Carenero Island Trail - Bocas del Toro, Panama
by Rebecca Hollman
updated March 13, 2019
Carenero Island Trail - Bocas del Toro, Panama
Carenero is the closest island to Bocas Town. Jump on a $1.50 water taxi and you will be there in a few minutes. The island is small and the perimeter can be hiked in about an hour. Carenero doesn’t have any roads, but it does have a few restaurants. This island is known for their abundance of small bitting “chitras” or “no-seem sand flies.” Don’t let that keep you away, but bring bug spray. The beach next to the Restaurant, Bibi’s, is great for swimming. Carenero Point is one of the longest left surf breaks in Bocas. A beginner break can also be found here.
About
Carenero is the smallest island (that is not a cayo) in Bocas and has a trail that goes all the way around the island. You can walk around the whole island in about 2 hours if you don’t stop along the way. This is a nice way to see the whole island and to get to more remote beaches and swimming spots. Part of the walk will be going by the popular area of Carenero - along all the restaurants - other parts will be totally remote and other spots will be going through residential areas, both expat and local. The trail is hard to see in some spots but this is the only trail and/or walking path on the island so it’s pretty easy to find your way back on. I would make sure to have decent shoes, a bathing suit and some water before starting your walk.
Getting There
Start by taking a water taxi from Bocas Town to Carenero. You can start along the trail at any spot on the island so it doesn’t really matter where you start or in which direction you walk it. I usually have the driver drop me at the Bibi’s dock and then start to the right of Bibi’s. No matter where you start, a boat ride from Bocas Town to Carenero should only be $2. From there, just follow the trail to either the right or left. If you can’t obviously see the trail, just keep walking along the water’s edge until you find it again.
Tips to Know Before You Go
I would start by getting dropped off at the Bibi’s dock and by laying on the beach between the dock and Bibi’s for about an hour. Lay on the beach and swim in the protected sand bar ocean right in front of the beach for a little while. After it starts to get crowded, start on the trail heading to the right (if you are facing from the dock towards the island). Follow it behind Bibi’s and past some more restaurants/businesses. Eventually the trail will get remote and you might pass an occasional private house but that’s it. Stop at the Carenero Point (where the trail splits) and walk up to the top of the point for a nice high-up lookout spot. Go back down and continue along the trail. Pick any spot along the way that you think is nice to get in and swim and cool off. Eventually, when you reach the other side of the island you will start to walk through some really nice residential areas. The trail goes through some people’s yards so don’t feel weird about walking there. Finally, you will end up in the one small town of locals who live on Carenero. You can definitely feel a vibe from the locals towards gringos so just be respectful and don’t try to bring too much attention to yourself. You can stop at any of the restaurants at this end of the trail for lunch, my favorite being Leaf Eater’s Cafe (but there is also Cosmic Crab and Bibi’s). You can either make it back to the Bibi’s dock and wave down a water taxi or if you stopped to eat, have the restaurant call a water taxi for you.