Visiting Bocas del Toro Panama is like stepping back in time. It is one of the few places in the world that is relatively untouched.
1) 100 PLUS ISLANDS IN BOCAS DEL TORO, PANAMA
If you love adventure, you have picked one of the best places to stay in Panama. There are eight inhabited islands in Bocas del Toro and over 100 others. Carenero island is perfect for a fascinating two-to-three-hour hike around its circumference. Frangipani island, the private island where Bocas del Toro Luxury Water Villa is located, has nine acres of dry land with over a half mile of ten-foot-wide boardwalks. It also has 88 acres of mangrove with 3.1 miles of shoreline. The shoreline has several areas with dense coral which adds interest to a pleasant kayak trip around the island.
2) COLORFUL WATER TAXIS
Water taxis are the primary mode of transportation in the Bocas del Toro archipelago. The uniquely colorful “panga” boats are constantly flitting here and there throughout the area. The boat culture is thriving. You can typically hire a water taxi within five minutes to take you anywhere you want to go. A boat from Bocas Town to Bibi`s, a popular over-the-water seafood restaurant on Carenero Island, is typically $5. At Bocas del Toro you have the option of renting an over-the-water villa with a private boat and captain along with our version of an upscale panga boat.
3) CULTURAL JEWEL
Venture out in a boat anywhere in the Bocas del Toro archipelago and you will likely see a local native passing by in a hand-carved wooden canoe called a “Cayuco.” The cayuco doubles as a mini sailboat and is used for fishing and diving for lobsters and crabs. About 70% of the population in Bocas del Toro province are natives that have lived the same way for hundreds of years.
4) SEA-TO-TABLE SEAFOOD
Restaurants in the area purchase their seafood from native fishermen and it is usually prepared on the same day in which it is caught. At Bocas del Toro All-inclusive Resort in Panama we have access to fishermen from a local tribe who provide our fresh fish, lobsters, crabs, and octopus.
5) ENDLESS ACTIVITIES
Bocas del Toro, Panama will easily keep you busy doing something new every day of the month if you wish. Some of the activities include luminescent bay tour, starfish beach, snorkeling, scuba diving, ATV rentals, deep sea fishing, bat cave tour, bicycle rentals, world class tarpon fishing, near shore fishing, monkey island tour, sloth viewing, dolphin bay tour, birding, multiple chocolate farm tours, zip line, kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing lessons, Zapatilla islands tours, and beach days.
6) LIVELY NIGHTLIFE
Bocas Town, located on Isla Colón in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, is known for its lively nightlife and live music which includes many things to do in Bocas del Toro, with many bars and restaurants. It is common to be walking in Bocas del Toro and hear a half dozen languages being spoken. Everyone joins in, including young people from around the world, locals, and the increasing luxury tourist demographic
7) COMPLETE TRANQUILITY
Where else can you go in the world that offers lively nightlife, endless things to do, and absolute serenity? There are several island resorts in Panama within a 20-minute boat ride of Bocas del Toro archipelago where you can get away from it all. Here you will find untouched nature during the day and brilliant stars at night. When thinking about tranquility, sitting in a lounger on Bocas del Toro’s Kupu-Kupu beach staring at the stars comes to mind.
8) MILES OF SANDY CARIBBEAN BEACHES
If it is Caribbean beaches you are looking for, you will find many empty white sand beaches that are comparable to the best in the world. Swimming is available everywhere, but some of the best swimming is in the protected mangrove bays where the undertow is not present. Bocas del Toro offers the first aerial beach in the world with beautiful white sand and a grand entrance to the crystal clear, eternally warm water.
9) OVER 50 RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Visiting Bocas del Toro is like going back in time, except for the incredible food. Even the most discerning guest will find multiple restaurants to their liking. The area restaurants are especially accommodating to guests with food allergies and particular food requirements such as vegan, vegetarian, kosher and others. Bocas del Toro offers gourmet international fare with a Panamanian twist. Food lovers from around the world will not be disappointed.
10) SAFE PLACE TO TRAVEL
Panama is a stable country and rated one of the safer places in the world. For USA visitors you can experience an exotic, culture rich vacation in your own backyard, within the same time zone as the US, and which has the US dollar as its official currency. Since we are on a private island, at Bocas del Toro Luxury Water Villas we offer 24-hour security as an extra security measure.
11) ETERNALLY WARM WATER FOR SWIMMING
Bocas del Toro water temperatures generally range from 81 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit year-round which make it perfect for swimming. The Caribbean water surrounding Bocas del Toro is crystal clear with healthy corral. The swimming area at our aerial beach is deep so you don’t need to worry about harming the corral.
12) A BIRDING PARADISE
There are 761 documented species of birds in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, out of 1,009 species in the country of Panama. To put this in perspective, there are 1,150 bird species across the entire USA and 942 species in the country of Costa Rica, which is known worldwide for its variety of birds.
13) A FASCINATING HISTORY
In 1502 Christopher Columbus discover Bocas del Toro and named some of the islands, including isla Colón (Columbus island), home to Bocas del Toro Town, and nearby Isla Cristóbal (Christopher island). Bocas del Toro was a hideout for pirates in the 1600s and 1700s. These raiders frequently attacked treasure caravans and ships bound for Spain. In 1899 United Fruit Company which later became Chiquita Banana established itself in Bocas del Toro Town. Many of the wooden colonial buildings, which still exist today, where built by United Fruit Company.
14) OVER-THE-WATER RESTAURANTS
Many of the charming over the water restaurants and bars in Bocas Town, on Isla Colón, extend over the water and several are colonial structures over 100 years old. There are also many enchanting over-the-water restaurants on nearby islands and throughout the Bocas del Toro archipelago, including a floating one.
15) OVER-THE-WATER RESORTS
There are only 200 over water resorts in the world and about 55% of these are in the Maldives. Bocas del Toro offers several over-the-water accommodation options ranging from $100 a night to $1,500 a night. There are multiple luxury over-the-water resorts planned for the area, but Bocas del Toro Luxury Water Villas is the only one available today.
