Say paradise on earth, you say Bocas del Toro. Located on the Carabbean coast of Panama, this archipelago is the perfect destination for a few days of island hopping and relaxing. In this blog, we share our tips for Bocas del Toro.

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Transportation to Bocas del Toro 

 

Plane

 

For us, visiting Bocas del Toro was part of our three-week round trip through Panama and Costa Rica. So, to save some time, we took a plane from Panama City to Bocas del Toro. We flew from the Albrook Gelabert Airport (note not the international airport) with Air Panama to the main island Isla Colon.  

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Bus & Ferry

 

Travelling from Boquete or from Puerto Viejo (Costa Rica). Through Bookaway, book a bus & ferry combination that takes you to main island Isla Colon. We ourselves were also offered the shuttle service from our accommodation Bambuda Hotels. Check during your booking if this is also for your accommodation.

The islands of Bocas del Toro

Bocas del Toro consists of more than 200 islands! Of course, only a few of these are inhabited. Below we share our three favourite islands, travelling between them is very easy by catching a water taxi. These will have you called by the accommodation where you are staying or the restaurant where you ate. ​

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Isla Colón

 

This is the main island where you arrive from the mainland or land by plane. Isla Colón is the largest island of Bocas del Toro. You will find cosy restaurants, bars and nice accommodation in Bocas Town. We stayed one night in Bambuda Bocas Town. A nice place with a lovely common room. 

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Isla Bastimentos

 

Where you do find beautiful beaches is the island of Isla Solarte. Here, for instance, you will find Red Frog Beach, where, as the name suggests, you can find red poison frogs. We did not stay on this island but from hearsay, Selina Red Frog beach is highly recommended.

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The Highlights

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Isla Colon: Playa Estrella

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 On Playa Estrella, you will find starfish if all goes well! We were a bit unlucky during our visit as we saw very few of them and it rained 90% of the time, not really the bounty atmosphere you should get from this beach. When the weather is nice, though, this beach is the place to be, the water is crystal clear and there are lots of cosy Caribbean bars to be found.

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From Bocas Town, you can catch the bus / minivan towards Bocas del Drago for $2.50. This bus leaves every half-hour from Bocas Town's main square and takes about 45 minutes. Once you arrive at Bocas del Drago, walk to Playa Estrella via a jungle trail in about 20 minutes. Put on good sandals as you will walk through mud or water several times.

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Isla Colon: Playa Bluff

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Playa Bluff is known for its strong currents and high waves during surf season. This produces beautiful pictures, but don't go too far into the sea! The road along the coastline to Playa Bluff from Bocas Town is great fun, as you'll find bars and have nice views of the water each time. Rent a fatbike or quad bike from Flying Pirates and get to know the island better! 

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Isla Colon: Beach Bars

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On and off the coast of Isla Colon are several floating beach bars. Well-known spots include Aqua Lounge Hostel & Bar and Boya de Vida.

 

Isla Colon: Filthy Friday

 

Do you love a party? Then you should definitely visit Bocas del Toro on a Friday because it's Filthy Friday! You can actually think of it as a pub crawl and island hopping in one. Buy your tickets in advance online. The ticket includes entrance to venues, water taxis and some shots. Take care of your belongings on this day as tourists are sometimes abused. 

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Isla Bastimentos: Red Frog Beach

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On Isla Bastimentos, you'll find Red Frog beach!  Unfortunately, we couldn't find the red frogs but the beach is really lovely. Get a nice drink at one of the beach bars and enjoy a lovely morning or afternoon on the beach.

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Restaurants at Bocas del Toro

We only ate out once ourselves and this was at Cafe del Mar. A fine restaurant where we ate a burger. Incidentally, this was not the most relaxed place to eat with a nut allergy as there were lots of homemade nut bars. At the Bambuda Lodge, we had a delicious meal! There was also a lot of consideration for Reinier's allergy here during the so-called family dinners.

Read our other Panama blogs below.

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