Over-water · Compared
Blue Marlin vs Sol Bungalows: Overwater in Town or on Solarte?
Updated أكتوبر 2026
Blue Marlin is the in-town over-water stay, with a measured Agoda median of $154 and an 8.8 rating from 50 reviews; Sol Bungalows is a four-bungalow overwater property on Isla Solarte, with published rates from $328. We run Blue Marlin; the sources differ, so treat the price gap as directional — but Blue Marlin is the lower-cost option and the one you can walk to dinner from.
Both are over-water. The decision is whether you want the town at your door or the bungalow experience with a boat schedule.
1.Price and source, measured
The two figures are not the same measure. Blue Marlin's $154 is an Agoda median from our snapshot of 119 stays and 181 nights, collected 18 October 2026, before taxes and fees. Sol Bungalows is not in that snapshot; its site publishes a from-rate of $328. Treat the gap as directional, not as a like-for-like quote.
| Measure | Blue Marlin | Sol Bungalows |
|---|---|---|
| Measured Agoda median | $154 | Not on Agoda |
| Published from-rate | — | From $328 (own site) |
| Measured range | $89–$337 | Not on Agoda |
| Rating (reviews) | 8.8 (50) | Not on Agoda |
| Area | Bocas Town | Isla Solarte |
2.Over-water, but not the same stay
Both put you over the sea. Blue Marlin is a house over the water in Bocas Town; Sol Bungalows is four overwater bungalows with glass floors on Isla Solarte, about five minutes by boat from town.
| Feature | Blue Marlin | Sol Bungalows |
|---|---|---|
| Over the water | Yes | Yes (4 bungalows) |
| Glass floor | No | Yes |
| AC | Yes | No |
| Breakfast included | Not stated | Yes |
| Walk to town | Yes | No (5-min boat) |
| Pool | No | Not stated |
| Restaurant | No | Not stated |
| Kitchen | Yes (shared) | Not stated |
| Private bathroom | Yes | Not stated |
3.Who should choose Blue Marlin
Choose Blue Marlin if you want to sleep over the water and still walk to dinner. It is in the middle of Bocas Town, with a measured median of $154 a night and a 8.8 rating from 50 Agoda reviews. Every room has AC, a private bathroom and sea views; the house has a shared kitchen, a common lounge and an over-water terrace. There is no pool and no restaurant on site.
Blue Marlin is the best over-water stay in Bocas Town. Our other three cover the other trip types: Casa Pelicano for kitchens and longer stays, Bocasso for groups and families, and Boho Pelicano for a budget boutique.
4.Who should choose Sol Bungalows
Choose Sol Bungalows if the overwater bungalow itself is the reason for the trip: four bungalows with glass floors, breakfast included, on Isla Solarte about five minutes by boat from town. It is the quieter, more secluded version of an over-water stay; the trade-off is no AC, no walkable town and a boat for every dinner.
At a published from-rate of $328, it is also the higher-cost option on this page. Blue Marlin's measured median is $154; the sources differ, but the direction is clear.
5.Verdict
Blue Marlin is the better choice for an over-water stay in Bocas Town: lower measured cost, AC, private bathroom and dinner on foot. Sol Bungalows is the better choice if the glass-floor bungalow and included breakfast are the point and you want to be off town. On the trade-offs that decide most trips — price, AC and walking to dinner — Blue Marlin wins; on the bungalow experience, Sol wins.
6.How we compared
Blue Marlin's price comes from our Agoda snapshot: 119 stays and 181 nights, collected 18 October 2026, before taxes and fees. Sol Bungalows is not in the snapshot, so we use its published from-rate and compare features, not a like-for-like median.
Sol Bungalows facts come from its overwater bungalows page. Blue Marlin facts come from our property data. Where a feature is not stated in a source, the table says “Not stated” rather than guessing.
Over-water is the shared feature, not the whole decision. Blue Marlin wins on price, AC and walking to town; Sol wins on glass floors, breakfast and seclusion.
The Stay in Bocas Team
We live and host in Bocas del Toro year-round, running four small properties across the archipelago. Every guide is written from our own boat rides, beach days and guest questions.
