BOCAS DEL TORO ITINERARY

SERENDIPTIY NEED NOT APPLY

I may have “discovered” the previously unheard-of Bocas del Toro archipelago and introduced it to Team VFH, but it was Janet who got us there.

Planning for a trip is not easy. There are plenty of opportunities for slip-ups, lots of “uh-ohs” if you will. If I were in charge of planning our travels it would be littered with mistakes, but Janet loves the detailed work that it takes to plan a smooth trip. From transportation to hotels to restaurants, to excursions, Janet does a thorough job of researching all and leaving nothing to serendipity. Although, with proper planning good fortune usually follows.

WHICH WAY TO THE BEACH?

In hindsight though getting to Bocas was easier than we expected. We certainly would have enjoyed more time relaxing in the sun and lounging on any number of beaches located in Bocas del Toro, especially since there was plenty of beer and rum to drink. Besides, the winter at home was miserable with deep snow and freezing temperatures. So what follows in today's entry is what Janet planned for us while we visited this popular Panamanian archipelago. We did a lot, but there was so much more.

ISLAND HOPPING 

Zapatilla #2

There are 9 main islands in Bocas del Toro, and countless islets and cays and what better way to see them is on an island-hopping tour. Several vendors come up on internet searches with different itineraries. Janet booked a day with Tao Travel 365 through trip advisor, called Zapatilla Island tour. Located within Bastimentos National Marine Park, the Zapatilla Islands are routinely listed at the top of best beaches in Bocas del Toro.

Our tour took us to the white-sandy beach of Zapatilla Island #2. We didn’t visit #1 because the water was too rough.

Our boat anchored at a small pier and we joined several other similar tours to swim in the water, walk the beach and follow well marked trails through the interior for a few hours.

Zapatilla island

As it was a national marine park there was an entrance fee, collected by rangers using wifi and iphones. Our senior discount fee was just $4.00 pp.

We hiked a bit and swam in the warm water. There was a swift littoral current that people were riding.

When we returned to the pier at the allotted time the crew had arranged on palm fronds a fantastic array of fruits like papaya, passion and pineapple for us and decorated with hibiscus flowers which afterwards they passed out to all the ladies on our trip.

Before we reached Zapatilla we had a couple of stops. We first went to Bahia Honda, one of the inlets where we watched dolphins frolic in the water and we could hear the delightful giggles of children from other tour boats. Then we cruised close to shore to see the many sloths lounging in the trees. They did not frolic.

our fruit

We then stopped at the very rustic Sea Restaurant on one of the islands where we were able to pre order a fish fillet meal for our return from Zapatilla. Janet and I split the meal for $14.00. Janet poked me in the ribs when I asked if the fish was fresh.

The next stop after our meal was to snorkel in what they called Coral Gardens. The crew provided masks and snorkels and we just jumped in the water and swam around, marveling at the marine life just beneath the surface.

The final stop was to cruise slowly through Hollywood Bay, so named after all the starfish in the shallow water.

lunch

On the ride back to Bocas Town the crew provided water and beer. They dropped us off right at our hotel, Tropical Suites. 

The trip was $51pp w/out tip, which was greatly appreciated by the two-man crew.

TAO TRAVEL 365

FUN DIVES

In Bocas Town there are several surf shops where you can take lessons and dive shops. Janet selected the Bocas Dive Center. Although we’ve got over 50 dives now in our dive books, we always make sure we’re going with a safe outfit, which means it’s PADI certified.

Dive guide's notes

The price was very reasonable for a two-tank dive. The shop was clean and inviting and the owner chatted us up and resolved our issue about leaving our dive books at home, by providing paperwork that we could staple in our books when we returned home.

They also provided all necessary equipment and even shorty wetsuits, all for the price…no additional charges.

The dive guide was a tall Scottish woman who could barely contain her enthusiasm at pointing out critters on the dive, including a jawfish holding its babies in its mouth and wrote everything down on an underwater white board, which we discussed back at the center after our dives.

The Bocas Dive Center is part of a “diver destination”. Not only is the dive shop located here, but the Divers Paradise boutique hotel and the Pier 19 restaurant, where we got free coffee and a discounted price for our lunch, are on the premises.

Our second dive had us going around a sunken barge. They were “fun” dives because we never really went deeper than 40 feet and the dives lasted over 50 minutes.

BOCAS DIVERS PARADISE

BOCAS DIVE CENTER 

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS

The Tropic Suites front desk quoted us a price of $90 to take us by water taxi to the very popular Playa Estrella (Starfish Beach). We thought that was too steep, but Janet discovered that there is a local bus that would take us to the far end of Isla Colon for just $2.50 pp each way. Talk about local immersion! The unmarked bus stop leaves from Simon Bolivar Park on the hour. You need to ask which one is correct and do yourself a favor by getting on the bus early. It fills up and by the time we chortled off people were crammed in and standing.

