This Under-the-radar Caribbean Archipelago Has Overwater Villas, Bioluminescent Bays, and Cacao Farms

Think of a close-to-home tropical paradise, and perhaps Costa Rica comes to mind, or even a Caribbean island destination like Jamaica with its tangle of clear rivers and dense jungles. But Panama? In-the-know travelers still know to speak in whispers about its spray of untouched islands that some consider to be the best-kept secret in the Caribbean: Bocas del Toro.

“Bocas del Toro isn’t your average Caribbean escape,” says Ariel Barrionuevo of La Coralina Island House, located on the archipelago’s main island of Isla Colón. “It’s where the rainforest spills into the sea, Afro-Caribbean rhythms meet Indigenous wisdom, and even luxury feels low-key and rooted in place. What sets it apart isn’t just its natural beauty, it’s the feeling you get when you arrive: that you’ve stumbled on something raw, real, and still evolving.”

Relatively remote, Bocas del Toro feels worlds away from other busy, built-up Caribbean islands. It’s very much a destination for eco-minded escape artists looking to unplug and unwind. However, an increasing number of luxury hotels, like Nayara Bocas del Toro with its collection of Balinese-inspired overwater villas, point to a future for Bocas del Toro that seems a little less secret.

Best Hotels & Resorts

Nayara Bocas del Toro

Why fly all the way to the Maldives when you could live out your overwater villa dreams at Nayara Bocas del Toro? This sustainability-minded property emerges from the jungle to reveal a collection of 16 luxurious overwater bungalows, each featuring a private plunge pool and outdoor deck complete with a fire pit. Should you ever want to leave (why would you?), each villa has its own designated captain and boat on call for excursions like snorkeling and beach-hopping around the archipelago. The property is a destination so special, we named it one of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean.

La Coralina Island House

Nestled between rainforest and gentle ocean waves on a secluded corner of Isla Colón, La Coralina Island House is a luxury boutique hotel that teems with tranquility. Balinese inspiration abounds, from the property’s spa, wellness space, and yoga deck to its eight villas and 23 suites, each featuring private terraces with breathtaking island and ocean views. Open-air dining at the property’s restaurant and lounge highlights fresh Caribbean flavors just a stone’s throw from an infinity pool that seems to melt into the ocean.

Urraca Island Eco Resort

Hidden away in an untouched, undisturbed corner of the archipelago, Urraca Island Eco Resort lets visitors live out their own private island dreams in one of the region’s most affordable private island resorts. Just six colorful overwater bungalows are spread across tranquil turquoise waters, to be booked individually or bought out for the full private island experience. Urraca is just a short distance from bioluminescent bays and hidden coral reefs to explore—if you can peel yourself away from your room, that is.

Sweet Bocas

A private, family-run estate spread across 15 acres, Sweet Bocas welcomes just one group at a time for the ultimate secluded escape. The property boasts up to 13 bedrooms, seven of which are in a palatial overwater villa complete with every amenity, and the rest are spread between a sizable guest house and two private suites. The property also features a freshwater lake, sports courts, a boathouse, pool, outdoor cinema, and gym. The all-inclusive experience is complete with private chef-prepared, farm-to-table cuisine and access to the property’s 30-foot yacht for excursions around the islands.

Best Things to Do

Explore Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park.

The country’s first-ever marine park, Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park is one of Panama’s most important ecotourism destinations and the so-called “Galápagos Islands of the Caribbean.” “Seeing the fauna of Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park is one of the highlights of a trip to Bocas del Toro,” says Kourtney Lohn, founder of Ríe Retreats, a creative travel club that hosts intimate group travel experiences across Latin America and beyond. Marine species like nurse sharks, rays, lobsters, and sea turtles meander through the park’s protected waters and hide among reefs, which contain an astonishing 95 percent of all the coral species found in the Caribbean.

Try surfing.

Bocas del Toro is known as one of the best spots for surfing in the Caribbean. Surprised? The locals sure aren’t, with an increasing number of surfers finally catching on to the islands’ stellar swells. Book beginner-friendly classes and rent gear from local shops like Mono Loco Surf School, which can organize lessons at some of the area’s best surfing beaches, like Paunch Reef and Bluff Beach. Travel between December and March for the largest swells.

Go wreck-diving.

Even the most inexperienced snorkelers will find enchanting beauty beneath the waves in Bocas del Toro, but the scuba-certified can explore dozens of dive sites hidden among the archipelago, including a number of mysterious wrecks. La Buga leads dives to destinations like The Old Wreck and Isla Solarte’s Pandora Wreck, which also has massive coral formations located within close proximity.

Swim in bioluminescent waters.

Tucked along the shores in some of the bays near Isla Colón and Isla Bastimentos, plankton blooms generate a blue bioluminescent effect in the water that mirrors stars in the night sky. Kawa Voyage offers comprehensive excursions to paddle and swim through the glowing waters. Keep in mind that the effect is most visible on nights when there is little to no moon in the sky, so time your trip accordingly to experience the special midnight magic found in Bocas del Toro.

Visit a cacao farm.

Bocas del Toro’s beaches are beautiful, but the rich, often rugged interior of its islands offers its own appeal. Break up beach days with a trip to a cacao farm to learn about local, small-batch chocolate production and try making chocolate from bean to bar. Though several ecotourism operations in the area run similar experiences, local Ngäbe Indigenous guides offer the most meaningful window into this age-old practice, while also supporting local stewardship and sustainability of island resources.

