Panama 2026

While researching our first trip to Panama in 2025 we learned about Bocas del Toros, located in the northwest corner of the country.  It is known as a surfer community with great beaches, a laid back atmosphere and lots of different varieties of nature.  So when we planned our 2026 trip to Central America we decided we needed to add it as one of our stops!  We chose to divide our visit into two areas in Bocas - the first few days we stayed on the less populated (foot traffic only and less than 600 ppl) island of Carenero and the second half in Bocas Town which is more of a lively atmosphere with a variety of small local stores, restaurants and hotels. 

We flew into Bocas from Panama City on a small 50 passenger prop plane.  Other than being loud it was really easy and pretty quick - we arrived in about an hour.  The airport was tiny and sat in the middle of Bocas Town, with kids playing soccer right next to the runway, so it was easy to grab our luggage and make our way to a local grocery before jumping on a water taxi to take us to Carenero island where we would be staying for the next few days.  After meeting our host at the private dock, he showed us the way to our cabin carrying our luggage for us in a wheelbarrow!  The cabin was tucked away in the jungle about halfway down a path that connected one side of the island to the other.  Before leaving us our host warned us about the no-see-ums or “chitras” which are a nuisance on the island and let us know he’d drop off some repellant made of coconut oil.  We had heard about this so we brought some Avon skin-so-soft which also seemed to work well. 

After getting settled a bit we set out on our own to explore a bit and get some food. Walking through the jungle paths was an experience with lots of lush foliage everywhere. After a bit it opened up to the beach which was really pretty and ungroomed in most places.  We made our way along the trail which led around the southern half of the island and found some small restaurants and hotels and decided to stop and eat on the water.  After heading back out to complete the route around the island we came to the small village where most of the people who are indigenous to the island live.  The conditions where they live showed how poor they were with poorly constructed shanties and trash and standing pools of water everywhere.

After sleeping through a night of heavy rains we woke up to an overcast sky and light rain so we decided to make our way to Red Frog Beach on Bastimentos Island which was a 15 minute water taxi ride away and where we hoped to see some red poison dart frogs. Arriving there we paid a small fee to enter and walked across the island to Red Frog Beach where it promptly started raining so we made a stop at the beach restaurant at the resort on the island and had a coffee to let the rain pass. After our coffee set in, we decided to set out in the rain and continued down the beach before turning back to ensure we had time to catch our water taxi.  On our way back we found a couple who had found a red frog on the side of the path.  We quickly realized why they are so hard to see - they are tiny!!  Check out the pictures to see the one we saw. He was cute! That evening after getting back to Carenero we had our water taxi drop us off at the dock for a small pizza bar that was having live music that night.  We loved sitting around with the crowd and enjoying the vibe but our walk back in the dark jungle was a little unnerving. 

The next morning we awoke after yet another night of even heavier rain - we were honestly wondering if our cabin would flood!  It was still raining and had started to get really windy so our host let us know not to use their dock as the waves were lapping over the top of it - something he had never seen in his time on the island. Based on that we stayed on the island and chose to head to one of the beach bars to hang out and have lunch and drinks and play cards for the afternoon. It was a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon!

For our last night on Carenero Island it once again rained all night!  We made breakfast and packed up in the morning before grabbing a water taxi to take us to Bocas Town where we checked into a local B&B where we stayed for the remainder of our time in Bocas.  After getting into our room and dropping off our luggage we headed out to rent bikes to ride and explore the area.   We found a bike path that took us along the coast and the dropped us onto the main coastal road - it started off paved and after a while turned into a dirt road with lots of potholes.  After riding back in another rainstorm, we decided to head back to a beach bar we had seen and grab some food and a beer - a great choice after riding!  After hanging out a while we headed back to Bocas Town and turned in the bikes and headed back to the B&B to rest.  That evening we enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant on the water - good food and happy to be inside as it started raining again!  

The next day looked to be dry so we set out to rent an ATV and explore a bit further.   Relearning how to drive with a manual transmission proved a bit challenging but after a while we got it down. The place where we rented the ATV owned property with accessible trails along the coastline and through the jungle (where we were told we could find sloths and monkeys!) so we made our way to check it out.  It wasn’t long after we arrived at their property that we found a pair of sloths making their way through the treetops - slowly but surely!  Just a few more minutes later we found another sloth but this one was carrying its baby!  Such a cool thing to watch!   As we continued on the ATV we came to a really muddy area just before a narrow bridge across a stream and got the ATV stuck!  After a few minutes of thinking we would be walking back we ended up working our way out but not before we were covered in mud from head to toe.  Not long after that we headed down a trail that took us on and off the beach several times until it ultimately dead ended so we had to backtrack and get back to the main road. At that point we decided to call it a day and head back to have something to eat and get some drinks at the beach bar; after a quick beach stop to wash off all the mud!!!

