Isla Cristóbal,
Isla Shepard
& Darklands
These islands and mainland areas are home to cacao farms, indigenous villages, and an endemic family of dolphins.
Isla Cristóbal, Isla Shepard & Darklands
Cacao Farms, Indigenous Villages, and Dolphins
Off the beaten track, you will find the islands of Cristóbal, Shepard, and the mainland shores of the “Darklands” named after its fertile soil. The fertile ground also happens to host cacao farms producing some of the famous chocolate that comes from the Bocas del Toro islands and mainland. You can take cacao tours, ride horses on the island paths, explore the local indigenous villages or go dolphin watching. This area of Bocas is home to a small coastal dolphin population consisting of around 100 that possess a variation in their DNA that is unique to them. This is because they do not move very much and pretty much stay here after birth, making them genetically isolated from other populations in the Caribbean.
Information
History of Isla Cristobal Area
Isla Cristobal was named after Christopher Columbus after he came to the Bocas del Toro islands on the 6th of October of the year 1502 on his fourth and last trip. Isla Shepard was named after the Shepard family during the beginning of the 19th century. Over the years both islands were deforested and used for farming, and today this area is popular for cacao farms.
