Best Things To Do In
Bocas del Toro, Panama
with Carmen's Place B&B
The Best Things To Do In Bocas del Toro, Panama
The Archipelago of Bocas del Toro in Panama comprises 9 main islands with over 20 beaches across them. It’s no surprise that watersports and ocean-focused activities are the main attraction here, but there’s also hiking, cultural towns like Old Bank on Isla Bastimentos, delicious Caribbean cuisine and wild nightlife (and day parties). Going with the flow is necessary in Bocas del Toro, where the best things to do each day are dictated by what the weather is doing! Here is a quick list of the best things to do in Bocas del Toro, Panama:
Fishing in Bocas del Toro with Marcel
Go fishing in Bocas del Toro with Captain Marcel, the co-host at Carmen’s Place. You’ll explore the archipelago on his 21’ Boston Whaler fishing boat while hunting for a variety of fish specieis including Tuna, Mahi, Wahoo, Mackerel, Barracuda, Snapper, and Grouper. Marcel is also an expert at fishing Tarpon in Bocas and is the leading Tarpon fishing guide here. Prices range from $60/ Hour in the low season and $80/ hour in the high season, plus the gasoline.
Walk Around Old Bank and Hike to Wizard Beach
Explore the authentic Afro-Craibbean town of Old Bank that sits just across the bay from Carmen’s Place. This is one of the most culturally authentic and unique places in Panama, where the Afro-Caribbean people speak their native language of Guari Guari and cook up some of the best cuisine in the islands.
The trail to Wizard Beach starts in Old Bank and leads up over the hills to the ocean side of Isla Bastimentos. The beach is untouched with no development along its shores. It’s a popular place for surfing and also fishing from the beach.
Isla Zapatilla Boat Tour with Snorkeling, Dolphins and Starfish
Take a boat tour of Bocas del Toro in the traditional Panga style boat and visit the Bastimentos National Marine Park. This tour includes looking for dolphins, stopping to snorkel at Coral Cay, and spending a few hours on the most beautiful islands in the archipelago, los Cayos Zapatillas. You’ll finish the day with a late lunch at an overwater restaurant and take a cruise through an area known as “Hollywood” where you will get an up-close look at starfish in their natural habitat.
The Zapatilla Tour costs $40 per person for 4 people or $70 per person for 2 people.
Go to Red Frog Beach and Polo Beach
Red Frog Beach is one of the most beautiful and popular beaches in Bocas del Toro. It gets its name from the abundance of Strawberry Poison Dart Frogs that used to be found in the rainforest nearby. There’s two great restaurants on the beach where you can enjoy your lunch while watching the ocean. When you’re ready for more adventure you can hike over to Polo Beach.
Polo Beach is another undeveloped beach in Bocas del Toro that features calm and protected waters with reefs that you can snorkel on. Old Man Polo lives on Polo Beach and often has fresh lobster cooking that he sells to tourists that come to visit him. This hike takes about 45 minutes from Red Frog Beach.
Kayak to Hospital Point
Hospital Point is one of the best snorkeling and scuba diving spots in Bocas del Toro. It is located on the tip of Isla Solarte, just across the bay from Old Bank and Carmen’s Place. There are two small beaches located at Hospital Point so you can disembark from your kayaks and explore the area. You’ll be sure to find some very old and majestic trees as well as the orange poison dart frogs. Be careful not to go snorkeling or swimming at the very tip of the island as boats will often pass by here very close to the land. Stay in the bay area and you will be fine!
Explore Bocas Town and Isla Colon
Bocas Town is Panama’s wooden city where you will find quaint old houses built in the colonial style with brightly painted colors. Tourism is the main business here and hotels, hostels, restaurants and souvenir stands line the streets. A popular way to get around the town and to explore further is to rent an E-Bike. There’s also ATV’s, Scooters, and Mopeds for rent. You can make it all the way to Bluff Beach or even Starfish Beach just in a few hours if you have some power between your legs!
Explore a Bat Cave with Rutilio Milton
The bat cave tour with Rutilio Milton is the most unique tour on offer in Bocas del Toro. The tour includes a long portion of paddling slowly up a river that cuts through the rainforest until you reach a small community where the cave is located. This part of the tour offers a good chance to spot sloths and monkeys in the rainforest canopy above you.
While you are in the cave you will see hundreds of bats, some very large spiders, and will be walking through freshwater which at times is up to your chest. There are three sections of the cave you can go through which each section being marked by a transit point. One section has a pool with a cliff jump and a crevasse you have to climb through, and the next section has a waterfall you need to climb up. You will remember this tour for the rest of your life!
Visit Starfish Beach and Bird Island
Starfish Beach is located on the far end of Isla Colon, opposite of Bocas Town. This beach is famous for the starfish that can be found in the shallow water that lines the beach. The ocean here is very calm and doesn’t have any waves, so it is great for swimming. Local beach bars line the beach where you can eat fresh seafood. This is a very popular beach both with tourists and locals so weekends and especially sundays can be busy!
Bar Hopping by Boat
Bocas del Toro is all about the boating lifestyle and there are several fun bars to visit if you want to make an island/ bar hopping adventure. There’s the Floating Bar, Bibi’s on the Beach, Boya de Vida, and the Blue Coconut, just to name a few. A local boat captain will be happy to take you around for the day!