Bocas del Toro is one of the most pristine areas on Panama’s Caribbean coast, with true white-sand beaches, clean turquoise waters, and dense rain forests. This geographically-blessed Panama province consists of a small portion of the mainland as well as an archipelago of nine islands.
You can take a flight from Panama’s domestic Albrook Airport directly to Bocas Town on Isla Colón for about $280 roundtrip. For adventures beyond, you can hop a water taxi.
Bocas Town, Isla Colón.
In Bocas Town, hostels, hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants, cafés, and bars surround the main seafront strip where the water taxis unload the wide-eyed visitors, and tour guides are ready to pounce with offers of island hopping, scuba diving, surf lessons, ziplining, and more. But Bocas is so much more than its tourist offerings…
It’s home to 19,000 residents who are surfers, fishermen, and entrepreneurs, including a multicultural mix of indigenous people, Panamanians, and expats. However, the town takes on a distinctly Caribbean flair. Rastafarian culture is present in the music, shops, and restaurants, and Bob Marley blasts from bar speakers and adorns tourist T-shirts.
Though Panama’s Caribbean coast has a reputation for being undeveloped and lacking in infrastructure, the government has taken note of Bocas’ tourism potential and is investing accordingly… Today, Bocas is more attractive than ever before and continues to improve at a steady pace.
Like so many places in Latin America, Bocas del Toro’s history is linked to Christopher Columbus, who visited in 1502 during his fourth and final voyage. Isla Colón, where Bocas Town is located, was called Isla Drago by Columbus.
The region became a popular refuge for 17th-century pirates. Legend has it that some buried their riches in Bocas…
Bocas del Toro was part of Costa Rica until 1836, when Colombia took it in one of many territorial disputes. With Panamanian independence from Colombia in 1903, Bocas del Toro became its own province.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Bocas experienced a banana boom. The original Snyder Brothers Banana Company, founded in 1890 by three American brothers, would be taken over by United Fruit Company, today part of Chiquita.
Workers were brought in from Jamaica and other English-speaking Caribbean countries, and the population grew until the 1960s, when the industry’s focus shifted to the mainland. Thanks to those Jamaican workers, English is widely spoken in Bocas today.
Outdoor enthusiasts can find a range of activities and attractions in Bocas with beach activities front and center. Surfing, fishing, sailing, scuba diving, beach volleyball, and simply taking in the sun are top options for spending the day.
Red Frog Beach, Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro.
Come nightfall, Bocas buzzes with activity with visitors from around the world, eating, drinking, socializing, and enjoying live music.
There’s a variety of shops available in Bocas Town (although there are no shopping malls or big-box stores) but as is the way with islands and the logistics involved in getting goods to them, prices tend to be higher. In general, if something costs $1 in Panama City, it will cost $1.50 on the islands. A couple can generally live well on $2,050 per month in Bocas del Toro.
Bocas is the best of coastal Caribbean living in Panama. This carefree, stunning destination has a character and a magnetism of its own. When the water taxi glides to a stop at the dock, on one side of the main street of Bocas Town, it’s like entering a new world.
The pastel-hued Victorian style waterfront hotels are reminiscent of a bygone era, a completely different lifestyle… It’s impossible not to be captivated.
Tropical vegetation, indescribable views, fauna indigenous to this corner of the world, the incomparable Caribbean Sea, and the combination of races living in harmony will astound you, mesmerize you, and draw you in.
In the words of one expat, “After 14 years of living here, we have watched the area develop tremendously from a surfer and backpacker destination to one of the most desirable retirement areas in the country. The beauty of these islands is unbelievable and the weather is perfect.”
Sincerely,
The Editors Of Live And Invest Overseas
