bit high for the quality, but it’s understandable considering that it’s a small island restaurant.
Calaloo
Calaloo doesn’t offer a vegan entrée, but they have two vegan appetizers: the Veggie Pita Ratatouille or the Hummus with pita. I went with the hummus, and I was shocked at how good it was. It’s a homemade hummus, and it’s served warm. I enjoyed it so much that I contemplated getting a second serving. The picture doesn’t really do it justice because the plating isn’t particularly attractive, but the flavors really came through.
The restaurant is close to the pier, so if you want a little snack before heading back on the ferry, this might be worth considering.
Cerro De La Cruz Hike
As I was researching things to do on the island, I saw a few people mention the hike to the cross on the hill. On Google, it’s listed as the Cerro de la Cruz. The reviews are positive, but there were several mentions of it being difficult to find, and I can confirm both points are true.
I decided to do the hike as soon as I landed on the island because it gets very hot and there’s not much sun coverage. I wanted to beat the heat as much as possible. Beyond that, if you take the 8 am ferry, nothing is really open when you arrived at 8:30 (though, of course, you can go ahead and hit the beach).
Finding the hike can be tricky, so here’s how I found it. As soon as you get off the pier, take the left to walk through town. And then keep walking. Walk through all of town. Walk past the cemetery. Continue walking past where the paved road becomes a dirt road. It’s pretty much a straight shot, but there were several points where I questioned if I was still going the right way.
After walking for about 30-40 minutes, you reach the turn for the hike. The most helpful hint I saw was that the left turn to get to the hike was at this red farming machine. If it’s still there, it’s a clear cue for where to turn. The signs that point the way are hand-written, so they can be easy to miss.
After that left turn, you walk along the dirt road for a few minutes until you see a small fork in the road. I did miss the turn to go up the hill the first time I passed it. It’s really overgrown and easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
Once you’re on the hike, it’s quite short. It took me about 15 minutes to hike all the way to the top. Even though it’s short, I won’t say it’s particularly easy. Most of the trail is overgrown, there’s no shade, and the loose rocks can be a bit tough to climb. Even at 9:30 in the morning, I was dripping sweat from the humidity. Be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen. And definitely try to go earlier rather than later during the hottest part of the day.
I saw one review that said not to wear flip-flops, and I second that. Wear shoes you can comfortably climb in and that have some traction.
Despite the challenge of getting there, the view is 100% worth it. It’s a gorgeous vista of the island, Panama Bay, and Panama City in the distance. It’s also a great spot to get some pictures.
From start to finish, the whole excursion took just over 2 hours. I highly recommend this little adventure if you want to do something a bit more active while on Taboga.
The Beach
The beach is beautiful, and there are several options for where to set up camp for the day.
After disembarking from the ferry, most people go to the right from the pier to access the beach. It’s where all of the beach chairs and umbrellas are. There are quite a few restaurants and stands selling souvenirs, alcoholic beverages, and non-alcoholic beverages. This is great if you just want to have fun and don’t mind being around other people.
If you go to the left from the pier and walk through town a bit, there is beach access and significantly fewer people. The downside is that there is no shade and no umbrellas. Because Panama is close to the equator, the UV is very high and it’s very easy to get sunburnt from even a short amount of sun exposure. So just be careful if you forego shade.
When I was ready to settle on the beach, I went to the right of the pier, but walked beyond where most other people were sitting on the chairs and umbrellas. There’s a small island (Morro Island) that is connected during low tide, but you lose access during high tide. Since it was low tide, I was able to sit by the tree line and enjoy laying on the beach. The tide came in while I was sitting there, so I did have to move a few times.
The water is warm, clear, and a beautiful blue. Whether you like being near other people or want a little bit of time to relax by yourself, you can find a spot that’s right for you.
Final Thoughts
I had a blast visiting Taboga Island. It’s such a nice difference from Panama City, and the experience is worth the price of the ferry ride to the island. The vegan food options on the island aren’t great, but there was enough to keep me full the whole time I was there. Let me know if you’ve been and what your experience was like!
