Post - Everyday Travel Guides

by Rebecca Hollman
updated March 13, 2019

Wizard Beach - Bocas del Toro, Panama

ABOUT: Wizard Beach is a remote and beautiful beach on the eastern side of Bastimentos. It has no infrastructure and very few visitors per day and so is a great way to really feel like you are on a remote tropical island. The walk to Wizard Beach is about 40 minutes through the jungle from the dock where a water taxi would drop you off. The walk is mildly steep and extremely hot during the peak of the day but gives you a nice view of the interior jungle of Bastimentos. Make sure to bring plenty of water with you, and maybe also food depending on how long you will be there.

Table of Contents

Getting There

You will need to take a water taxi from Bocas Town to Old Bank on Bastimentos. Old Bank only has one sidewalk as the main “road” so follow this sidewalk to the right from where the boat drops you off until you reach a sign that says Wizard Beach with an arrow to the left. This sign is about 15-20 minutes from the dock and the sidewalk goes underneath the sign. If you follow the trail to the left where the sign is, it will wind through people’s yards and can be a little bit confusing. Try to stick to the bigger trail if it splits. There is one split where they look the same size - stick to the left and go up the concrete block stairs. Eventually you will go out of Old Bank and the rest of the trail is obviously marked and through the jungle. You can come back on this same route, or you can take an alternate route to stop at Up in the Hill - an organic coffee and cacao farm. If you want to reach Up in the Hill, start walking back on the same trail and split off to the right when you see a painted flower made out of plastic nailed onto a tree. These flowers are the trail markers for Up in the Hill and will be on trees every so often on the way. The split off doesn’t seem like a well-traversed trail, but if you see the first flower then this is the right way. Eventually you will step over a root and go through a tiny break in a barbed wire fence and the trail will continue through rolling pastures. You will reach the jungle again and the trail will start to incline until you reach a wooden fence with a Up in the Hill sign. Pass through the fence and take the last steps up to the cafe. To get back to Old Bank from Up in the Hill, leave out to the right (the different entrance than where you came in) and follow the big trail all the way down the hill past some other homes and businesses until you come out directly in the heart of Old Bank. Boats from Bocas Town to Old Bank cost $4 per person each way.

Trail Map

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Other Important Information to Know

A tourist was murdered walking on the trail to Wizard Beach in 2016. Because of this, the Panamanian government brought in a military presence to Bocas and enlisted police to always be present along the trail. This event was truly a one-off situation and nothing has happened along the trail since. However, I would strongly advise not to walk on the trail alone (especially as a solo female) and to not walk along the trail after dark. I would not let this fact discourage you from visiting Wizard Beach because it is safe, but it is good to know to be aware of your surroundings and to also not bring valuables.

Up in the Hill Cacao and Coffee Farm

ABOUT: This organic cacao farm is nestled up in the jungle in the middle of Bastimentos. It is a super cute cafe that serves coffee, cacao drinks, wraps, veggie burgers, and amazing banana cake. They also sell coconut oil, coconut oil products, cacao products, and beeswax products for all sorts of uses - moisturizer, shampoo, bug spray, etc. Besides being a cute cafe to hang out at, they also do tours of the farm and explain the process of growing cacao and turning it into cocoa powder and other products. Tours only go at certain times of the day. You also have a very high chance of seeing strawberry poison dart frogs around the gardens of the cafe. This type of poison dart frog is only found on Bastimentos, out of the entire world. The lady who owns Up in the Hill will most likely help you find a frog to take photos of.

GETTING THERE: If you are going to just Up in the Hill and not Wizard Beach, then you will take the first direct route to Up in the Hill. When you get off the water taxi at Old Bank, you will walk a little bit along the sidewalk to the right but will almost immediately see a sign pointing to the left that says Up in the Hill. Follow this sign along the marked trail all the way to the cafe. If you are going to Wizard Beach, you can either go to Up in the Hill first and then go to the beach or go to the beach first and then to the cafe. If you go to Up in the Hill first, follow the same path as mentioned before and then leave Up in the Hill out the back entrance, down a path lined with pink hibiscus and other flowers. From there the path will descend out of the jungle and into more open pastures. The trail is always marked with painted flowers made out of plastic that are nailed to trees. These trail markers will be every so often so make sure to look out for these and stay on the path with these markers. Eventually this trail will run into the Wizard Beach trail and you will walk along the normal Wizard Beach trail for 5 minutes before reaching the beach. If you want to go to Wizard Beach first and then Up in the Hill, read the directions under the Getting There section of Wizard Beach above. Water taxis from Bocas Town to Old Bank cost $4 per person each way.