by Rebecca Hollman
updated Feb 24, 2019

ISLA CARENERO

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.

1. ISLAND TRAIL

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.

Learn more about the Carenero Island trail here.

2. RENT KAYAKS AND EAT AT BIBI’S

ABOUT: Bibi’s is an amazing restaurant located on Carenero. They serve lunch and dinner and have mostly seafood but also an array of other food. Besides just being a good restaurant, they also have a patio area with beach chairs to lay in the sun. Grab a smoothie or a pina colada and relax in a chair for awhile. Bibi’s also rents kayaks and snorkel masks. You could either just rent a mask and snorkel around Bibi’s off of Carenero or you could rent both a kayak and a mask and head out to other snorkel spots. Depending on how long you want to go, you could kayak around the entire island of Carenero or just to a different spot on Carenero and back. You can also kayak across the channel to Solarte. You can see Hospital Point directly across from Bibi’s and it is possible to kayak to Solarte and snorkel over there as well. The current is going to bring you towards Bocas Town so remember to head a little bit to the left of Hospital Point if that’s where you want to end up. It might be smart to talk to the people working at Bibi’s to make sure there are no weird currents or wind that might affect you going across. It would take about an hour each way to go to Solarte and back.

GETTING THERE: Take a water taxi from Bocas Town to Bibi’s dock for $2. Tell your boat driver you want to go to Bibi’s on Carenero. They will drop you at a dock and Bibi’s is the first building to the right.

3. CARENERO POINT AND BLACK ROCK SURF SPOTS

ABOUT: Carenero has two great surf spots that draw people to this island. The first is Black Rock: the best beginner spot in all of Bocas. This wave is easy and soft, but still powerful. It is only accessible by boat so if you’re not comfortable being in open ocean maybe this is not the spot for you. If you don’t mind being in deep water, then this super soft wave is great to learn on. The reef is deep so there’s no danger of hitting the reef. It’s a popular spot so is usually crowded, but because it is a beginner spot there’s always room for everybody. Carenero Point is not a beginner wave, it is a wave for experts only because of the sharp reef. It’s a long wave that will follow the coast and will break close to the coast. When the swell gets 4 feet or more, it barrels.

GETTING THERE: Ask a water taxi in Bocas Town to drop you at Black Rock. Make sure to arrange a time for the driver to come back and get you since he will come pick you up from directly in the water. You can also have a water taxi drop you off at the Carenero surf spot, or you can take a water taxi to Bibi’s and walk along the Carenero Island Trail.

4. AQUA LOUNGE

ABOUT: Aqua Lounge is a restaurant and bar located on Carenero facing directly towards Bocas Town. This is a good place to chill during the day since they have a slackline over water, beach chairs to lay on, and a platform to jump into the ocean. It’s also a fun place to hang out to watch the sunset or to get drinks at the bar at night.

GETTING THERE: This is probably the easiest place to get to from Bocas Town. Grab a water taxi for $1 and tell them you want to go to Aqua Lounge - it will take all of 1 minute to get there. You can either have Aqua Lounge call you a taxi back or you can just wave one down from the dock.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFO TO KNOW: Filthy Friday’s uses Aqua Lounge as one of its stops. I don’t think it is even possible to go here on Friday, but if it is, I would suggest you still not go. Filthy Friday’s is a day long party of backpackers that moves from bar to bar around the islands. I would avoid any place associated with the event on Friday unless you want to go to Filthy Friday’s - then sign up the day before and follow the set schedule.

5. LEAF EATERS CAFE

ABOUT: This vegetarian restaurant located on Carenero is one of my favorite restaurants in all of Bocas and it is worth visiting Carenero just to eat here. Sitting out right over the water, it’s got a perfect view of the ocean and Bocas Town. They serve coffee, smoothies, veggie burgers, salads, sandwiches and much more. They also have an extensive gift shop selling jewelry, clothing, coconut oil products, chocolate, hot sauce, etc. - all made locally on the islands of Bocas del Toro.

GETTING THERE: You can take a water taxi directly from Bocas Town to the restaurant for $2. You can also walk here if you’ve been walking on the island trail or laying on the beach. The restaurant can call you a return taxi.

6. LAY ON THE BEACH NEXT TO BIBI’S

ABOUT: Carenero has a perfect little strip of beach to the left of Bibi’s which has white sand and is great for relaxing on. The ocean in front of it is a sand bar until almost 100 meters away from the shore. This is a perfect spot for swimming because the waves are dissipated by rocks and the deepest it gets is about shoulder deep.

