Fifty-eight nautical miles from the Pacific to the Panamanian Caribbean. It is a short hop, but a mountain range lies between the two ends, and that makes this the route that saves most time per mile flown in the whole Panamanian catalogue. Quoted per aircraft on request.
Route facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Enrique Malek (DAV / MPDA), David, Chiriquí |
| Destination | Isla Colón (BOC), Bocas del Toro |
| Distance | 58.0 NM · 107 km |
| Origin elevation | 89 ft |
| Price | Quoted per aircraft on request |
Fifty-eight nautical miles and a cordillera
Here is what decides the route, and it is not the distance.
David sits on the Pacific side of Chiriquí. Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean side. The central cordillera runs between them, and the road connecting the two has to go around it or over a mountain pass.
The result is an overland journey out of all proportion to one hundred and seven kilometres in a straight line, with the added detail that the destination is an archipelago and the last leg is by sea regardless.
It is the Panamanian route with the best ratio between what it saves and what it covers. Panama City–Bocas is 161.3 nautical miles; from David, 58.0. Less than half, and the flight still solves the same problem.
The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
An airport that restricts nothing
Enrique Malek is an airport of entry with a single asphalt runway 04/22. Its extension from 2,100 to 2,600 metres began in 2010.
For your booking it means what it always means at generous fields: the runway is not the limiting factor. The aircraft is decided by your group and your baggage, not by the terrain. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
It sits on the south side of the city, four kilometres from downtown, with quick access.
The destination does restrict
This route's asymmetry is at the other end. Bocas del Toro is an archipelago: the airport is on Isla Colón, and many of the lodgings are on Bastimentos, Carenero or Solarte.
The final leg is by boat, normally coordinated by the lodging. The final leg is by boat, run by a third party and dependent on sea conditions.
Ask about the crossing time, not just whether there is a boat. The runs between islands vary a great deal, and over a fifty-eight-mile flight that difference weighs proportionally more than it would on a long route.
Who uses this route
Mostly travellers already in Chiriquí — for Boquete, for the Barú volcano, for the coffee highlands — who want to finish the trip on the Caribbean without going back to Panama City.
That detour via the capital would be 174.4 nautical miles up plus 161.2 down: three hundred and thirty-six to cover fifty-eight. It is the most expensive detour in the Panamanian catalogue, and this route exists to avoid it.
The two coasts do not cover for each other
Bocas is on the Panamanian Caribbean, with a rainfall pattern different from Chiriquí's.
If your plan combines both slopes, treat them as two separate weather decisions. Rain on the Pacific does not mean sun in Bocas, or the other way round.
Frequently asked questions
How long is David to Bocas del Toro?
The flight covers 58.0 nautical miles. By road you have to go around or over the central cordillera, and the last leg is by sea regardless.
Why not go via Panama City?
That would be 174.4 nautical miles up plus 161.2 down: three hundred and thirty-six to cover fifty-eight.
Does the David runway limit group size?
No. Enrique Malek is an airport of entry with a single asphalt runway extended since 2010. The aircraft is decided by group and baggage. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
Do I land on my island?
No. The airport is on Isla Colón and many lodgings are on Bastimentos, Carenero or Solarte. The final leg is by boat. The final leg is by boat, run by a third party and dependent on sea conditions.
What should I ask the lodging?
The crossing time. Over a fifty-eight-mile flight, the difference between islands weighs proportionally more than on a long route.
Is the weather the same on both coasts?
No. Bocas is Caribbean and Chiriquí Pacific, with different rainfall patterns. Treat them as two separate decisions.