A loose plan for a first visit, built around the water and the walk into town.
Day one: the water at your door
Start with a swim off the Boathouse ladder and coffee on the lower deck. Late in the morning, walk seven minutes into town and take a water taxi across to Isla Carenero, two to five minutes over the channel, for lunch at one of its relaxed waterside restaurants and an afternoon on the beach. Back home, climb to the upper deck for sunset, then walk into Bocas Town for dinner.
Day two: a jungle beach
Water taxis reach Red Frog Beach on Isla Bastimentos in about fifteen minutes; a path fee of about $5 applies from the landing. For somewhere wilder, Wizard Beach is a twenty-minute forest walk from Bastimentos Town, though its currents are strong, so swim with care. If you would rather be under the water, ask in town about trips to Hospital Point on Isla Solarte, one of the most popular dive sites in Bocas.
Worth timing your trip for
From April to August, guided walks at Bluff Beach on Isla Colón offer a chance to see nesting sea turtles; leatherbacks come ashore from mid-February to July. From December to April the surf is at its biggest, and Bluff becomes a show of its own. For the weather side of planning, see our guide to the best time to visit Bocas del Toro.
