We had gone to two European cities and loved them both. For our third nest, we decided to try something different, though. Al grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and loves the beach and warm weather. We both scuba dive and snorkel. And February in Virginia can be cold… so we chose Bocas del Toro, Panama for our next nest.

We had visited Bocas ten years ago, so we knew a little bit of what to expect and had a few contacts for a place to stay. So we packed up our bathing suits and snorkels and set off to Panama.

What We Loved About Bocas Del Toro

Okay, this place is ridiculously beautiful. There are white, sandy beaches, coconut palms everywhere, and the water is that turquoise blue that is in every travel poster. Wow. Just wow.

The snorkeling and diving are really good. Snorkelers especially will love it, as the water is pretty smooth and shallow and there’s lots of nice, colorful coral. You can easily get to some pretty remote spots where there aren’t a lot of other divers/snorkelers. Although we don’t surf or fish, we understand the surfing and fishing are great here, too.

There’s some really good food here. Best pineapples ever, and the fish and seafood are great. If you eat like a Panamanian, you can eat pretty cheaply, too.

There are plenty of unspoiled wild places very nearby. Bastimantos Island is half wildlife preserve, and there’s a pretty large wildlife area right on Colon Island, too. You’ll see sloths, parrots and dolphins for sure, probably monkeys, and maybe even toucans and anteaters.

There’s an excellent Spanish language school here, Habla Ya.  We took advantage and learned Spanish while we were here.

It’s tropical hot and humid, but because you’re on the water or close to it everywhere, you nearly always have sea breezes. It’s not too bad.

What We Didn’t Love about Bocas Del Toro

Chiggers. Sand Fleas. Yuck. Gotta wear bug spray when you’re on some of the beaches or your legs will be polka-dotted. (especially Bibi’s Beach)

When you’re tired of being in the water, being on the beach or hiking, there’s really not much else to do. The town is quite small and is pretty much completely made up of restaurants, hostels and grocery stores. There is only one ATM in the area. The town is very tired looking and there’s a fair amount of trash around.

In Bocas, you can’t drink the tap water. You have to buy water and keep it in jugs in your apartment.

Traveling to Bocas and back home is challenging, with difficult connections and tight baggage restrictions.

You’re on an island. Some things are surprisingly expensive. (Such as shampoo)

Getting to Bocas Del Toro from Panama City: Getting to the actual islands can be challenging. There is a flight that leaves from the xxx airport daily. (not the main airport in Panama City, but the airport by the old canal zone, xxxx). The drawback of taking this flight is that it has a very strict baggage weight limit. You may only bring xxxxx. The advantage is that it is quick and the plane will land just outside Bocas town – walkable with your limited baggage.

However, there is another way. There are overland busses that leave from Panama City throughout the day to Axxxx. While comfortable and inexpensive (just $27.80 per person) the ride is eleven hours long. When you arrive in Axxx, you must get a short taxi ride to water taxis which will then take you to Bocas del Toro. (water taxis from Axxx to Bocas cost $6 each.) It’s an exhausting trip, probably best taken at night, so you don’t waste a day of travel. However, don’t count on being able to sleep much – the bus makes frequent stops for bathrooms, etc, and parts of the road are windy and bumpy, making sleep difficult. They also keep the bus very cool, so it may be the only place in all of Panama where you will want to dress warmly. If you take the overnight bus, it is recommended that you take the last bus. It will get you to Axxx at about 5:30 to 6am, and you might still have to wait for the water taxis to open.

If you decide to take the bus, you will need to go to the bus station. It is across the street from a major shopping mall at the end of the metro line. Come early – the Panama City bus station may rival their airport in size, and you can’t buy tickets in advance. It’s crowded and huge and a bit overwhelming. You’ll find the bus Axxxx Bocas by Lounge D, and when we went, it was gate B-31.  It will say Bocas de Toro on the overhead sign. You will need to show your passport to buy tickets. If you are travelling with someone else and want to sit together, make sure you buy tickets together, as seats on the bus are assigned. The busses are comfortable, with reclining seats, USB plugs and curtains over the windows. There was a bathroom in the back of the bus that we took – however no one used it, but rather got off to use the (often sketchy) restrooms when the bus made rest stops. Axxxx is the second stop the bus makes, and it is not the end of the line, so make sure that you get off then. It will be very obvious – the bus will turn on all its lights inside and a loud announcement will be made. Impossible to sleep through! There will be enough enterprising taxi drivers where the bus stops (in the middle of an empty parking lot) to take you to the water taxis.

Bocas del Toro is a typical scruffy little Central American town. It’s teaming with tourists, all patting themselves on the back for being so adventurous. If you just look at the town, you’ll wonder why you worked so hard to get there, but if you love outdoor adventure, it’s a great place to be.

Bocas del Toro is not the place for anyone who has physical limitations. It’s a snorkeling, diving, hiking, surfing paradise, but there’s little to do outside of that.