Locals and tourists were on the bus, some people getting off at little villages along the way, but mostly everyone rode the bus to Bocas del Drago. From there it was a 20-minute walk to Playa Estrella, or Starfish Beach. There are water taxis from Bocas del Drago for about $1.00 pp, but the walk is pleasant and some people even spread out their blankets somewhere in between the two. This is a bay so there are no waves and there are little beachside restaurants at either location. We had a snack at Bocas del Drago while waiting for the return bus.

Yes, there are plenty of starfish to be seen at Playa Estrella and the beach is popular with tourists and locals alike and on the weekends and holidays the place can get crowded and noisy. Signs everywhere ask visitors to NOT pick up the starfish.

It’s worth a visit.

 

Playa Estrella

RED FROG BEACH

Naming a place for a highly toxic Red poison dart frog may not sound appealing, but the actual beach on Isla Bastimentos is worth the risk. The rich unique biodiversity of Bocas del Toro allows for these frogs to flourish here, but it does not affect the tourist trade. There are several resorts located along Red Frog Beach, including the eponymous Red Frog Resort and the Palmar Beach Lodge.

The island is part of the Bastimentos National Marine Park and sloths and monkeys as well as those deadly critters can be seen here.

We hailed a $5.00 pp water taxi from our deck at the Tropical Suites Hotel in Bocas Town for the 10-minute boat ride to Isla Bastimentos. The taxi dropped us off at the pier for the Red Frog Beach Resort and he agreed to meet us three hours later for the ride back to Bocas Town.

Red Frog Beach

There was an entrance fee of $5.00 pp for entry to the preserve and then a 10-minute walk through the resort and lush rainforest where signs alerted us to the frogs and other animals we may encounter.

Our bravery was rewarded with a beautiful stretch of golden sand edged by the rainforest. There were strong waves, but they broke far enough from shore so the water was safe and refreshing. Surfers and body surfers were further out. We somehow managed to gain a couple of chaises at the Palmar Beach Lodge and relaxed with the prettiest Pina Colada we had ever seen. There are several local beach bars located here as well and kids from the indigenous Bahia Roja village would come by selling coconut oil. 

A girl and her Pina Colada 

a boy and his rum

Like everywhere we had visited in Bocas del Toro, there was a relaxing calm feel to the place and the only Red Frogs we saw were part of a display for one of the local beach bars.

NOT ACTUAL SIZE

That was fine by me.

RED FROG BEACH RESORT

PALMAR BEACH LODGE 

Red Frog Beach is HERE

Remember, when you plan properly....only GOOD THINGS HAPPEN. 
Thanks for reading. 

Love Janet and greg

© 2026 by Gregory Dunaj

BOCAS DEL TORO TRAVEL

THE WORLD MEETS HERE

Just because we had never heard of Bocas del Toro Panama until relatively recently doesn’t mean the rest of the world is as clueless. On our recent trip to this beautiful archipelago on the Caribbean side of the isthmus, near the border with Costa Rica, we encountered people from all over the world. In no particular order or number of travelers we had met Germans, Canadians, Israelis, English, Scot, American, Dutch, French, Italian, Swiss, Kenyan, Chinese and Panamanians during our two-week stay.

Some were traveling through the area, visiting Nicaragua or Costa Rica or Colombia as well as Panama. Some were on to visit the San Blas Islands after stays in Bocas del Toro. Some were young backpackers, some young honeymooners. Some were ex-patriots who seemed to be in Bocas for extended stays. Some were families with toddlers or pre-teens in tow. Some were just like Janet and me, simply enjoying some warm weather in the middle of inclement winter weather back home.

WHERE IN THE WORLD WERE WE?

Punta Caracol

We were lured to Bocas del Toro not only by the natural beauty of rainforests, the first Panamanian marine park, and beautiful beaches on her 9 main islands and countless islets and cays, but also a rare opportunity to stay in moderately priced overwater bungalows in the first half of our trip to the area.

This first part of the trip at the Punta Caracol Acqua-Lodge was quiet and relaxing. We read, swam off our personal deck, had access to kayaks, and waved at the tour boats and water taxis that passed us on their way to Playa Estrella (Starfish Beach). Over afternoon drinks in the open air thatched roof dining area we played spirited games of backgammon and when graced by ephipanous sunsets we sat back on our chaises and knew we made the right choice coming to Bocas del Toro.

