Some 65km after Chiriquí Grande, travelling from David, is ALMIRANTE, a port town of rusting roofed houses built on stilts over the calm waters of the Admiral's Bay.

Located on the shore of the bay, with friendly population and near the capital as main advantages, Almirante is the export terminal for the regional banana industry and one of the places to catch a boat if you're heading out to the islands of Bocas del Toro.

  

Buses between Changuinola and David or Panamá City usually pick up and drop off passengers beside the road on the edge of town, a short taxi ride or ten-minute walk from the waterfront.

Buses for Changuinola, where you can get connections for the border, leave from the terminal. Adjacent is the train station, from which a banana workers train runs to the border each morning - it's not really meant for tourists, but you might be able to persuade them to let you be part of the ride.

Water-taxis to Bocas del Toro (25 min) leave every 60 minutes or so until about 6.30pm. If you arrive by bus or car, two water-taxi companies, Taxi 25 and Bocas Marine Tours, will lead you to the islands. A parking lot for cars, safe and cheap, is available for people bringing their own or rented car. There's also a ferry to the islands several days a week, but this is very slow and only worth using if you want to bring your car with you.

  

If you miss the last boat and get stuck on your way to the islands, you can find secure but pretty basic accommodation at the Hotel San Francisco, above a supermarket, across the main street from the bus terminal. There are several basic places to eat near the bus terminal and the water-taxi dock.

Almirante, lying next to the sea and a lush rainforest, with green mountains behind, is only in the tourism circuit, for now, as a transfer place to the islands or the rest of the province.