Travel Blog

Bocas del Toro Travel Guides

Real guides written from the islands — the beaches, boat trips and wildlife we send our own guests to, with photos we took ourselves.

Aerial view of Bocas Town on Isla Colón, with waterfront buildings on stilts, water taxis and sailboats moored offshore

Where to Stay · Local Guide

Where to Stay in Bocas del Toro

Compare Bocas Town, Carenero, Bastimentos and Bluff Beach, with honest pros and trade-offs for first trips, couples, families, beaches and nightlife.

Hotels, docks and colorful buildings along the Bocas Town waterfront

Bocas Town · Hotel Guide

Bocas Town Hotels: Which Stay Fits Your Trip?

Waterfront accommodation and docks along Bocas Town, viewed from the water

Affordable Stays · Budget Guide

Affordable Hotels in Bocas del Toro: Plan the Total Trip Cost

Casa Pelicano in Bocas Town, an apartment-style guesthouse suited to self-catering stays

Self-Catering · Longer Stays

Bocas del Toro Hotels with Kitchens

Blue Marlin over-water accommodation facing the sea in Bocas Town

Overwater Stays · Honest Guide

Overwater Hotels in Bocas del Toro

Aerial view of Bocas Town on Isla Colón, where Bocas del Toro airport and the town center share the same island hub

Airport Hotels · Practical Guide

Hotels Near Bocas del Toro Airport

Turquoise bay with swimmers in Bocas del Toro, Panama

The Complete Guide · Panama

The Complete Bocas del Toro Travel Guide

Palm-lined Caribbean beach in Bocas del Toro, Panama

Travel Guide · Panama

The Best Things to Do in Bocas del Toro

Zapatilla Cay ringed by turquoise reef water, Bocas del Toro

Day Trip · Bastimentos Marine Park

Zapatilla Cays: The Complete Day-Trip Guide

Calm shallow bay at Starfish Beach (Playa Estrella), Isla Colón

Beach Guide · Isla Colón

Starfish Beach (Playa Estrella): Everything You Need to Know

Three-toed sloth looking at the camera in Bocas del Toro

Nature Guide · Bocas del Toro

Sloths, Red Frogs & Night Monkeys: A Wildlife Guide to Bocas

Golden sand and Caribbean surf at Red Frog Beach, Isla Bastimentos

Beach Guide · Isla Bastimentos

Red Frog Beach: Water Taxis, Fees and Where the Frogs Actually Are

Wide, empty sweep of sand at Wizard Beach (Playa Primera), Isla Bastimentos

Beach Guide · Isla Bastimentos

Wizard Beach (Playa Primera): The Beach You Have to Earn

Calm water of Dolphin Bay (Laguna Bocatorito), Bocas del Toro

Wildlife Guide · Isla San Cristóbal

Dolphin Bay: An Honest Guide to Seeing the Dolphins

Turquoise water and forest inside Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park

National Park · Isla Bastimentos

Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park & the Zapatilla Cays

Snorkeler floating over a shallow Caribbean reef in Bocas del Toro

Activity Guide · Archipelago

Snorkeling in Bocas del Toro: Spots, Prices and Honest Truths

Surfer riding a clean Caribbean wave in Bocas del Toro

Activity Guide · Archipelago

Surfing in Bocas del Toro: A Spot-by-Spot Guide

Cacao pods growing on a chocolate farm in Bocas del Toro

Cacao & Culture · Bocas del Toro

Chocolate Farm Tours in Bocas del Toro: Which of the Three to Pick

Kayaking through mangrove channels in Bocas del Toro

On the Water · Bocas del Toro

Mangrove Kayaking in Bocas del Toro: $10 Rentals to Glowing Water

Boat crossing the turquoise water between islands in Bocas del Toro

Boat Tours · The Archipelago

Island Hopping in Bocas del Toro: How the Boat Tours Really Work

Stilt houses of a Ngäbe community on the water in Bocas del Toro

Culture · Isla Bastimentos

Visiting the Ngäbe Communities of Bocas del Toro