Almirante

Demographics

Almirante has a land area of 95.4 square kilometres (36.8 sq mi) and had a population of 12,731 as of 2010, giving it a population density of 133.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (346/sq mi). Its population as of 1990 was 11,584; its population as of 2000 was 12,430.

Tourist Use

For travelers, Almirante is mainly used as a jumping off point for land travel to other cities on the mainland, Panama or to Costa Rica. An approximately 30-minute water taxi ride from Colón Island, which usually costs $5.00, will land persons in Almirante. From the water taxi dock, it's only a few minute taxi ride to the bus stop known as "el cruce." There are taxis waiting both at the water taxi dock, and at "el cruce".

There 2 bus terminals, one located in the center of the town, where you can take Changuinola buses that can take you to Guabito. The second station is located in the outskirt of the town known as "el cruce", there you can take David and Panama City buses.

There are direct buses available from Almirante to David and Panama City, as well as private shuttle services to Boquete. Additionally shuttle services exist between Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and Bocas del Toro passing through Almirante.

Almirante is popular with tourists going between Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro. When traveling by land, tourists coming from or going to Costa Rica must clear both Costa Rican customs in Sixaola and Panamanian customs in Guabito.

Town

Central Almirante's most popular wards are: Una Milla ("One Mile"), Zegla, Barrio Frances ("Patua Town"), Aeropuerto, Media Milla, Tampico, Bda. San Agustin, Las Golondrinas.

Surrounding communities are: Milla 3, Miraflores, Ojo de Agua, Rio Oeste and Milla 5.

Point of Interests in town are: Port of Almirante, Sea Wall area, Central Park, Catholic Church, Anglican Church and Ojo de Agua area.

Almirante is also surrounded by a beautiful Ambrossian Bight, with calm waters.

Almirante was struck by a powerful earthquake on April 22, 1991, in those days wood houses were common construction and most of them were torn down. Because of this the government decided to build new residences outside Almirante.

People

Almirante town was essentially built by the United Fruit Company as a port for banana exports.

Almirante's first settlers were mostly black descendants from Jamaica and the Lesser Antilles, who moved inland to work in the banana plantations during the early 1900s.

Due to the economic importance of Port Almirante, Chinese, Hindi and Jewish minorities established businesses in the town. Since 2002, a second Chinese immigration has made an economic presence in various areas of Bocas del Toro Province.

Since Bocas del Toro Province has a vast indigenous population, they also migrated to Almirante, replacing blacks as the major ethnic group.

In Almirante, the major spoken languages are English, Spanish, native indigenous languages and Guari-Guari.

For their livelihood, Almirante people are employed in local businesses, government positions and AES workers at the hydroelectric plant located close to Ojo de Agua.

Today, due to a growing population, many have moved to Panama City looking for new opportunities.

Sports

Even the town is small, has several sports facilities, specially concrete basketball courts in Una Milla, Zegla, Barrio Frances, one artificial turf soccer field by Barrio Frances, and the most important Myrick Stadium for baseball and softball.

Major sport figure: baseball player Fernando Seguignol reached MLB level.

Transportation

Besides the water-taxi service to Bocas del Toro, Almirante has the Port of Almirante as a commercial shipping port for banana export.

The United Fruit Company operated a now-abandoned narrow gauge railway that transported bananas to the port of Almirante.