Bocas is also home to the oldest Panamanian Marine Park,  The Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos, which invites you to enjoy the fauna and flora that is so unique to the islands.

Being both wild and beautiful, Bocas offers a wide range of tourist attractions including a hefty dose of surf and sun. In addition to being the long time roost of Chiquita Banana, the mainland is also home to the Binational Parque International La Amistad.

This Unesco world heritage site supports a wide range of fauna as well as the Ngobe-Bugle settlements where inhabitants still live life in their traditional manner. In addition, this area is home to the elusive Jaguar and one of the only remaining Naso Tribes in the Americas to retain their traditional monarchy.

For many visitors in search of a paradise getaway, the perfect Bocas cocktail of thatched luxury accommodations and endless fun in the waters, nevery disappoints. While it is true that the secret is out and there is no sign of development slowing down, this boom in interest does have the locals debating if the increase in tourism can be sustained with the present infrastructure.

As with all beautiful places that become popular, the charm and character of a place rarely stay that way, so for those wishing to see Bocas del Toro as the wonderful Caribbean getaway, you should get here soon!

Finding the right location is often the hardest aspect of your search, particularly when you don´t know both the pros and cons of staying on any of the different islands, suburbs or areas where vacation rentals are available.

Our Bocas Del Toro Vacation Rentals Guide will help you decide where to look for the best accommodation options that the islands have to offer so that you can be confident that are getting exactly the type of holiday experience you really want – be it with us, or elsewhere!

Holiday Rentals on the Big Island

There are various vacation rentals available on the Isla Colon, the big island, and each has its own set of pros and cons.  The various areas that you may find of interest include Drago Beach, Bluff Beach, Big Creek, Saigon Bay and Bocas Town.

Drago Beach

Drago Beach is located on the north side of the island, approximately 20 miles from the Airport.  Cycling to Drago Beach is a challenge with many hills to navigate.  Buses run to the north end from town on a daily basis every two hours with return buses running until 5pm in the afternoon at just $5 round trip.  Many of the rentals homes may be a distance from the village, so ensure that you are close enough to be able to catch the bus if you want to do a bit of sightseeing.

Pros:-

• The beaches at Drago are of the best on the island with Starfish Beach being the most popular.
• There are a couple of restaurants in the local village
• The area has fantastic bird watching and howler monkey sighting
• Off Grid, isolated with plenty of private beaches and coves

Cons:-

• Town is at least a half hour away by taxi, costing $15.00 one way on average
• Limited amenities such as wifi
• No local grocery stores

Bluff Beach Rentals

Bluff Beach is located on the east side of the island, approximately 15 miles from the Airport.  While it is possible to cycle to Bluff Beach, it is not for the faint of heart, particularly on hot and humid days or after a couple of drinks in town.  Taxis are expensive, but can be caught in town.  Find out from your rental accommodation owner if they offer a mobile phone for ordering taxis to get into town, as they don´t drive up to the Bluff all that often, so you may need to order them if you are staying in that area.  Also enquire if there are bicycles available with the rental so that you can get around if the mood takes you.

Pros:-

• Bluff beach is a long beach with great beach brakes for surfing and is well documented as one of the best surf beaches in the area
• The beaches are large and spacious so that you can find your own personal stretch
• On grid living, so not as many electricity issues, but not all the properties will have access to wifi

Cons:-

• No local grocery stores
• Requires taxi service to town costing around $30.00 (to go and come back)

Big Creek Rentals

Big Creek is located just ten minutes out of Bocas town and offers both beachside rentals as well as jungle accommodations.  Rentals in this area are both convenient for being close to town, around a ten minute cycle, yet being far enough out of town to feel secluded and idyllic.  Big Creek gets its name from a creek that runs into the sea and there are a number of little beach areas that you can swim in, but the better beaches are Paunch (another great surf beach) and Bluff, which are down the road.  Taxis to Big Creek are far less expensive at around $2.00 and run regularly.

Pros:-

• Big Creek has a few hotels with restaurants nearby
• On grid living, but still some limitations on wifi access – ask your vacation rental owner if they have internet set up on their property.
• Both jungle and beachfront rental accommodation

Cons:-

• No local grocery stores

Saigon Bay Rentals

Saigon Bay is located on the outskirts of Bocas town and is just a $0.60 taxi ride from town whilst feeling a world away.  Situated on the quite bay of Saigon, it is the ideal location for kayaking and offers the best sunset views.  Saigon is only a short walk into town with Ismito Beach located across from the bay.

Pros:-

• Saigon is close to Bocas town without being in the hustle and bustle of the town centre
• Various local and world restaurants in the area catering for all budgets and tastes
• On grid living with extensive wifi connectivity
• Ideal for kayaking in the secluded bay
• Numerous local grocery store within walking distance

Cons:-

• Weekends can be a little livelier with music being heard from various locations on the water and beach.

