Chiriqui Lagoon is located on the Caribbean coast of Panama close to the border with Costa Rica. The lagoon is protected from the sea by the Bocas del Toro archipelago, and much of this area is designated as the Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos. This marine park has a surface of 13,226 hectares and is one of a few protected areas of Latin America that preserve, simultaneously, the rare wildlife and habitat of beaches, extensive coral reefs, mangroves and tropical forrests. Ports in the region from which to explore the park are Bocas del Toro, the Provincial capital, Almirante and Chiriqui Grande.