Two Days on Isla Colón in Bocas del Toro, Panama
Isla Colón is the most populated island in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, a chain of islands off the northeast coast of Panama in Central America. It is also home to the capital of the province, Bocas Town, and where you will find most of the hotels, restaurants, bars, tour operators, businesses, and the airport.
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One of the coolest little factoids about this place was that it was discovered in 1502 by Christopher Columbus and used as a place to harbor and repair his fleet of ships.
Bocas Town really seems like a separate place from the rest of Isla Colón, which is far less populated and is remarkably undeveloped. Once you cross the small isthmus connecting Bocas Town to Isla Colón, there are just a couple roads and a few scattered restaurants that serve the visitors who come to stay at jungle hide-aways and surf-side Airbnbs. Surprisingly, the lack of infrastructure doesn’t seem to deter tourists, perhaps looking for something a bit off-the-grid and unspoiled.
When my husband and I traveled to Bocas del Toro, our first stop was in Bocas Town. We spent an afternoon here awaiting our water taxi transfer over to the jungle paradise of Isla Bastimentos for the first couple days of our time in Bocas del Toro. Afterwards, we came back to Isla Colón for an additional two days to enjoy the beautiful beaches.
If you are considering a trip to Isla Colón, this post will provide you with a few tips to get the most out of your visit and what to expect when you get there. I will share the highlights of our time and the attractions we thought were truly the best, must-see & must-do experiences!
How to get to Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro
There are a few ways to travel to Bocas Town on Isla Colón. (1) You can catch a short flight to Isla Colón on Air Panama from Panama City or David, (2) You can drive a rental car or hire a private transfer, or (3) You can take a group passenger shuttle such as Hello Travel Panama Shuttle. If driving or taking a shuttle, your ground transportation will take you as far as the town of Almirante where you can catch the ferry to Bocas Town.
Above photos: The ferry building in Almirante (left) and the water views from the ferry (right)
Above photos: Arrival in Bocas Town
When the ferry arrives at the docks, you will disembark with your luggage and head out to the main street that runs through town. From here, there are cabs available if you need a ride to your accommodations. Otherwise, if you are staying in Bocas Town, it is fairly compact and walkable.
Where to stay on Isla Colón
Where you ultimately decide to stay on Isla Colón will depend on what you plan to do during your visit. If you are there for the party and nightlife, Bocas Town is the best place to stay. Most of the hotels, restaurants and bars are in town and very walkable. Of course, if you decide you would like to see other parts of Isla Colón or venture out to any of the other islands, tour operators and water taxis can all be arranged from town.
If you are there to surf, the east side of Isla Colón has a slew of Airbnb options, mostly bungalows and tree houses, and a couple hotels. Although Punch and Bluff beaches are not far from town, the road conditions are poor and not ideal for dragging luggage. So, I would recommend a cab. Once you are where you want to be, walking and bicycling are the most popular modes of transport.
We were there to take in as much of the island as possible. We found a cozy Airbnb bungalow near Skully’s on southeast side of the island. Since we were renting ATVs from Flying Pirates (adjacent to Skully’s), the location was ideal.
To narrow down your search area for accommodations, I recommend pulling up Google Maps and getting an idea of the proximity to the various beaches, roads, and conveniences (e.g., grocery stores, restaurants, etc.). I also highly recommend keeping an eye on the opening of the Viceroy (opening 2026). It looks utterly amazing!
Our little garden bungalow had an outdoor kitchen, which was great for our morning breakfast and a few snacks we picked up at the local grocery store.
Above photos: Bocas Garden Lodge booked on Airbnb
What to do on Isla Colón
Explore Bocas Town
Bocas Town is a bit rough. The buildings are not in the best shape. The roads are kind of a mess. But, it is very safe and everyone is having a great time! This is a popular place for backpackers, adventure seekers, beach bums, surfers, and people who want to have an authentic jungle experience.
Above photos: Bocas Town, Isla Colon
The main street in Bocas Town has some restaurants, bars, and surf shops. It is definitely not a shopping destination, but if you’ve forgotten something from home or want to pick-up a souvenir, you can find it here in town. You can also find quite a few water taxi and tour operators here that will take you anywhere you want to go throughout the islands.
Above photos: Bocas Town, Isla Colón
Rent E-Bikes or ATVs from Flying Pirates
If you really want to get around to visit all the beautiful beaches and sites on Isla Colón, I highly recommend renting a bike or ATV. There are some shuttle busses that operate from Bocas Town as a budget-conscious alternative. We wanted to set our own schedule and have flexibility, so we decided to rent ATVs. This was by far the best decision and it was masses of fun!
There is one main road that cuts through the center of the island through the Nature Preserve and up to the north shore. It could hardly be called a road though. More like a dirt rollercoaster. There is a lot of construction in progress on the road, so hopefully it will be a much more pleasant drive in the future. I completely trashed my Birkenstocks and was covered in filth by the time we reached our destination. This complaint aside, we had the best time!