Bocas Town Rentals

Bocas town is a collection of accommodation options and backpackers as well as various restaurants, bars and eclectic shops.   Taking a taxi around town will cost you $0.60 except if you catch it from the airport to town which will set you back $1.00.  Bocas town comes alive at night as people return from the beaches and set about enjoying the night life.  With a wide range of restaurants to choose from, you will find something to suit your palette, while not breaking the bank or you could choose to splurge and enjoy what the island has to offer by tempting your taste-buds in some of our favourite restaurants.

Pros:-

• Close to the airports if you have an early morning flight
• Within walking distance of all the shop, restaurants, bars and grocery stores
• Access to various wifi spots in town.

Cons:-

• No beaches within walking distance worth visiting
• Loud and noisy at night in some locations

Finding vacation rentals on the other islands brings with it a range of different experiences as each of the islands has a feel and character of its own.  Rental accommodations can be found on Carenero, Bastimentos, Solarte as well as many of the other smaller islands.

Carenero Island Rentals

Carenaro Island has a distinctive Indian flavour and there are a range of great surfing spots to be found.  While the beaches are limited to just a few small ones dotted around the island itself, this island has a wonderful tropical feel with large numbers of palm trees lining the beaches.  Taking a taxi from town to the island will cost you $1.00 and they run regularly from various docks.

Pros:-

• Many beach restaurants and bars to choose from
• Small local grocery stores on the island
• Easy and cheap access to Bocas Town
• Although only 100 meters off from Bocas Town, the island feels a lifetime away

Cons:-

• Some rentals may offer limited amenities
• Beaches are small and can be somewhat crowded

Bastimentos Island Rentals

Bastimentos has a strong creole population in Bastimentos town with some Indian villages to be found on the far side of the island.  Taxis to the island cost between $2-$3 and water taxis can be hailed from any dock along the waterfront.  Bastimentos has a collection of excellent beaches, some fantastic bars and restaurants.  Due to the strong creole influence, this island feels very different from the others in the archipelago and with its remote access, can be a challenge if you wish to get around and island hop.

Pros:-

• Some of the best beaches in the archipelago
• Easy access to Bocas Town – except on bad weather days
• Plenty of Restaurants and bars to frequent
• Small local grocery stores found in Bastimentos Town

Cons:-

• Limited internet access on the island
• Remote location means any trips will require taxi costs

Outer Lying Island Rentals

There are numerous outer laying islands such as Solarte, Popa and more.  Although the accommodations on these islands will vary considerably, the advantages of staying this remotely are relatively the same, no matter what island you choose to stay on.

Pros:-

• Remote locations with idyllic retreat accommodations

Cons:-

• Remote locations require more boat taxi fares should you wish to sightsee
• Not always located near beaches
• Seldom are there grocery stores nearby
• Limited amenities

Finding the right location for your vacation rental in Bocas Del Toro includes knowing a range of information such as what additional costs you may face by being remote, or not having internet access or not being able to pop to the shops to pick up some beers for the bbq.  Finding the right location and the right accommodations will make your holiday experience that much more enjoyable and relaxing and will allow you to enjoy your holiday in Bocas Del Toro that much more.

For two weeks students conducted a series of snorkeling surveys that examined the sea stars size, abundance, feeding behavior, and movement.

Starfish beach has many visitors every year and many visitors to the islands are unaware that repeatedly picking up sea stars may harm these animals. Sea stars are covered in small gills, and so if they are lifted out of the water, they are unable to breathe.

In addition, they have a second stomach that they extrude and externally digest their food when sea stars are picked up, even under the water, they pull in this stomach and stop feeding.

Kovacs has created and added signs into restaurants in the hope of educating people about the dangers they pose to the sea stars when touching and moving them just in order to get their ‘sea star selfie’.

Many people have the ‘Its only one’ mentality but when hundreds of people have this mentality it is not ONLY ONE. Your Instagram is not worth a sea star death.

This project has been very close to Claudia and Marlins hearts for a long time and with plastic and waste pollution becoming an ever growing issue. This project hopes to make a impact on the waste management of this piece of paradise.

This organisation is run purely on the energy of volunteers and funded with personal investments from Tom Wright the founder of Wasteless World and donations from community.

The project which has only been going for a few weeks, has already made its mark on recycling here on Isla Colon and with organizing frequent beach clean ups for the surrounding islands its not just Isla Colon they are helping. Here are some alarming facts about waste pollution from their website:

• By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans.
• At least 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year. That’s similar to emptying a garbage truck of plastic into an ocean every minute.
• There is more microplastic in the ocean than there are stars in the Milky Way.
• The average person eats 74,000 microplastics each year, which polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from plastics are linked to harmful health effects, including various cancers, a weakened immune system, reproductive problems and more.
• The demand for plastic products is expected to grow up to 36% in the next 6 years.

The founder of Wasteless World Tom Wright, pondered on the question how he can influence the environmental world. He created Wasteless World with the long term objective of changing global policy, to lead to a more sustainable future.