GETTING THERE: Take a water taxi from Bocas Town to Carenero for $2. Have the taxi driver drop you off at Bibi’s dock. The beach will be directly in front of and to the right of the dock that they drop you off at.

FIND A PLACE TO STAY ON CARENERO

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CAYO ZAPATILLA

Zapatillas makes up two islands and are one of the most visited places in Bocas, second to Isla Colón, and for good reason. The two small islands are part of the national marine park, devoid of human inhabitants, and a picture-perfect example of a Caribbean island. The entire shoreline of these islands offer perfect beaches and although a popular destination here among tourists, you can still walk to parts of the island where there is no one in sight. These islands are also important ecological sites for the critically endangered Hawksbill sea turtles that nest on their shores.

1. ISLAND TOUR

ABOUT: The islands of Zapatillas are the most beautiful things in all of Bocas. You need to spend at least one of your days in Bocas going to these two pristine white sand islands. The easiest way to get to Zapatillas is to go on an organized tour. These tours usually have a handful of spots they stop besides just Zapatillas. From Bocas Town, you will head out towards Zapatillas and first stop at Sloth Island. You don’t get off the boat here, they just drive you right up to the mangrove trees where you can see sloths right there at the edge of the island. From there, you will head to Cayo Coral for snorkeling. They first take you to a restaurant where you can order food for lunch to eat after you get back from Zapatillas but I suggest bringing your own lunch (the food here is very pricey and you won’t eat lunch until 3:30 PM). From there, they bring you to a snorkel spot for about 30-45 minutes where you can snorkel over very beautiful coral beds. There are tropical fish here but not bigger marine life so expect to just look at amazing corals and small fish. The tours provide snorkel gear. From there, you will finally go to Zapatilla 1. They drop you off in about waist deep of water and you have to walk onto the island so keep this in mind when thinking about what you will bring onto the island. The tour usually includes 2-3 hours on Zapatilla. You can swim, lay on the beach, and walk around the entire island in this time comfortably. Lastly, they take you back to Cayo Coral to eat food if you ordered it. On the way back to Bocas Town, they will make a quick stop at Starfish Island where you can see a good amount of starfish sitting in the seagrass in the shallow waters around this mangrove island.

GETTING THERE: Any of the tour companies in town will take you on the Zapatillas tour. I would make sure to book/arrange the tour at least the day before. Tours leave around 9 or 10 AM. Each tour company has their own place to meet so make sure to get all the information when you book the tour. You can also get to Zapatillas without a tour if you hire your own water taxi for the entire day. Hiring your own water taxi for the day is a great way to get to explore more of Bocas on your own time. You get to essentially make up your own tour as long as long as it fits within a half (or full) day. It’s a little bit more expensive as it would probably be $50-100 to have the boat to yourself for a day, but you get to do and see a ton of stuff. I would suggest hitting up snorkeling spots (Hospital Point, Coral Gardens, Cayo Coral) and then either going to Zapatillas and hanging out or to Starfish Beach/Isla Pajaros. If you have a full day, you could go to all of these places and maybe more depending on how long you spend in each place. Have your hotel/hostel recommend a boat driver so you know you are getting a decent price.

Learn more about Cayos Zapatillas here.

ISLA CRISTOBAL

San Cristóbal is most know for an area of the island called Dolphin Bay, which is home to an extended family of bottle-nose dolphins. They can often be spotted swimming in the calm bay water. The island is another mangrove island without any sandy beaches, but it boasts great shallow coral reef for snorkeling. Another smaller island just west of San Cristóbal is Isla Pastores. This island is often a forgotten area because it’s a little out of the way from Bocas Town, but it’s truly a beautiful island. The calm water and amazing reef offers some of the best snorkeling around.

1. PANAMA HORSEBACK ADVENTURES

ABOUT: The only way to see the interior of Isla Solarte is to go on a horseback riding adventure. You can trail ride through the jungle of the island with view points out to the ocean while seeing wildlife and learning about Ngobe culture. Panama Horseback Adventures offers a full or half day tour, as well as an “expert ride” for people who are familiar with horseback riding. You can learn more about the tour and make a reservation at the website www.panamahorseback.com.

GETTING THERE: Boat transportation is included in the price of the tour. Make a tour reservation on the website www.panamahorseback.com.

