Bocas del Toro Disc Golf Open – 36 Holes Through Jungle, Garden & Beach

08.30.25. Travel Banter - Mimitimbi.

While Alex is still traveling, I hitch a bus ride to the north side of Isla Colón, Panama, where disc golf meets Caribbean paradise. I join players and expats from around the world for a full-day, 36-hole disc golf tournament. We play through tropical gardens, sandy paths, and dense jungle.

Some players were seasoned veterans. Others just came to throw discs at trees, drink beer, and enjoy the view. It was hot, messy, a little chaotic — and absolutely worth it.

I noticed over the last few months that expat communities are lively and engaged beyond what I saw among their peers in the United States. Maybe the extra effort it takes to make a life in another country and culture winnows the group to those eager for experience?

Such energy is contagious. It encourages saying yes to life in all its forms. Pushes one off a comfortable seat and onto muddy trails. Eases the choice to do something when everyone around embraces opportunities for experience.

I am not a disk golfer, but I loved the day. Disk golfers are a passionate, welcoming community that values fun, nature, and good conversation over scorecards. Plus, we ended the day with a truly proper IPA, brewed right here on the island. That was my first IPA in six months, since I sailed out of Key West. Thank you, Hercules.