The Bocas del Toro are a collection of islands off the northwestern coast of Panama, quite close to the border with Costa Rica.
While planning my Central America trip, I wanted it to be as varied as possible, visiting both big cities and small towns, gorgeous beaches and remote forests. The Bocas del Toro were to be the final stop in Panama, finishing up an incredible week in one of my new favourite countries.
We had started in the east in Panama City from where we made our way across the country to Santa Catalina to snorkel in Coiba National Park. From there, we turned inland towards the forests of Panama and the Lost and Found Hostel.
My Central America trip covered five countries in five weeks; the first three (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua) with my partner Tobi and the last two (Guatemala, Belize) with Ina, one of my best friends from Salzburg.
Although it was a lot of work, I made daily vlogs on Instagram reels of every single day of my Central America trip which I branded "the backpacking series".
→ Check out my episode of the Backpacking Series from traveling to the Bocas del Toro!
We spent four days and three nights in the Bocas del Toro and genuinely loved it; it would end up being one of my favourite destinations of my entire Central America trip. Here is my guide:
We traveled to Bocas del Toro from the Lost and Found Hostel in the Fortuna Forest Reserve, but I've also included some tips for traveling to and from both the Costa Rican border and Panama City, depending on how you're getting to Bocas del Toro.
By ferry: Whether you travel by bus, ferry or private shuttle, you'll need to take a ferry from Almirante to Bocas Town. I honestly can't tell you the schedule of the ferries; we showed up at the ferry terminal, bought tickets and simply waited for there to be enough people for the staff to run a ferry across. The 45-minute ferry cost us USD $10 per person at the time of writing for a roundtrip ticket (or USD $6 for a one-way).
By bus: We took the bus leaving Lost and Found for our next destination of Bocas del Toro on the northern coast. Buses run from David to Almirante about every half-hour; just wave at one as it comes past down the road and let them know where you're headed. This direct bus takes between three and four hours from Lost and Found to Almirante and cost us USD $8 per person at the time of writing.
If you're traveling from Panama City, you would also take a bus to David and then transfer to the bus to Almirante. National bus tickets can be purchased inside the Albrook bus terminal; look for the booth with the name of the city you're trying to reach.
→ Check out my detailed guide to spending 24 hours in Panama City, including traveling to and from!
From Almirante bus terminal, we shared a short taxi ride with other backpackers from our bus for USD $1 each (between six of us) to reach the ferry terminal.
By shuttle: You can also book a private shuttle to reach the ferry terminal for Bocas del Toro. We used a shuttle between Santa Catalina and David, which we booked with Shuttle in Panama and had a great experience.
We also took a shuttle leaving Bocas del Toro heading for Costa Rica, but wouldn't recommend it. They touted it to us as we got off the ferry and while it sounded good the way it was pitched, it ended up being expensive (compared to the bus), left about two hours late and the staff were pretty rude to us. If we could do it again, we'd opt for the bus - we only had good experiences on public buses across Panama.
By car: If you have decided to travel through Panama or Central America by car, you can also travel to the ferry terminal with your own wheels. I don't have any experience with driving in Panama or parking at the ferry terminal so please do your own research here.
By flight: Bocas del Toro does also have its own small airport and you can fly directly between San Jose in Costa Rica and Panama City. I use Google Flights to find the best flights.
Almirante ferry terminal
Leaving mainland
The ferry between Almirante and Bocas del Toro
Approaching Bocas del Toro
The ferry terminal in Bocas Town
The main town of Bocas del Toro is on the main island of Isla Colón and is known simply as Bocas Town. The ferry from Almirante on the mainland will arrive here. Bocas Town is bustling and does have plenty of options for dining, shopping and staying.
However I recommend staying on a different island to really get that island vibe!
To get in between different islands, you simply need to grab a local water taxi, let them know where you're going and agree on a price. We took ours from Isla Colón to the island we were staying on, Isla Solarte from the water taxi stop near the ferry terminal which cost us USD $5 per person at the time of writing.
Water taxi stop in Bocas Town
Arriving to Bambuda Lodge on Isla Solarte
This Central America trip is a backpacking one so we stayed in hostels throughout the trip. I spent a lot of time researching Bocas del Toro and which island to stay on. I found in general that Bocas del Toro is much more expensive compared to the rest of Panama and so this ended up being our most expensive accommodation.
