Travel Guide · Panama
The Best Things to Do in Bocas del Toro
Updated luglio 2026
Bocas del Toro is a little scatter of islands off Panama's Caribbean coast where the buildings stand on stilts over the water and the day basically runs on boat time. It's the kind of archipelago you explore slowly: a beach here, a reef there, a long lunch somewhere with your feet almost in the sea.
We live here, so this isn't a fly-by list — these are the things we send every guest to do, in the order we'd do them. If you've got a long weekend (or, honestly, a whole week — you won't regret it), here's exactly how to spend it.
1.Wade out at Starfish Beach
You can see wild starfish at Starfish Beach — Playa Estrella to locals — the shallow, glassy, almost-too-turquoise bay on the far tip of Isla Colón. Big orange cushion sea stars rest in the warm shallows, sometimes dozens of them spread across the sandy patches, and the calm water makes them easy to spot from the surface.
One golden rule the locals will hold you to: look, don't lift. Taking a starfish out of the water — even for a quick photo — harms it. Float over them with a mask instead and you'll get the better view anyway.
2.Take a day trip to the Zapatilla Cays
If you only do one boat trip, make it this one. The two Zapatilla islands sit inside the Bastimentos marine park — uninhabited, ringed with white sand and reef, the desert-island fantasy you didn't think actually existed.
Most tours bundle in a snorkel stop and a swing past Dolphin Bay on the way, which makes for a brilliant full day on the water. We wrote a full guide to the trip — see our Zapatilla Cays day-trip article for boats, prices and what to bring.
3.Where are the best snorkeling spots in Bocas del Toro?
The best snorkeling in Bocas del Toro is at Coral Cay, Hospital Point and the reef off the Zapatilla Cays, and visibility is best in September and October. The water inside the archipelago is calm, warm and full of life — expect coral gardens, sponges, rays and thousands of reef fish at every stop.
4.Paddle out to a floating bar
Only in Bocas: bars built on platforms out on the water, reachable by kayak, paddleboard or a two-minute boat ride. Order a cold one, jump off the deck between rounds, paddle home before sunset. It's exactly as good as it sounds.
5.Meet the sloths (and the rest of the jungle)
The islands are properly wild once you step off the beach. Three-toed sloths doze in the trees along the mangrove channels, tiny red poison-dart frogs hop around the Bastimentos undergrowth, and night monkeys peer out of the palms.
A slow boat through Sloth Island's channels almost guarantees a sighting. We put together a whole wildlife guide if animals are your thing.
6.Ride a horse into the Caribbean
To ride a horse into the sea on Isla Colón, book with a local outfit one day ahead — they run small groups timed to low tide. You'll ride along an empty beach and straight into chest-deep turquoise water, the horses swimming beside you. It's one of the most memorable afternoons you can have on the island.
7.When is the best time to surf Bluff Beach?
The surf season at Bluff Beach runs from December to April, when its hollow beach break gets seriously good. Bluff is the wild heart of Bocas' proper little surf scene — a long, golden, often-empty stretch on Isla Colón's east coast. Even if you don't surf, come for the walk and stay for the sunset.
8.Slow down in Bocas Town
Don't rush past the town itself. The brightly-painted Caribbean buildings, the over-water restaurants, the reggae drifting out of the bars — it's got a rhythm all of its own. Spend a morning wandering, grab fresh fish and patacones for lunch, drink a coconut straight off the palm, and let the island clock take over.
And that's the Bocas we'd show a friend — though if you can stretch your stay longer, do. It's one of those places that rewards going slow.
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.
