Bocas Town Travel Information

Bocas Town has started to become a popular tourist destination. It has long been the most popular destination in Panama but it has lagged behind the other Caribbean islands. This is a big part of what has made the area so popular, it is nowhere near as crowded as other islands in the area. Bocas has also done a great job of retaining the natural wonder that makes the area such a great destination. There hasn't been nearly the build up of hotels and resorts that there has been in other areas.

Bocas Town is the major town in the province of Bocas del Toros which is located on the Caribbean coast of Panama. The province is made up of a series of small islands and is well known for its great beaches and the related activities like surfing and snorkeling. The weather is warm year round although it does rain quite a bit. The driest times of the year are early spring and early fall so these are the most popular times to visit the area. The cost of visiting Bocas is quite reasonable by Central American standards although this still surprises some people. The days when Central America was a cheap travel destination are long gone.

There are quite a few options for getting to Bocas; the most common way to get there is actually to go through Costa Rica. There is a bridge that connects the island to Costa Rica and the bridge crossing itself is quite a memorable experience. However the main reason that most people go to Bocas through Costa Rica is that it is easier to get flights to Costa Rica than it is to Panama. There are however some flights available to Panama, particularly from the southern United States. These flights will take you to Panama City. From there you will either need to take another flight to Bocas or take a bus to the coast and then use a water taxi to get to the island. Most people take the bus and water taxi option because flights can be fairly expensive. It is fairly easy to get around Bocas Town by walking although you will need to use water taxis if you want to visit the other islands, which you almost certainly will.

There are lots of hotels in Bocas Town so there should be little difficulty in finding a place to stay. Most of the actual attractions like the beaches are outside of the town but it does make for a convenient central location so that is where most people stay. Most of the hotels are about middle of the road in terms of cost and quality. There aren't really any top end hotels in the town since the area doesn't really attract the wealthy. There are however quite a number of hostels and even a few campgrounds if you are on a tight budget.