Bocas del Toro, Panama Travel Guide
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Bocas del Toro is a collection of islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama and was our first stop in the country after crossing the border with Costa Rica. With growing amounts of visitors to the islands, this place is experiencing a lot of development to make it more tourist-friendly. With unreal beaches, some gorgeous accommodations, busy nightlife, and a lot of wildlife, it’s easy to see why these islands are attracting a growing number of people.
I wouldn’t say Bocas del Toro is an up-and-coming destination, it’s been a popular backpacker spot for quite some time now. During our time there was a lot of building and construction happening, one of our guides also told us they were working on building a road that would allow you to drive around Isla Colon (the main island).
Now one thing I would say is in an ideal world I would make Bocas one of my first stops in Panama, if you have already visited the paradise on earth that is the San Blas islands, these islands just won’t compare. However, this is not to put you off visiting, just managing expectations over here.
Brief Overview of Bocas del Toro Panama Travel Guide
How to Get to Bocas del Toro Panama?
You have two options for how to get to Bocas del Toro. You can fly and most of the flights will be from Panama City and although this is the easiest way to get here, it certainly isn’t the cheapest.
Alternatively, Bocas del Toro is reachable by boat from the town of Almirante, you’ll find a few different companies running the boats mainly to Isla Colon. To get to where the boats leave from Almirante to the bus station will cost around $1-2USD dollars in a taxi. There's an overnight bus that goes between Panama City and Almirante and will take around 10 hours, our ticket costs us $35 USD each and that includes the boat from Isla Colon and the taxi to the bus station. You can also find buses leaving Almirante to other destinations in Panama such as David or Boquete.
If your next destination is Costa Rica or you're coming to Panama from Costa Rica, there are many shuttle companies offering transport from Puerto Viejo to Bocas, shuttle and ferry included. We booked our shuttle with bookaway.com, it was $ 17 USD per person.
Where to Stay in Bocas del Toro Panama?
From dorm rooms to luxury hotels when it comes to accommodation in Bocas del Toro, you have choices whatever your style is. But first, you have to decide which island you would like to base yourself on.
Isla Colon
This is the ‘main island’ so to speak and as it's the largest island there are different areas to know about. First up is Bocas Town, where you will be near plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants and you’ll surely be asked if you want a water taxi every second. Bocas Town is not personally the place I would choose to stay if I wanted something more luxurious, for that head further out towards Playa Bluff/Bocas del Drago areas or opt for one of the islands mentioned below. There are a few hostels here for you budget backpackers e.g. Selina is right on the waterfront of Bocas Town and plops you right in the centre of the action or Skully's gets you out of town and offers both dorm and hotel-style accommodation.
Isla Bastimentos
Only a short boat ride from Isla Colon, truthfully I think this is the place to be if you want to recharge by the beach and be more immersed in nature. You’ll find the infamous Red Frog Beach and many other gorgeous spots here. For backpackers, the Selina Red Frog is a popular option and for something a bit more relaxing check out Firefly Lodge.
Isla Solarte
This is a spot that’s a little less developed and gives more island paradise vibes than the aforementioned spots, with jungle trails and calm waters to go snorkelling. For the backpacker, Bambuda Lodge comes highly rated and for something more tranquil Sol Bungalows looks dreamy, they also have a great blog sharing all the best things about Bocas, check that out here.
If you have the time and ability, I would recommend maybe staying a few nights on one island and a few on another, that way you get the best of both worlds. You won’t have a problem finding water taxis to get about.
Things To Do in Bocas del Toro Panama
Take a Boat Tour around the Islands
Taking a boat tour around Bocas is a popular excursion and you will find many different itineraries. We found a full-day tour starting at 9 and got back around 4 which cost $30 per person.
The tour saw us dolphin watching, visiting Sloth Island (I saw my first baby sloth, extra cute), we went snorkelling in coral gardens, having lunch at a floating restaurant and the highlight was spending a few hours on Zapatilla Island. You’ll find a thick dense jungle and beautiful beaches with crystal clear water on Zapatilla, a slice of paradise if you ask me.
On the way to Bocas, we even stopped at Hollywood Island, cleverly named due to all the STAR-fishes you can see here. As we were only staying on Isla Colon the boat tour was the perfect way to see the other islands.
Visit Playa Estrella
Better known as Starfish Beach, visiting here was a highlight of my time in Bocas for sure. As you may have guessed this beach gets its name from the amount of starfish you will see in the crystal-clear blue waters.
You can get here from Bocas town by jumping on the bus to Bocas del Drago for $2.50 each way, the bus leaves from the big park in town (here). Much like most Central American transport systems they just leave when they want to, so don’t expect a timetable, the final bus back to town is around 5ish.
From where the bus drops you, it’s about a 15-minute walk to Playa Estrella, however, this is no average walk, you are hiking through a lush tropical jungle with beautiful blue seas next to you.
You’ll know when you have made it because there is no shortage of starfish everywhere, we also spotted flying fish and dolphins whilst here. So keep your eyes peeled.
If you fancy a cocktail or two whilst relaxing on the beach you’ll be overwhelmed by choices of food and drink vendors, so no need to pack lunch.
