All Things Bocas del Toro

It was February when I first visited Bocas del Toro. A month that is normally reserved for big sweaters, warm beverages, snow storms, and staying inside. In Panama, however, it is the dry season - a long stretch of months where the sun shines all day and everyone heads to the beach on the weekends.

I was lucky enough to entice two of my friends to join me on this adventure. So Emily, Alexa, and I boarded a tiny plane in Albrook to the Caribean region of Panama called Bocas del Toro. It is known for its long coastline, archipelago of islands, and network of water boat taxis.

Three nights and four days later I was hooked. I immediately booked another trip to take Jon with me. I proceeded to convince anyone who visited us afterward to take the short plane ride from the city to experience life in Bocas.

Here’s what I did and what I would recommend, from restaurants to hostels to beach suggestions.

Lodging

The first time I went, I stayed in a Bambuda hostel. Bambuda has a chain of hostels all over the region. The one we stayed in was called Bambuda Lodge located on Isla Solarte. I would 100% recommend staying here. The views from the pool are amazing and every morning they offer delicious coffee and a variety of breakfast foods. You can opt into family dinners at night and choose from a few options on the menu. It changes nightly and always offers a vegetarian meal. Other perks of Bambuda Lodge were the water slide, swings, and very friendly staff. We wished we stayed an extra day so we could just lounge by the pool and drink their signature cocktails. The only downside is that you have to take a water boat taxi from the main island to get to the hostel. We ended up liking this aspect - it added an extra layer of adventure to our trip. However, if you want to be closer to the main island with restaurants and shopping, you can book a stay with Bambuda Bocas Town.

The second time I went to Bocas, Jon and I stayed even farther away from town. We stayed at La Selva at Nomad Tree Lodge. What we loved about this spot was the proximity to nature. From our room, we could hear howler monkeys and all different types of birds. It really felt like we were staying in a tree fort. There was an issue with our room when we arrived, but the owner was very nice and upgraded our room. This location does require a taxi ride from the airport and the main island. We booked with a local taxi driver prior to arriving. One night, we walked from the main island and it took us 45 minutes. It wasn’t a bad walk, but if you have limited time in Bocas, it will take up a lot of your time walking back and forth. The breakfast and coffee were delicious. We indulged every morning before heading off to the beach. I would recommend this place if you are looking for something quieter and more secluded than something on the main island.

Food

Food is mostly limited to Bocas Town, the main island in Bocas del Toro. So plan your day trips around packing lunch or eating a big dinner or breakfast. With that being said, there are a lot of options that I enjoyed and even more that I want to try!

Arboloco - Aboslutely loved this place! Worth the taxi ride there
Om Cafe - Visit here for authentic Indian food with a great view of the water
Meren Pool Club - Go here at sunset for drinks! Love the aesthetics
Bocas Blended - A cute smoothie place
BDT Vegan Eatery and Shop - Yummy coffee, pastries, and smoothies
Leaf Eaters Cafe - I didn’t go hear, but heard great things! Definitely on my list for next time
Nachyo Mama’s - One of the only spots on Red Frog Beach, good for a quick lunch
Cafe del Mar - Cute cafe on the main island
Blue Coconut - A bar and restaurant that I haven’t been to, but it comes up on most lists as a favorite to visit

Beaches

*Polo Beach, a long (but worth it) hike from Red Frog*

And of course, what you’ve all been waiting for…beaches! In my experience, both times I went the beaches were beautiful and not too crowded, some were even empty. I really want to visit all the other beaches too! Let me know which ones you’d recommend. These are the ones I visited:

Red Frog Beach - A common beach for tourists, an easy water boat taxi ride from Bocas Town
Starfish Beach - This was the busiest beach we went to. We saw a few starfish, but not enough to get excited about.
Playa Buff - This was a hike from La Selva, it was almost completely empty, a good surfing beach
Polo Beach - This was a hike from Starfish beach, an old man lives there - you can buy coconut drinks from him for a few dollars

Travel

From Panama City, the best way to get to Bocas del Toro is by airplane. If you book in advance, you can get flights under $200. The plane is small, but only an hour long - so you can do it! I recommend Ubering from your lodging in the city to the Albrook Gelabert Airport.

Once you arrive, you can walk to Bocas Town from the airport. So if you are staying on the main island, you do not need to arrange for a taxi. If you are staying farther away, I would recommend getting a taxi. There will be taxis waiting outside the airport that you can book with.

The other main mode of transportation in Bocas del Toro is water boat taxis. These are commonplace and down any alley you see. You will need to bring cash to pay for these rides. They are about $8 - $12 per person, per ride depending on where you are going. They are a lot of fun and driven by locals.

I can’t wait to hear about your trip to Bocas del Toro! Let me know if you would add anything to this post. I will definitely update it when I go again sometime this year.

What comes next?

Two Years in the Making