Isla Colón / Bocas Town

Bocas del Toro, Panama

The main island of the region and home to Bocas Town, located close to lots of activities and with lots of restaurants, bars, and shops.

Places in Isla Colón / Bocas Town

El Ultimo Refugio An oceanfront restaurant with some of the best seafood in Bocas del Toro.
Restaurante Chitré Serves Panamanian food among the tons of bars and restaurants in town.
Bocas Town waterfront cafes Cafes among the lots of activities, restaurants, bars, and shops on the main island.
Bambuda Lodge The best hostel for partying in Bocas del Toro, home to the local Filthy Friday bar crawl finale.
Klika fully stocked bar A fully stocked bar at the visually appealing hostel with a pool right on the water and submerged tables and chairs.

Best time to visit: February to April (dry season, low rainfall) and September to October offer the best conditions for island-hopping and diving.
Getting around: Isla Colón is the main island and home to Bocas Town, with Isla Carenero a short water-taxi hop away and Isla Bastimentos further out near the National Marine Park.
Currency: US Dollar ($) / Balboa
Language: Spanish; Guari-Guari Creole and Ngäbere are spoken. English is common in tourism.
Timezone: EST (UTC-5)
Current trends: Bocas del Toro's hospitality scene continues to spread across its archipelago, with Klika's submerged-table pool and Bambuda Lodge's Filthy Friday bar crawl defining the party-hostel circuit on Isla Colón, while Selina Red Frog on Isla Bastimentos pulls travelers toward yoga, snorkeling and the National Marine Park.

Isla Carenero — Sits in the bay between Isla Colón and Isla Bastimentos and is quite developed with lots of restaurants, beach bars and hotels.
Isla Bastimentos — Home to Selina Red Frog, within walking distance of the Bastimentos National Marine Park.