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Plan your vacation to Bocas del Toro Panama with our travel guide. Discover Bocas del Toro's top tourist destinations: Isla Colon, Isla Bastimentos and more.
- Plan Your Trip
It is when Panama celebrates most of its national holidays...
- About Bocas
Bocas del Toro was once one of Panama’s most critical...
- Where To Go
Bocas del Toro, Panama. Bocas del Toro Islands. Each of the...
- What To Do
Bocas del Toro, Panama. What to do in Bocas del Toro. Each...
- Isla Colon
Bocas del Toro was once one of Panama’s most critical...
- Isla Carenero
Bocas del Toro, Panama. Located only a few minutes by boat,...
- Plan Your Trip
- Where Is Bocas Del Toro?
- Weather in Bocas Del Toro, Panama
- Is Bocas Del Toro Worth Visiting?
- Best Things to Do in Bocas Del Toro, Panama
- Practical Information
- Further Readings
Part of Panama’s Bocas del Toro Province, the archipelago of Bocas del Toro (literally “Mouth of the Bull” in Spanish) punctuates the nation’s northwest Caribbean coastline a stone’s throw from Costa Rica to the west. To the south lies the Chiriqui Province, while in the east it’s Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca — one of five indigenous regions in Panama. This...
Being a prime vacation destination in Panama, you can expect these Caribbean islands to have warm, sunny weather. And they do — almostall year round. The average daily high for Bocas del Toro sits between 30°C and 31°C (between 86°F and 90°F), with lows never (or rarely) dropping below 20°C (68°F). The coldest months are January and February, but i...
To be fair, I didn’t fall in love with Bocas del Toro. Back in the day when I was new to blogging, I had a really spontaneous blog where I’d share anything that came through my mind, including impressions of the places I was visiting. I remember writing a post – that is no longer live, I am afraid! – where I spilled all the truth that guide books w...
Visit the Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos
Founded in 1988, Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentosis Panama’s first (and foremost) marine park. This protected area covers 132,000 square kilometers (50,965 square miles) and encompasses 130 islands. The park is a safe haven for a wide array of animal and marine life, including 28 species of amphibians and reptiles, as well as sloths, cayman, monkeys and crocodiles, and over 250 marine mammals and fish species. Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos also plays an important role in prot...
Spot the turtles at Playa Larga
Located within the boundaries of the marine park, Playa Larga is a stunning six-kilometer (3.7-mile) stretch of sand on the southeast side of Isla Bastimentos. The island itself boasts a rugged interior and sheltered mangroves on the west, while this beach provides an important nesting ground for sea turtles. From April through to September, it’s here that various different species of sea turtles arrive to lay their eggs, including green, leatherback and hawksbill turtles. Those who wish to s...
See the frogs at Red Frog Beach
Also located on Isla Bastimentos is the popular Red Frog Beach. This beach takes its name from the rana rojo, aka the strawberry poison dart frog, which lives here. The tiny frog actually draws crowds in high season, with many tourists traveling here to search out the amphibian curiosity. Nearby there are resorts and upscale villas to stay in, too.
How to get to Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro is actually easy to get to from other places in Panama and even from Costa Rica. Below are the main options.
Guided tours of Bocas del Toro, Panama
While it’s fairly easy to simply rock up at your accommodation in Bocas del Toro, to be fair, one of the best things to do in Bocas del Toro is a boat tour around the archipelago. Organizing a guided tour offers up a chance to see more of the archipelago and get a deeper insight into the nature of the islands. Tours range from simple shuttle buses that will take you around certain areas, all the way to more tailored activities. One option is this full-day tour on a speedboat, which takes you...
Where to stay in Bocas del Toro, Panama
To decide where to stay in Bocas del Toro, consider the kind of experience you want to have. If you prefer to have easy access to lots of restaurants, bars and a wider choice of accommodation options, you may want to opt for Bocas Town in Isla Colon. I spent about a week there and I found it too chaotic. Bastimentos (where I spent the rest of my time in the archilepago) and Isla Caranero have less accommodation and dining options but are immensely quieter and quainter. Here are some good acco...
For guidance in planning your trip to Panama, make sure to also read my posts: 1. 15 Best Things To Do In Panama 2. A Guide To Portobelo, Panama 3. A Guide To Sailing San Blas Islands, Panama 4. A Guide To Visiting The Panama Canal: 11 Best Things To Know 5. 13 Best Things To Do In Panama City, Panama 6. Where To Stay In Panama City 7. Latin Americ...
Colorful and full of Caribbean-style clapboard houses, Bocas del Toro (better known simply as Bocas town) was built by the United Fruit Company in the early 20th century. Today it is a relaxed community of West Indians, Latinos and resident gringos, with a friendly atmosphere that is contagious.
The province consists of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Bahía Almirante (Almirante Bay), Chiriquí Lagoon, and adjacent mainland. The capital is the city of Bocas del Toro (or Bocas Town) on Isla Colón (Colón Island).
- Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos. Isla Bastimentos. Established in 1988, this 132-sq-km marine park was Panama's first. Protecting 130 islands of the Bocas del Toro archipelago, including the coral-fringed…
- Finca Los Monos Botanical Garden. Bocas del Toro Town. One of the joys of visiting Bocas is touring the 'Monkey Farm' botanical garden a couple of kilometers northwest of the center.
- Playa Larga. Isla Bastimentos. This 6km-long beach on the southeast side of the island falls under the protection of the marine park. Hawksbill, leatherback and green sea turtles nest…
- Red Frog Beach. Isla Bastimentos. Small but perfectly formed, Red Frog Beach is named after the rana rojo (strawberry poison-dart frog), an amphibian you're most unlikely to encounter here…
Official Portal of Bocas del Toro Tourism for more than 20 years.
An archipelago off the northwest coast of Panama, Bocas del Toro is an eco-tourism favorite with English-speaking and other tourists traveling to this Central American country. Seven islands (including Isla Colón, Isla Carenero and Isla Bastimentos) comprise the land area, with Bocas Town its regional capital and the “big city” for those ...