2. GREEN ACRES CHOCOLATE FARM

ABOUT: Green Acres is a cacao farm located technically on the mainland of Panama. Although it is on the “darklands” it is connected to Cristobal by Dolphin Bay so I have included it here. This farm is home to the rare Criollo cacao tree - native to Central America and the Caribbean Islands. This type of cacao makes up only 5% of all cacao in the world and so is very rare and sought after. The farm offers two hour long tours that show you how cacao is grown and processed. Afterwards, you get to try products made from the cacao grown there. The two hour tour costs $15 and includes a hike through the jungle and cacao tasting. Reservations are required so you will need to send a message via the contact page of their website (www.greenacreschocolatefarm.com).

GETTING THERE: The water taxi price is not included in the tour cost. You will need to take a water taxi from Bocas Town to the farm. Most drivers will know where the farm is, otherwise there is a map and directions listed on the website to show your driver. The farm is closed on Wednesdays.

3. DOLPHIN BAY

ABOUT: Bocas has its own separated community of bottle-nosed dolphin that are unique to the waters of Bocas del Toro. Specifically, these dolphins hang out in the aptly named Dolphin Bay. A lot of tours make stops at Dolphin Bay as part of the tour. Most of the time, the boat drivers just chase the dolphins around to try to let tourists take photos. I would highly suggest going to a restaurant or hotel located along Dolphin Bay and try to spot dolphins from the shore. I know it can be tempting to want to see cute animals on a tour, but you should be mindful of how this is actually impacting the wildlife and the ecosystem. It could also be nice to hang out in Dolphin Bay in a kayak or private boat (with the engine off), and wait for dolphins to come to you.

GETTING THERE: Again, it is common for Dolphin Bay to be a stop on a day tour so if that is the case then you don’t need to worry about getting there. Otherwise, contact a hotel or eco-lodge located on Dolphin Bay and ask if they rent kayaks or if you can come dolphin watch from their docks for a little bit. You could also hire a boat driver to be your personal driver for the whole day and make your own personal tour. This way you could have them stop and wait in Dolphin Bay with the motor off. You could watch from the boat for dolphins to swim by instead of chasing them around with the boat.

FIND A PLACE TO STAY ON ISLA CRISTOBAL

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ISLA SOLARTE

Solarte is just south of Bastimentos and about a 10-15 minute boat ride from Bocas Town. This island doesn’t have much in the way of beaches because most of the shoreline is mangroves, but this island makes up for it with it’s amazing coral reef. It’s one of the best islands to snorkel and dive. It also has one of the best over-water restaurants and bar. For $5 you can catch a one-way boat ride from Bocas Town and get dropped off at the Blue Coconut restaurant. They welcome all visitors to enjoy swimming in the crystal clear water and even have free snorkel gear for exploring an awesome reef next to the restaurant.

1. HOSPITAL POINT SNORKELING

ABOUT: Hospital Point is known as the best snorkeling spot in all of Bocas. It is located right off a point of Solarte Island where the hospital of Bocas used to be. The reef starts at 3 meters and then descends until it becomes a wall 16 meters deep. This reef wall is a hot spot for marine life. Unlike most other spots in Bocas where you see vibrant corals and small, tropical fish, at Hospital Point you can see large marine life like sea turtles, king crabs, nurse sharks, rays, and much more. Visibility can be poor from freshwater run off so it might be smart to ask a dive shop about visibility before going.

GETTING THERE: There are two different options for getting to Hospital Point. You can either get your own water taxi for a full or half day and have them take you to this spot (along with others), or you can kayak there from another island. There are not really tours that go here so you’ll have to find your own way there. Hiring your own water taxi for the day is a great way to get to explore more of Bocas on your own time. You get to essentially make up your own tour as long as long as it fits within a half (or full) day. It’s a little bit more expensive as it would probably be $50-100 to have the boat to yourself for a day, but you get to do and see a ton of stuff. I would suggest hitting up snorkeling spots (Hospital Point, Coral Gardens, Cayo Coral) and then either going to Zapatillas and hanging out or to Starfish Beach/Isla Pajaros. If you have a full day, you could go to all of these places and maybe more depending on how long you spend in each place. Have your hotel/hostel recommend a boat driver so you know you are getting a decent price.

2. CORAL GARDENS SNORKELING

ABOUT: On the opposite side of Solarte, is another good snorkeling (and diving) spot called the Coral Gardens, or sometimes Grandma’s Garden. This has some of the healthiest corals in all of Bocas and is a great opportunity for seeing many different types of vibrant corals, as well as tons of fish and eagle rays. If it is the right season there is also a chance to see Hawksbill and Green Sea Turtles.