Explore Isla Colon by ATV or Bike
A great way of seeing the beaches and jungle of Isla Colon is to hire an ATV or electric bike as the island is so large, it’s not possible to just walk. There is a company located in Bocas Town and at Skully’s Hostel called the Flying Pirates where you can rent these for the day and they even offer guided tours in case you are worried about getting lost.
Renting electric bikes is slightly more budget-friendly than the ATV, but obviously, the ATV is much better if you want to explore off the beaten track. Check the latest prices here.
Visit the Floating Bar
If you're looking for the perfect chill day then look no further than the floating bar, it’s only a 2-minute boat ride away from Bocas Town. Why not try out a cocktail in the middle of the sea, they even have a food menu in case you get peckish.
On Monday you’ll find live music here, also you’ll find plenty of other events throughout the week, check them out here.
Beach Day at Red Frog Beach
Bocas is home to many wonderful beaches, but throughout my research Red Frog Beach on Isla Bastimentos is hailed as one of the best beaches in Bocas. Now, unfortunately, I can not comment on whether this is true or not as we didn’t actually visit during our stay. The cost of a return water taxi from Bocas Town to Red Frog was $32 USD and on top of that you have to pay $5 USD each to enter the beach as a sort of ‘conservation tax’. So that would have cost us $42 USD to just step foot on Red Frog Beach, I’ll let you decide if that is worth it.
Other Things to Do in Bocas del Toro
Popular with many backpackers is the infamous ‘Filthy Friday’. You’ll hop between 3 different islands to party the day away, boat rides, t-shirt and primary school drawstring bag included.
With plenty of dive spots around the Bocas del Toro islands, it’s great for newbies to scuba dive experts.
If you are staying on Isla Colon and don’t want to pay the crazy water taxi fees to Red Frog Beach, Playa Bluff is the spot for you. It’s a lovely stretch of beach with a few bars sprinkled around. It would be a long old walk from Bocas Town however so I recommend getting the bus or a taxi.
Have fun and hire jet skis to explore the waters around the Bocas del Toro islands, we saw people having the time of their lives doing this.
With plenty of beaches, of course, Bocas is a spot where you can practise your surfing. The ideal time for surfers is between December to March.
Where to Eat and Drink in Bocas Town?
We stayed in or near Bocas Town for our trip so all my food and drink recommendations are located in Bocas Town which most visitors to the island will stop by anyways, so enjoy.
For dream-worthy Mexican food head to La Taqueria, their quesadillas will forever live rent-free in my head. It’s right by where the water taxis drop you off so if you arrive with an empty belly you don’t have to go far.
Cafe del Mar was a lovely spot for breakfast/lunch and had some delicious coffee. It was also my go-to spot to get some writing done, the people were friendly and the wi-fi was great.
Panis was hands down the best bakery I have ever had the pleasure of eating at in my whole life. Not only did they have the best garlic and parmesan bread the universe could create, they even had their own version of pão de queijo!
If you're looking for some good food and drink on the waterfront in Bocas Town, try Restaurant El Pirata. For those strange people who don’t like to eat cheese (sorry vegans, I just don’t understand how you live a happy life without it) try El Patio.
Also, we discovered a cool food truck spot, where you can find all sorts of different cuisines, they had a bar, pool table and a ping pong table. We found ourselves here a few nights as we just loved the vibes, I’m not sure of the name of this place, so I have linked the location here, in case you want to check it out.
Potentially our favourite spot for a drink or seven in Bocas Town was Tequila Republic. Their happy hour between 12 and 8 was quite something, somehow we drank through about 7 happy hours here. In all seriousness, it’s absolutely the place to go for some cheap and happy margaritas.
Things to Know Before Visiting Bocas del Toro Panama
You can expect it to rain during your stay but the good thing is the Bocas weather changes a lot and quickly, so just go with the flow.
June-August and Nov-Dec are the months with the highest rainfall.
The average temperature ranges between 32-22 Celsius all year round.
December to April is considered high season and is when you can expect the most visitors to the island.
The plug sockets are type A and B which is the same as the US, so unless you have US chargers you will need a travel adaptor.
Panama’s official currencies are the Panamanian balboa and also the US dollar. Honestly, I never saw or used anything other than US dollars as a tourist.
Personally, I would recommend bringing cash to Bocas as there are a few ATMs in Bocas Town but we found them to be a little unreliable. A lot of places do accept cards however some will charge a fee for paying on a card, so it’s hit and miss.
Talking of money our spend for the two of us was £107 a day on Bocas, however, whilst we were here we did not live like backpackers AT ALL, we stayed in a fancy room and treated our stay more like a holiday with no budget.
For Central American prices, I think Bocas del Toro was more on the expensive side, however, it was definitely cheaper than nearby Costa Rica. Check out this post by Sol Bungalows for a breakdown of average costs.
When we first arrived in Bocas the weather was cloudy and it looked a little miserable. I wasn’t sure if we had another Caye Caulker situation on our hands. However, instead of letting the weather bring us down we found a spot to see the bad weather out and ended up having an absolute blast and the sun even decided to join in the fun in the end.
My point there was meant to be don’t expect endless sunshine paradise here but also know this doesn’t have to put a cloud over your trip in Bocas del Toro. Come rain or shine this place is a beautiful travel destination and one I would go back to without a second thought.
So I hope this mini guide helped you plan your trip to these islands or maybe inspired you to add Panama to the never-ending travel bucket lists. As always let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if you’ve been to Bocas share your best tips.
