Playon Chico (Ukupseni in Kuna) is a fairly large, somewhat bedraggled village island of about 3,000 inhabitants. It’s a relatively modern community with a two-story health center, the churches and missionaries of a half dozen religions, some houses made of concrete, and even a group of allegedly drug-dealing teens who hang out in a graffiti-covered “youth hall.”

But there are still lots of traditional huts and traditional ways. Though none too tidy, Playon Chico is full of life, and it’s fascinating to walk down the main drag and watch kids romping, a father playing a flute for his children, local dancers practicing for a festival, women sewing molas (handcrafted blouses), and old men playing dominoes.

A concrete footbridge connects the island with an airstrip on the mainland.

There are two hotel islands, Sapibenega and Yandup, a few minutes’ boat ride away from Playon Chico.

There are other islands nearby, both uninhabited and with traditional villages, that can be visited with guides. Trips to the nearby cemetery or a waterfall on the mainland can also be arranged, as can more ambitious forest hikes.