GETTING THERE: There is really only one way to get here. You will need to hire your own water taxi for a full (or half) day and have them take you to the snorkeling spot and wait there with you while you snorkel. Hiring your own water taxi for the day is a great way to get to explore more of Bocas on your own time. You get to essentially make up your own tour as long as long as it fits within a half (or full) day. It’s a little bit more expensive as it would probably be $50-100 to have the boat to yourself for a day, but you get to do and see a ton of stuff. I would suggest hitting up snorkeling spots (Hospital Point, Coral Gardens, Cayo Coral) and then either going to Zapatillas and hanging out or to Starfish Beach/Isla Pajaros. If you have a full day, you could go to all of these places and maybe more depending on how long you spend in each place. Have your hotel/hostel recommend a boat driver so you know you are getting a decent price.

3. BLUE COCONUT

ABOUT: The Blue Coconut is a restaurant/bar located on its own small island off of the island of Solarte. It has a giant patio with lots of beach chairs to lay out on and also hammocks swinging above and sometime in the ocean. The water here is perfectly blue and about waist deep so you can get in for a swim and snorkeling. The restaurant has snorkeling masks for free but you have to ask them directly if you can use them. This is a good place to spend the day in the sun and swimming in the crystal, blue water. This is also a great spot to watch the sunset! Lots of places on Bocas, especially on Colon, are facing the opposite direction of the sunset so there is few good sunset watching opportunities. Come to the Blue Coconut mid-afternoon to catch some sun and then stay to watch the sunset before heading back on a water taxi.

GETTING THERE: Grab a water taxi in Bocas Town and tell them you want to go to the Blue Coconut. The taxi costs $5 per person each way. The restaurant can call you a taxi whenever you want to go back or you can arrange for the guy who dropped you off to come back and pick you up at a set time.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFO TO KNOW: Filthy Friday’s uses Blue Coconut as one of its stops. I don’t think it is even possible to go here on Friday, but if it is, I would suggest you still not go. Filthy Friday’s is a day long party of backpackers that moves from bar to bar around the islands. I would avoid any place associated with the event on Friday unless you want to go to Filthy Friday’s - then sign up the day before and follow the set schedule.

FIND A PLACE TO STAY ON ISLA SOLARTE

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ISLA POPA

Isla Popa and Cayo Agua are both stunning islands with completely untouched beaches and shorelines. Isla Popa is about a 35-45 minute boat ride from Bocas Town, so it’s not a popular tourist stop, making it a great spot for the super adventurous types to explore jungle and beaches without other tourists in sight. There is plenty of great fishing holes and reef out this way. Plus, discover some of the area’s best hidden surf breaks in Cayo de Agua. These breaks have no names and most days these lonely waves go completely unridden.

1. SPEND A FEW DAYS AT AN ECO-LODGE

ABOUT: There are a good amount of eco-lodges scattered across all of the islands of Bocas, but if you want to spend some time on Popa this is pretty much the only way you’ll be able to get there. There is pretty much nothing on Isla Popa except for a few hotels and private residences. There are no tours that go here, and no tourist infrastructure. So one way to explore around Popa is to stay at an eco-lodge. Most places have their own trails or guides that can help you to explore some of Popa and see wildlife around where you are staying. Some of these eco-lodges include Laguna Azul Eco Lodge, De La Luna, Popa Paradise Beach Resort, and Urraca Private Island Resort. These range in pricing and ratings.

GETTING THERE: From Bocas Town, you can have a water taxi take you and your bags to your hotel. Most drivers know all of the hotels on the islands. Otherwise, your hotel can probably arrange for a certain driver to pick you up in Bocas Town and drop you off. Prices vary based on which hotel you stay in (and how far it is from Bocas Town).

2. CAYO DE AGUA SNORKELING AND SURFING

ABOUT: Cayo de Agua is one of the small cayes located just to the east of Isla Popa. Very few people ever make it out to Cayo de Agua but it is one of the best spots for surfing in all of Bocas. None of the breaks have names and rarely anyone surfing on them, just because it is complicated to get out there. But if you do manage to make it there, you’ll have some of the best waves in Bocas all to yourself. This area is also a great spot for snorkeling and diving.

GETTING THERE: If you are staying in a hotel or rental on Isla Popa, then it would be easy for you to hop over to Cayo de Agua. Each hotel probably has a boat they can take you with to drop you off at a snorkel or surf spot for the day. Otherwise, you will need to take a water taxi from Bocas Town. This will be about a 40 minute boat ride. They can either wait with you for the day or you can arrange to have them come back and pick you up at a certain time.