On one of our last days in Bocas we hired a boat to take us out to go fishing for barracuda, snorkeling and to visit Zapatilla Island which is uninhabited and has great white beaches and mangroves.  We started off fishing and caught a few smaller barracuda before landing a much larger one - at that point we had the bug so we decided to keep fishing and not snorkel!  After a while we headed on to our next stop at a small restaurant that sat on the water all alone on our way to Zapatilla. We placed orders for lunch and then were on our way to the island.   We arrived after a 30 minute ride across really rough water so we were ready for solid land!  After a bit of exploring on the island we set out towels on the beach and jumped in the water to cool off. The tidal current was really strong and would pull you along the coast and then we would walk against it to get back to where we started.  Overall the beach was pretty with lots of palm trees and white sand but it was hard to explore too far and the area where you could reach had quite a few sunbathers.  Once we were ready we packed up to meet our captain for the trip back and stopped for the lunch we’d ordered earlier along the way.  A word of warning here - watch out what you order as one of us ended up with food poisoning which we assumed was from that meal.  Heading back into Bocas Town it started to rain yet again, so we hustled off the boat after we landed and headed straight to our B&B to dry off!  

Unfortunately, we caught some unusually bad weather with lots of rain and crazy winds during our week in Bocas del Toro. Our boat tour was delayed a few days and our chocolate farm tour canceled due to the weather. While the weather creates a majestic jungle, the sump pumps running in the streets of Bocas town to keep the city streets dry and while some beaches are pristine, some are littered with trash and may not be typical aspects of a vacation destination. All in all, we agreed that while Bocas del Toros was a beautiful spot with some amazing wildlife, the lacking infrastructure and challenges with unsanitary conditions was something that will deter us from returning. 

Coming soon....

Coming soon…

Lodging

Panama City: Marriott Panama Hotel 

Bocas del Toro (Isla Carenero): Charming Tiny House (Airbnb)

Bocas del Toro (Bocas town):  Lulu's Bed & Breakfast

Playa Coronado: Casa Swell Coronado

Panama City: Courtyard by Marriott Panama Metromall

Transportation

Air Panama (to/from Bocas del Toro) from Allbrook airport

Rental Car: Hertz

This was our first trip where we booked plane tickets and then figured out what to do next!!! We knew we wanted to get away from the cold winter at home so we decided to head to Panama right after the holidays to enjoy some sun, sand and hiking.  The rainy season hung on a little longer than planned so we ended up getting wetter than expected but had a blast and we can't wait to go back to explore more.  

We spent the majority of our stay in and around the Coronado region where we stayed at Casa Swell Coronado.  Jay, the owner was an amazing host - every morning after having a home cooked meal that he'd made for us we would sit down with him and map out where to go for the day, where to eat, who to talk to, etc.  Every place he sent us was perfect and exactly what we were looking for.  Thanks to him we found places and met people we never would have on our own.  We will be going back to stay here very soon!

In addition to checking out the many beaches in the area (all of which were beautiful!) we also added some adventure.  Our hike to Cerro la Silla was literally in the clouds on the rim of an extinct volcano.  We finished the hike in a deluge walking down a path that had become a river but loved every minute.  Our excursion to Los Cajones de Chame gave us the chance to swim in a river through a tight canyon which was really challenging and put our endurance to the test!

We finished the trip with an afternoon and evening in Casco Viejo, Panama City before we flew home the next day. We found a bar with a balcony and enjoyed a drink and the energy of the street below, explored the city a little and sunset drinks at a rooftop bar. More time would have allowed us to see the city more, but we will be back.

And no, we did not go see the Panama Canal, but we did drive over it twice, so we did see it! And from the rooftop bar we could see the ships lining up.

All in all Panama was a great getaway and definitely a place we will return to in the very near future.  

1. Good vibes and great hospitality at Casa Swell
2. Playa Coronado
3. Cerro la Silla hike
4. Playa Chame and beers at the kiting school
5. Swimming in Los Cajones de Chame
6. Dinner with Franco at Cafe Med
7. Walking around Casco Viejo, Panama City

Lodging: 

Coronado: Casa Swell Coronado (LOVED)

Casco Viejo, Panama City: La Concordia Boutique Hotel

Transportation:

Coronado: Rental Car

Panama City: returned car, used uber and car service

Coronado Restaurants:

Cafe Med (Italian)

Casco Viejo Resaurants:

Casa Casco (multiple restaurants and rooftop bar)