Best Restaurants

Receta Michilá

Tucked away on the backside of Isla Carenero, Receta Michilá is an unexpected Bocas del Toro culinary gem so beloved it made it onto the World’s 50 Best Discovery list this year. “A rising culinary star that elevates Panamanian heritage, Receta Michilá focuses on indigenous ingredients like smoked river fish, plantain gratins, and chocolate desserts made from local cacao beans,” raves Barrionuevo. A large, breezy waterfront dining room and island-style decor keep it laid-back and Caribbean to its core.

Octo

“The menu at Octo showcases local fish in ceviches, carpaccios, and grilled fillets with house-made sauces,” says Barrionuevo of this food truck-style kitchen with outdoor patio dining in the heart of Bocas Town. Despite its casual atmosphere, Octo encapsulates “modern island cuisine with just the right edge,” making it a must-visit eatery whether you’re staying on Isla Colón or just passing through.

Bibi’s on the Beach

Classic Caribbean dishes like conch fritters, ceviche, and fresh fish have long been staples at Isla Carenero’s famous Bibi’s on the Beach, but it is the overwater dining that keeps even the locals coming back every weekend. Bibi’s also rents water sports equipment like kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkeling gear, making its beachfront a great place to spend a day on the water.

The Floating Bar

Grab a water taxi from Boca Town and head past the Bocas Marina to find The Floating Bar, an aptly-named drinking and dining destination that is just too novel not to visit. This dual-level restaurant and bar is surprisingly spacious, its large decks complete with lounge chairs and hammocks, plus plenty of space to snorkel, swim, and sun while you wait for your food.

The Blue Coconut

Located on a quiet, untouched corner of Isla Solarte, The Blue Coconut is a tranquil restaurant and eatery featuring hammocks slung over crystal-clear waters. Alternating Seafood Sunday and Sunday Barbecue events are popular, but a solid seafood-heavy lunch and dinner menu is popular throughout the week. Visitors any other day of the week will be surprised to learn that come Friday, The Blue Coconut transforms into one of the weekly Filthy Friday bar crawl stops, a wild island-hopping party that draws backpackers to some of the islands’ most boisterous bars and clubs.

Areas to Visit

Isla Colón

The journey to Bocas del Toro starts and ends on Isla Colón, the largest island in the archipelago and home to Bocas Town, the region’s main commercial heart. Colorful Bocas Town is lively, with a concentrated center of bars, restaurants, and shops, but more remote reaches of the island are home to forests, beaches, and even boutique resorts with luxe overwater bungalows.

Isla Carenero

Isla Carenero is so close to Isla Colón that you can swim to it, making it almost an extension of busy Bocas Town. Cafés, bars, and eateries with spacious decks line much of the island, though beaches on its far side feel relatively untouched, drawing surfers and swimmers alike.

Isla Bastimentos

The expansive Isla Bastimentos is one of the largest and most untouched islands in Bocas del Toro, partially enclosed by Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park. The island is renowned for having some of the area’s best beaches along its protected shores, like Red Frog Beach, named after the island’s strawberry-hued poison dart frogs, and Playa Larga, a nesting site for endangered sea turtles. The island is also home to some of Panama’s few remaining communities of Indigenous peoples.

Islas Zapatillas

The pair of uninhabited Islas Zapatillas are so beautiful that they’re said to be where the slippers— zapatillas—of God touched Earth. Hidden within Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park, these sandy, beach-rimmed islands are a popular destination for day trips and draw snorkelers in search of colorful coral reefs.

Best Time to Visit

Despite its Caribbean location, “Bocas doesn’t have fixed ‘wet’ or ‘dry’ seasons,” explains Barrionuevo. “Weather can be unpredictable but magical year-round,” though skies tend to be clearer in the winter months, between January and April. However, off-season travelers can rest assured knowing that Bocas del Toro sits well outside of the Atlantic hurricane belt that threatens nearby islands.

The high season in Bocas del Toro generally lasts from December through April, as many travelers make their escape from cooler climates back home. Though the islands never feel overrun, Bocas Town feels busier and rates at island resorts are higher, especially around holidays like Christmas and Semana Santa, the week preceding Easter. “May, June, and September offer lower hotel rates and fewer crowds, perfect for budget-conscious adventurers,” says Barrionuevo.

How to Get There

Getting to remote Bocas del Toro can feel like its own adventure, but it’s more straightforward than most travelers realize. Backpackers often make the journey overland to the small town of Almirante before catching a ferry to Bocas del Toro, but most travelers will want to save hours on the road and fly into Captain José Ezequiel Hall International Airport (BOC) on Isla Colón. This tiny airstrip receives flights from Panama City’s Albrook airport (PAC).

Many travelers take advantage of Copa Airlines’ unique Panama Stopover Program to make their Bocas del Toro visit a reality. The program allows Copa Airlines passengers transiting through Panama City’s Hub of the Americas to extend their stay in the country for up to seven days at no additional cost on their airfare, giving them time to visit Bocas del Toro and beyond.

Stopover or not, most travelers will opt to spend at least one night in Panama City after their international flight to get their bearings and explore the city’s historic Casco Viejo before catching the less-frequent flights to Isla Colón. Stay at Hotel La Compañía in the heart of the old town or its recently debuted sibling property in El Valle de Antón, Hotel La Compañía del Valle.

How to Get Around

Travelers sticking to Bocas Town will have no issues exploring on foot, but to venture beyond town and enjoy the best of the archipelago means getting out on the water. “Taking water taxis everywhere is one of the most memorable ways to experience Bocas del Toro and an adventure in its own right,” says Lohn. Water taxis are available everywhere and are generally quite affordable, with prices usually just a few dollars per trip, depending on the number of people in the water taxi and the destination. Make sure to settle on a fare before boarding, and come ready to pay with cash, in USD or Panamanian Balboas.