While an ATV reservation is nice to have, it isn’t necessary most of the time. Just pop into Flying Pirates when you arrive. If you know how to ride a motorcycle or can drive a manual stick shift, you’ll have no trouble learning to operate the ATVs. We got a quick tutorial and we were off!
Above photo: ATV Rentals from Skully’s Flying Pirates
Stop by Plastic Bottle Village
On our way up to Boca del Drago, we stopped by the Plastic Bottle Village. This castle-like structure was made from 40,000 plastic bottles and consists of four levels. It is an interesting and impressive stop on the way up to the beaches. And props to the creator, Robert Bezeau, who has managed to demonstrate to the world how to up-cycle plastic waste on such a grand scale.
Above photo: Plastic Bottle Village
See the Starfish at Starfish Beach
When we reached Boca del Drago, we parked our ATVs and continued on foot through the jungle path to Starfish Beach. It was about a 15 minute walk and very beautiful. We passed a couple Howler monkeys who watched us from their perch in the trees.
Above photos: The jungle path to Starfish Beach
Starfish Beach is not a very big beach, but I thought is was the prettiest and most swimmable on the entire island. True to the name, there were starfish everywhere. The entire sea floor was littered with starfish. We had to be careful walking so we didn’t step on any. Since the water was crystal clear and very shallow in places, we were able to get a very close look at these beautiful creatures. Of course, as everyone will remind you, do not touch the starfish.
Above photos: Starfish Beach
By late morning, the starfish were gone. They come in and out with the tides. If you aren’t there early, it is possible you’ll miss them. We stayed in the area for lunch. There are a few restaurants along Starfish Beach and also up by Playa Boca del Drago.
Above photos: Lunch at Yarisnori
Take a Tour to Bird Island
After lunch, we flagged down a water taxi (they hang out near the restaurants) to take us out to Bird Island, also known as Isla Pajaros. Okay – this was my favorite thing on Isla Colón. I have never seen anything so Jurrassic Park-esque in my life. It is crraaaaazzzy cool! Bird Island is a rocky formation covered with vegetation in the middle of the sea that serves as a bird refuge for many different species of rare tropical birds. You can see terns, frigates, pelicans, swallows and gannets.
An entire round trip to Bird Island will take roughly 30 minutes depending on how much time you spend out at the island. You can’t get off the boat and walk around on the island, but you can drift in your boat and/or anchor there.
Above photos: Bird Island Sanctuary, Bocas del Toro
Explore the Bat Cave at La Gruta
Just off the main road near the “Colonia Santeña” neighborhood there is a cave called La Gruta where hundreds of bats can be seen hanging from the ceiling. There are no tours, but we did notice a couple collection boxes for folks to drop in a few dollars for the entrance fee.
The locals make a pilgrimage to the cave annually on the 3rd of July for Dia de la Virgen del Carmen, which is the day set aside to honor the saint. There are a couple statues placed in front of the cave to remind you that this is also a shrine.
Above photo: La Gruta Bat Cave
Look for Howler Monkeys
Howler monkeys can be found in abundance in the jungle landscape on Isla Colón. If you don’t see them right away, you will surely hear them! Their calls sound like a loud whooping bark that go back-and-forth between groups.
As we were standing on the side of the road during a quick pit stop, we looked into the trees and saw a bazillion Howler monkeys. It must have been monkey happy hour or something because we could not even count them all. We just stood there gazing into the branches, furiously taking photos and videos while they looked back at us. After this surprise, I felt completely and totally satisfied with our monkey sightings. My entire Panama critter wish list was fully checked off.
Above photos: Howler monkeys
Watch the Waves Crash at Playa Bluff
Playa Bluff is a beautiful and very long beach popular with the surfing crowd. However, this is absolutely not a beach for swimming. The waves break very close to the shore creating strong rip tides. We took no chances and did not venture out further than ankle-deep water.
Above photos: Playa Bluff
We did, however, find a very cozy little beach bar and got ourselves comfortable with a couple drinks while watching the waves crash. Ahhhhh…..paradise!
Above photos: Bom Bom Beach Bar at Island Plantation, Bocas del Toro
Other Things to See & Do
There were a handful of things that we did not have time to cross off our list, but I read about them enough to pique my curiosity and add them to my “if we have time” list.
Mimbitimbi: At the far northern end of Playa Bluff is an area called Mimbitimbi where two of the prettiest swimming areas are located. La Piscina Beach and the Blue Lagoon are small bays where the water is perfectly clear and ideal for snorkeling. While it sounds wonderful, it is challenging to get to this area. There are no roads or transportation to these spots unless you rent ATVs from Flying Pirates (they will provide you with access to the trail). Otherwise, you’ll need to bike or walk. It is full day haul. So, start out early!
The Floating Bar: This hardly needs to be explained. Its an offshore bar. From everything I’ve heard, it sounds like a really fun spot. You can spend the day jumping from the second-level deck, snorkeling the nearby mangroves, and hanging out with your friends.
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