We found Panama’s Bocas del Toro Archipelago to be the perfect place to unwind at the end of our trip around the country. Firstly, it’s very easy to explore the islands, due to their well-developed tourist infrastructure, with some really cool places to stay at.
Secondly, Bocas del Toro has some of the prettiest beaches we’ve come across in the Caribbean. As you might imagine, some of them are very popular, which means they can get quite crowded, but we also came across a couple of beautiful beaches we had completely to ourselves.
Here’s our personal top 5 list of must-see beaches on Isla Colón and Isla Bastimentos, the two most developed islands of the archipelago.
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The Most Beautiful Beaches on Isla Colón
Isla Colón is the most popular island of the Archipelago, but most visitors seem to stick to the surroundings of Bocas Town and to the Island’s northwestern coast. As you might expect, Starfish Beach draws some crowds, but the other beaches around the island get far fewer visitors.
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Top 3 Places to Stay on Bocas del Toro
Budget Option: Cliff’s Hostel
Midrange: Selina Red Frog (pictured)
Luxury Choice: Eclypse de Mar Acqua Lodge
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Playa Bluff
Playa Bluff is one of the prettiest beaches I’ve come across in the Caribbean, only rivalled by Dominica’s Hampstead Beach. Coconut palms lean over a stretch of smooth sand, crabs scuttle around, and tropical birds fly overhead – It’s hard to imagine strolling along a more paradisical beach.
What’s even better, is that not a lot of people seem to make it there. While we were there, we only met one Panamanian couple along the whole 5km-stretch of beach. The only drawback is that swimming is kind of dangerous here, due to the strong currents.
On the other hand, Playa Bluff is said to be a favourite among surfers, although we didn’t spot any while we were there. To get there, we took a taxi from near Bocas Town (4$ for the two of us after some bargaining) and afterwards walked back to town, which took us about 1.5 hours.
Boca del Drago (Starfish Beach)
Boca del Drago is usually referred to as Starfish Beach, due to the large amount of star fish lying in the shallow waters close to the shore. This is clearly the most popular beach on Isla Colón, and there are lots of people around, so if you prefer peace and quiet, maybe consider visiting Playa Bluff instead.
That said, it’s a little quieter at the eastern end of the beach near the mangroves, and we still spotted tons of starfish there. Just make sure to be very careful where you step while walking around in the water, and don’t even think of touching the starfish or taking them out of the water, which can severely hurt them.
To get to the beach, you can take the public bus (2$) from the western edge of Parque Simón Bolivar in Bocas Town to Boca del Drago Village and then walk along the western shore of the island for 20 minutes or so, until you reach the beach.
If you return in the afternoon, the bus can get quite full, so be prepared to either stand during the ride or wait for the next one if there are a lot of people in line before you.
Other Beaches on Isla Colón
The small Playa El Istmito is the closest beach to Bocas Town, but we didn’t find it particularly attractive and apparently, there are lots of sandflies around, too. So unless you’re seriously pressed for time, it pays picking one of the more far-flung beaches.
Another beach we came across on our walk back from Playa Bluff was Playa Paunch on the east coast of the island. We watched some surfers tackle the waves there, but the beach itself is very narrow and close to the road, so unless you’re a surfer yourself (and even then), I suggest you continue to the much prettier Playa Bluff.
The Most Beautiful Beaches on Isla Bastimentos
To be honest, we liked Isla Bastimentos a lot better than the more developed Isla Colón, as it’s still quite unspoilt, once you leave Red Frog Beach and its somewhat surreal housing developments behind you (which hardly anyone seems to do).
Playa Larga
Playa Larga was by far our favourite beach on the island, which was largely due to the fact, that we had the entire 6km stretch of beach completely to ourselves. What’s more, we didn’t meet a single soul walking to or from the beach. People really don’t seem to explore much of Isla Bastimentos by foot.
The beach sits within the confines of the Isla Bastimentos National Park and to get there, you’ll have to follow the northern coast of the island east from Red Frog Beach, which took us about 1.5 hours. It’s not too far, but at parts, the trail is quite overgrown and hard to follow and once we got closer to the beach, we sometimes found it easier to just wade through the water than walk through the underbrush.
On the way there, keep your eyes peeled for tiny Strawberry Poison Dart Frogs, of which we spotted quite a few on the trail, especially close to the edge of the National Park (there’s a big decaying wooden sign marking the border).
Once at the beach, you’ll notice some mangrove-lined sections of river estuary along the edge of the jungle. While we didn’t spot any crocodiles ourselves here, they are said to live on the island and these seem like ideal spots for them to laze around, so I suggest you steer clear.
Playa Polo
Before coming here, a lot of people told us that Playa Polo is the most beautiful beach in all of Bocas del Toro. While I have to admit that it’s very pretty with its small palm trees leaning horizontally over the ocean, I thought it didn’t come close to Playa Larga or Playa Bluff.
For me, the main reason to visit Playa Polo is its one-of-a-kind owner. The minute we arrived, Polo invited us to sit with him, offering us beer and what he called Coco Loco (Coconut filled with rum), while proceeding to talk to us in a heavy Patois, we sometimes found hard to understand.
He’s a cool guy and quite a character, and hanging out with him was the best part of our visit to the beach. Playa Polo can be found on the northern shore of the island, between Red Frog Beach and Playa Larga, shortly before the entrance to the National Park. Once again, lots of Strawberry Poison Dart Frogs can be found on the trails surrounding the beach.
Wizard Beach
Wizard Beach is a broad, jungle-backed swath of sand in the north-western part of the island. We met some other people here, but the beach is long enough for it to feel like you’re there on your own. If you visit Isla Bastimentos on a day trip from Isla Colón and arrive in Old Bank, this is the first beach you’ll come across.
To get there from Old Bank, you’ll just have to follow the small Wizard’s Beach Trail near the eastern end of the village. Keep your eyes peeled for sloths on the way – we spotted one in a Cecropia Tree close to the beach.
If you walk here from Red Frog Beach, there are some narrow jungle trails leading there through the forest. Once you’ve crossed the tiny headland at the western end of Red Frog beach, try to stick as close to the sea as possible. There are several trails, and the ones further inland lead into some swampy territory, which we found hard to cross.
Other Beaches on Isla Bastimentos
As it’s very close to most accommodation options on Isla Bastimentos, Red Frog Beach is the most popular beach on the island. There are lots of people around, and you can rent beach chairs, if that’s your thing.
Convenience is the main reason to drop by here, though. It’s still a nice beach, but can’t hold a candle to any of the other beaches we came across on the island.
Map of Bocas del Toro’s Top Beaches
All the beaches I described above can be found on this map of the Islands. The recommended beaches have dark red markers, the other mentioned beaches orange ones.
Where to Stay on Bocas del Toro
If you’re on a super tight budget, Bocas Town has some cheap hostels, like Cliff’s Hostel. Bocas Town is also the place to party, if that’s your thing. Otherwise, I recommend basing yourself on Isla Bastimentos, which we found to be a much nicer place. We stayed at a cool cabin in the jungle at Selina Red Frog.
If you’re after some luxury, Eclypse de Mar Acqua Lodge has very good reviews.