His aim is to build plastic workshops run by members of the community which shred, melt and mould plastic bottles and containers into materials which can be used for building.

Both locations are an easy and fun kayak or paddle away and as we have snorkeling gear and life vests that you are welcome to use free of charge from our dock, allowing you to have a fun day out at no cost.

Snorkeling around the mangroves is unique in it’s corals and ocean life.  You’ll see a wonderful collection of smaller fish as they make the mangroves their nesting grounds along with starfish. 

For a collection of tropical fish head out towards the cement posts to see the colors of the corals and fish come to life.  If you like a little excitement, laying down on the beach just at the beginning of the runway when the planes come into land is a thrill not many get to experience.

We presently have multiple kayaks for our guests to use free of charge including 6 single and 1 tandem kayak.  We’ll help you get them into the water and show you where the Smithsonian Institute is located just around the corner. 

There are mangrove snorkeling spots along with some coral reefs which are great to kayak too, and if you are inclined, you can jump into the water and enjoy a little snorkeling too.  Ask us for snorkel gear if you don’t have any of your own.

All of our kayaks are very easy to use with few or no breaking parts, so no matter what level of experience you have, you’ll easily be able to enjoy the bay, even those going out for the very first time.

Dolphins have been seen in the bay on occasion, so come and enjoy our bay with us and make the most of being right on the water.

Call or WhatsApp us on (507) 64019021 or email us at overthewaterrentals@gmail.com

From the dock, it’s a 15 minute walk across through the jungle along a well set out footpath at the narrowest point of the island to the beach.

As this path runs through the national park and private property, there is a charge of $3 per person which helps to support the national park protection efforts. All too often you can see parrots, sloths and howler monkeys on the walk through to the beach.

Red Frog Beach itself is an almost 2 km long stretch of beautiful golden sand. The name of the beach is derived from the poison dart frogs that make the jungle their home.

At the beach, you will find a few restaurants along with beach chairs and covers. There are also secluded areas with natural shade that you can make use of.

To the right of the beach is a wonderful elevated outlook point, which is easy to reach and well worth a visit.

One of the most popular beaches on the Main island of Bocas del Toro. This wonderful beach is ideal for families due to the calm waters as it faces the mainland and not the open ocean. The water are calm for almost the entire year with the execption of during November and December when the waves can increase quite a bit.

Popular due to the selection of starfish that call this beach home, it’s important to remember not to pick the starfish out of the water as this kills them, so remember to take your snorkeling gear with you to really enjoy them in their own environment.

Getting There:

By Bus

To get to Starfish beach, you can collect the ‘Bocas del Drago’ bus from the park in town. The bus leaves town on the even hour, so 6,8,10,12,2,4,6 and returns on the odd hour with 5pm being the last bus back. Tickets on the bus are $5 return and the trip takes around 30-40 minutes.

By Taxi

You can also collect a taxi to the north end of the island which costs in the region of $30 for the taxi and can take up to 4 people.

By Water Taxi

Prefer a water taxi to take you all the way to the beach, consider making use of a private all day taxi. As our guests, we’d be happy to arrange one for you.

Once in Boca del Drago, it’s a short 10-15 minute walk along the beach to Starfish beach itself. Drago has a few quaint local restaurants where you can find some lunch or cold drinks.

The Public Tours include sailing to Dolphin Bay to watch the bottlenose dolphins play with a stop off at Coral Beds in the mangroves for a quick snorkel where you can see a full range of sea sponges, sea anemones and other fascinating sea creatures.

Lunch is served and you’ll enjoy a fresh sub sandwich and can purchase drinks on board at $1 per drink.

After Lunch is off again to the island of Solarte to enjoy another great snorkeling experience with reef fish and coral heads to amaze you.

Throughout the day, you can take advantage of fishing of the back of the catamaran and fresh fruit is on offer all the way home.

The catamaran is spacious allowing everyone to enjoy the calm and serene ocean and at just $48 per person inclusive of lunch, but not drinks, this is a great day out to be enjoyed by all ages.

For Private Tours, Contact them directly for more information and prices:

• OCASSAILING@GMAIL.COM
• (507) 757 9710 /  507 6464 4242
• WhatsApp +50764644242

Ready to fly through the tree tops with Red Frog Beach Canopy Tours?  This is by far the most thrilling adventure you can have with 7 ziplines including Tarzan Swings and Traversable Canopy Net.  For the more daring, there is also a Treetop Challenge Course.  

Ziplines are around 150 feet off the ground and you´ll be able to reach speeds of up to 42 miles an hour careening along the almost 1000 foot long lines.   See the rainforest as you have never seen it before.

Tours take place twice a day at 10am and 2pm leaving the Red Frog Beach Dock.  It is highly recommended to make a reservation and this can be done through their website at Red Frog Beach Canopy Tours.