5 Brilliant Beaches in Bocas del Toro

One of the biggest attractions of Panama’s Bocas del Toro islands is undoubtedly the beaches. Long stretches of golden sand, fringed by palm trees; they tick all the boxes when it comes to the stereotypical exotic beaches from the brochures.

Whilst certain Bocas del Toro beaches offer some amenities, many remain undeveloped and still retain a certain wild charm, without a parasol in sight. We dodged Bocas' famous storms to visit some.

Red Frog Beach (Isla Bastimentos)

This is usually most sun-worshipers first port of call in Bocas del Toro. Red Frog Beach is a popular stretch of golden sand on the windswept northern side of Isla Bastimentos. This is one of the more developed beaches on the islands - a good place to have a lazy day on the beach sunbathing, with cafes and other amenities close by. Even on a cloudy day it's very picturesque. 

To get to Red Frog Beach, follow the stony path from the Isla Bastimento docks and bear left at the crossroads. There is a large café so you can’t miss the entrance.

Ironically we didn’t spot any of the tiny red frogs the beach takes it’s name from, but there were some hiding nearby..

Tortuga Beach (Isla Bastimentos)

Just adjacent to Red Frog Beach on the eastern side of the large cliff face is the lesser known – and for us, superior – Tortuga Beach. Lacking any facilities and slightly tricky to find at first, Tortuga Beach was virtually deserted and for the majority of our time there we had the entire beach to ourselves. Like Red Frog Beach, the waves crash in pretty fiercely and spray spectacularly against the cliff face.

I was disappointed not to find any of the tiny red poison dart frogs at Red Frog Beach but managed to track one down in Tortuga Beach’s undergrowth. Barely bigger than a thumbnail, getting it to stay still long enough for a photo was a challenge!

To get there, take the stony path from the Isla Bastimentos landing dock, branching right at Red Frog Beach and then turning left down a narrow pathway shortly afterwards.

Starfish Beach (Isla Colón)

No prizes for guessing what this beach is famous for. Under the shallow water in front of the beach are scores of starfish of all shapes and sizes ranging from some hefty adults to baby, palm-sized starfish.

It’s sad that signs have to be put in place to tell people not to touch the starfish like the one below – this should probably also have a section saying not to lift them out of the water. Unfortunately any search for Starfish Beach photos online will provide some mindless examples as to why.

Starfish beach isn’t directly accessible from the road. It’s around a ten minute walk along the palm-strewn beach from Playa Boca del Drago (main image), at the end of the westerly fork of the road that crosses Isla Colón. If you’ve hired a quad, it’s best to leave it near the collection of small restaurants at Boca del Drago and then follow the sandy path past the large house onto the beach. Then turn left and keep walking until you see the sign.

Hospital Point (Isla Solarte)

It may be just a short water taxi from lively - and at times grimy -Bocas Town but it feels like a million miles away. Hospital Point is a great snorkelling spot tucked away on little-visited Isla Solarte. It's included on some boat tour itineraries, but we were lucky enough to have the tiny beach to ourselves.

Taking its name from the first hospital to be built in the islands which was nearby, this tiny, shaded beach has a wonderfully secluded ‘desert island’ feel to it. In amongst the palm trees backing the beach you can see orange poison dart frogs. 

Unfortunately due to the heavy rainfall in the days before, the visibility wasn’t good enough to take any good quality underwater photos, but there were plenty of colourful tropical fish and plants to see.

To get there (without going as part of a tour group) take a water taxi across from Bocas Town and arrange a pick-up time.

Cayos Zapatilla

Found in the outer-lying reaches of Bocas del Toro, Cayos Zapatilla are two uninhabited islands famed for their pristine white sand and clear waters. The cays are surrounded by coral reefs filled with multi-coloured tropical fish. Given the distance and the lack of amenities, it’s best to try and visit on one of Bocas’ drier days, but there’s still something special about visiting an uninhabited tropical island whatever the weather.

It’s best to visit the Cays as part of a day trip from Isla Colón as they are too far away to get to by water taxi (around an hour and a half). Many operators will combine a visit here with other popular spots around the inner islands.

Which one of these Bocas beaches would you most like to visit?

Exploring Bocas del Toro by Catamaran

Sometimes when travelling your best laid plans are futile. For all your planning, wherever you are in the world you just end up at the mercy of the weather. This could've been one of those days in the Bocas del Toro archipelago in Panama - an area renowned for its fantastic beaches, but also its frequent rainfall.

It appeared we had not chosen our day to explore the islands by catamaran wisely. The sky was leaden with clouds and it was raining so hard on leaving our hotel I dispensed with normal ‘land’ clothes and just went straight to trunks and a diving undershirt.

On our arrival at the dock in Bocas Town there was a short discussion amongst the five in our group as we were unsure if the day’s trip would go ahead, but sure enough our captain arrived ready to set sail. Anyone that wanted to try their luck with the weather the following day was given the option to swap; given that it had rained at some point every day, and as seasoned veterans of UK summer downpours, we decided to go for it.

Dolphin Bay

Our first stop was a very windswept and rainy Dolphin Bay, around half an hour’s sail from Bocas Town. The visibility wasn’t great but after a short wait we managed to spot some arcing out of the water in front of us.

Mangrove Reef

Our next stop was Mangrove Reef – a more secluded spot sheltered by the dense mangroves that dot the seas around Bocas del Toro. By this point it was getting pretty chilly and damp out on the deck and it was a real treat to jump into the warm water.

I’ve always been more interested in marine animals than plants but the coral was absolutely fantastic, almost as if it had been painted like a gaudy aquarium ornament (in a positive way). There were some distinctive starfish lurking amongst the mass of tangled underwater plantlife, and despite the heavy rainfall, visibility was pretty good.  

The only downside was getting out of the water again, which felt like getting out of a warm bath when your bathroom has no heating.

Lunch was a delicious ham and cheese baguette which we ate in the inner sanctum of the catamaran out of the wind. Thankfully, fish – which usually seems to be served on this sort of trip - was not on the menu. I’ve always had a vague sense of guilt about enjoying watching fish under the water and then eating one immediately afterwards.

Feeding the Sergeant Majors

That may sound like a strange euphemism, but I’m talking about the yellow and black striped fish that are ubiquitous in many popular diving and snorkelling spots like the Caribbean and Red Sea. It turns out they’re quite partial to fruit and bread and we watched from the boat as they swarmed around the chunks of of food being thrown their way like vegetarian piranhas before jumping in for a closer look.

Any unfinished leftovers were finished off by the parrot fish lurking lower down in the depths. It was amazing seeing such huge swarms of fish feeding up close – and the weather even brightened up a bit by the time we were out of the water.

On our way back we saw some of the local guides in their speedboats, hammering through the waves and racing each other across the bay. It looked pretty uncomfortable for the passengers but of more concern were the dolphins that lived in the bay. 

It may have been more expensive but our catamaran trip certainly seemed the more comfortable option, for us and for the marine life. 
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