Punta Caracol

The second half we explored the vibrant and very different lifestyle of Bocas Town. We stayed in the Tropical Suites hotel which is in the center of town. We had a large comfortable room with a kitchenette and our deck overlooked the waters of Bocas del Toro. Nightly we could watch the prancing lights of the nightclubs across the way on Isla Carenero gradually awaken. Our hotel had a pool on the back deck and there was a swim-up bar. We spent a couple of late afternoons sipping Abuela Anejo Rum watching the water taxis ply the waters off Isla Colon.

It would not be an exaggeration to say Bocas Town was a party town, but there were was something for travelers both young and old. There were hostels and nightclubs and a “Filthy Friday” pub crawl. We briefly looked into that, but we realized we were about 45 years too old to participate….

Tropical Suites Bocas Town

There were artisans selling their crafts on the streets and tattoo palors and shops and shacks selling souveniers. There were casual eateries and excellent high quality restaurants. There were bars selling craft beer. There were bakeries for breakfast and dive shops, surf shops, and water taxi stands hawking their tours. One could rent a car, or an ebike to toodle around and explore Isla Colon. There were large vans that served as buses clustered around the Simon Bolivar park to get to the interior of Isla Colon, or to the far side to reach Playa Estella and Bocas del Drago.

When we decided to go to that end of the island we took the bus. It takes 45 minutes and is far cheaper than a $90 water taxi at just $5.00 for the both of us each way. 

Tourism is the main income source, but off the main drag in Bocas Town, where most of the restaurants and bars are located, English is not widely spoken. Still, fumbling over words or using calculators to show the price of something without having to translate is normal behavior and the people are friendly and accommodating. Janet’s attempts at speaking Spanish were greatly appreciated though.

TROPICAL SUITES, BOCAS DEL TORO 

PUNTA CARACOL OVERWATER BUNGALOWS 

FILTHY FRIDAYS BOCAS DEL TORO 

IS IT SAFE?

There is a huge police presence in Bocas del Toro and we saw soldiers on motorcycles carrying weapons driving around and at the airport all the bags were checked out by a drug-sniffing dog before anyone could retrieve their luggage. Drug trafficking is a problem still in parts of Panama, and we were glad for the show of force on Bocas del Toro. 

The police also cruise the streets.

Logistics:

Water

Though the water is safe to drink in Panama City in Bocas it is not, but there were plenty of water coolers at our hotel, and besides there is plenty of rum and beer to drink.

Electricity

Panama is at 110 volts, like the United States and has regular sockets so there’s no need for adaptors. Although, on Bocas del Toro as it was at Punta Caracol electricity is a premium. At Punta Caracol solar panels provide electricity. There is a generator for power on Bocas del Toro, and sometimes that goes out. It did twice for us during our stay at the Tropical Suites.

morning view from our
Tropical Suites deck

Money and Tipping

The American dollar is the currency of Panama. Makes sense as the Panama Canal Zone, which stretched five miles on either side of the canal was under control of the U.S. from 1903 to 1979 and was where the late John McCain was born in 1936. Change for your dollar though will usually come back as a Balboa which is 1:1 with USD.

Tipping is not necessary, but we come from a tipping culture as Americans. Locals usually just pay the bill, but we’ll ask to add 10% and the gesture is greatly appreciated.

Taxis to the airport are usually $2.00 pp. I would hand the driver a $5.00 bill and he would immediately start to look to give me change, but I would always wave him off. Tipping in bars can score you a free drink btw.

YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE

Bocas Town with airport

We flew on American airlines from Philadelphia to Panama City with a stopover in Miami. Both flights were under three hours and Panama is in the same time zone as home, so there was no jet lag. 

We stayed a few nights in the capital, right near the mouth of the Panama Canal to take a cooking class in Casco Viejo or Old Town. To reach Bocas del Toro we flew on Air Panama for a 50-minute ride that landed right in the middle of Bocas Town and from there took the water taxi to Punta Caracol.

There are buses, and cost a lot less than airfare, but they take forever, and then you have to take a ferry over to Isla Colon. That takes about an hour and 40 minutes.

AIR PANAMA

FERRY SCHEDULE TO BOCAS

Janet did not want to leave

Water taxis vary in price depending on your destination. To reach Red Frog Beach one afternoon we flagged down a green “Randy Tours” boat. It cost us $10 each way and the skipper, whose shirt had “CAPITAN” across the shoulders even waited us for the few hours we wanted to stay.

Thanks for reading, Nos vemos pronto. À bientôt. נתראה בקרוב Bis bald. Tot snel. Vi ses snart. See you soon..

Water taxi traffic in Bocas del Toro

© 2026 by Gregory Dunaj