I chose the Bambuda Lodge on Isla Solarte and can hands down recommend it; it was probably my favourite place to stay from the entire Central America trip. We spent my birthday, Valentine's Day and my partner's birthday (three days in a row!) here and genuinely had the best time. We enjoyed a private room for this hostel with a shared bathroom with lovely hot showers. Best part? We saw a sloth in a tree right from our balcony!
As the Bambuda Lodge is on an island away from Bocas Town, it very much feels like an all-inclusive, but at hostel prices. A delicious restaurant on site serves up mouthwatering breakfast, lunch and dinner plus snacks and drinks in between, with tons of vegan options.
There is a big pool overlooking the ocean, complete with a water slide! There are kayaks, SUPs and water boards available. Dotted around the pool are tons of comfy hammocks, sunbeds and rope nets to chill out in, snooze, read books and sun tan. In the main part of the lodge, there is loads of seating and outlets, perfect for working remotely.
Bambuda Lodge offers daily activites, including a welcome drink and meet and greet for all new arrivals, yoga classes, island hikes and pub crawls.
→ Book your stay at the Bambuda Lodge.
→ Check out the reel I made about our time at Bambuda Lodge!
Bambuda Lodge
Our private room
With a balcony to spot sloths!
When you arrive in Bocas Town on the ferry, you might feel just like us: hungry and tired from the trip to get here! We beelined it to Amaranto for a delicious lunch (for my birthday!) and I can definitely recommend it.
For the rest of our trip, we dined at the Bambuda Lodge on Isla Solarte. There is a delicious restaurant on site serving up mouthwatering breakfasts, lunches and dinners plus snacks and drinks in between, with tons of vegan options!
We spent three nights and four days on Isla Solarte in the Bocas del Toro and used it as a chance to rest during our long, multi-country backpacking trip. Therefore, we spent all our time either hanging out at the Bambuda Lodge or taking part in the different activities on offer.
Having said that, there are so many cool spots to explore in the Bocas del Toro and I can highly recommend checking out GetYourGuide to see what other adventures you might want to have during your visit.
Here is my guide to all the best things to do at Bambuda Lodge and on Isla Solarte:
Hang out at the pool
Honestly, the best activity to do at Bambuda Lodge is just to chill out. Pull up a sun lounger or find a hammock to hang out in, grab a book, occasionally dip in the pool or join in a game of pool volleyball and just enjoy.
Go down the water slide straight into the ocean
You read that right - grab a boogie board and ride the water slide straight into the ocean. You do have to sign a waiver first, so partake at your own risk!
Catch the early morning light over the water
We woke up early on our last morning at the lodge to catch the first light from the edge of the pool deck before breakfast and it was magic, listening to the sounds of the world waking up over the ocean.
Do a yoga class
You can sign up at reception for one of the morning yoga classes on offer. A local teacher offers a beginner-friendly yoga practice a few mornings a week and it was seriously cool to do some yoga outdoors in the jungle. Best part? The hostel dog joined in at the end!
Catch up on some work
Work? On holiday? Hear me out - Bambuda Lodge has a really inviting and cozy work/chill out space overlooking the pool and it's the perfect place to settle in with your phone or laptop for a few hours and get some work done. Sort your photos, post on Instagram, write blog posts, FaceTime your friends and family you haven't spoken to in a while...!
Go on a muddy hike across the island
A few days a week, you can join a guided hike across Isla Solarte. You have to go with a guide because it's barely marked and very muddy. You can borrow rubber boots from the hostel and then trek your way through gorgeous, untouched jungle, spotting red frogs, lots of bugs and birds and maybe even some sloths as you go. The hike ends at the postcard-worthy Hospital Point beach where you can wash off all the mud from your hike! A hostel boat picks you up at the end to bring you back to the lodge - thankfully it's a one-way trek.
→ Check out my complete guide to hiking across Isla Solarte!
BOOK AN EXPERIENCE IN BOCAS DEL TORO!
PIN THIS POST TO REFER BACK TO LATER!
GET READY TO TRAVEL!
— Book tours and experiences - with GetYourGuide
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (North America)
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (Europe)
— Find a place to stay - with Booking.com
— Choose a hostel to stay at - with Hostelworld
— Purchase global travel insurance - with World Nomads
— Load an international eSim on your phone - with AirAlo
— Start your own travel blog - with Hostinger
— Join the GetYourGuide Travel Creator Community - with GetYourGuide
Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
