The best places to stay in Bocas del Toro Panama include overwater bungalows, tree houses, overwater hotels, and rainforest canopy lodges. Bocas del Toro is a Caribbean archipelago unlike any other in Latin America!

We have lived in Bocas del Toro since 2015 and have watched it develop into one of the Caribbean’s premier destinations for affordable overwater bungalows and luxurious jungle hideaways. There are some really amazing places to stay in Bocas del Toro, and here are our picks for the 17 best!

We may receive a small commission on bookings you make through links on our site. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Sol Bungalows, Overwater Bungalow Bed and Breakfast – Isla Solarte

Sol Bungalows on Isla Solarte is the #1 rated overwater bungalow experience in Panama. They feature just two overwater bungalows and offer a private and authentic Bocas del Toro experience. Full disclosure: we are the owners of Sol Bungalows, but just read our reviews and you will see that we are one of the best places to stay in Panama!

Prices start at $318/ Night | BOOK SOL BUNGALOWS

Nayara Bocas del Toro, Overwater Bungalow Luxury Resort – Isla Frangipani

Nayara Bocas del Toro is Panama’s answer to Bora Bora and the Maladives. Formerly named Bocas Bali, this is the overwater bungalow kind of all-inclusive luxury you lust over on Instagram. They also have some amazingly constructed tree houses to rent!

Prices over $1000 per night in high season | BOOK HERE

Check out our Quick Travel Guide to Bocas del Toro, Panama

La Coralina Island House, Luxury Resort – Paunch Area, Isla Colon

A luxury Balinese resort located on one of Bocas del Toro’s most famous surfing spots: Paunch Reef. La Coralina Island House offers the luxury of a real Bali-style resort, without the 30-hour flight to get there! Bagus!

The best rooms are in the $1,000 per night range | BOOK NOW

Check out our Ultimate Guide to Bocas del Toro Panama

Bambuda Bocas Town, Hotel – Bocas Town, Isla Colon

Bambuda Bocas Town is a swanky new hotel and hostel located on the breezy side of Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro’s capital city. The hotel is masterfully designed in the local colonial style but with modern improvements. Their best rooms have some of the best views in all of Bocas!

Best rooms at around $218 per night. | BOOK NOW

Electronic Sim Card for Travel in Panama: Airalo is the world’s leading E-Sim brand and they offer a 30-day, 3GB plan for $18 that covers all of Panama. We use Airalo whenever we travel abroad!

Diver’s Paradise, Hotel – Bocas Town, Isla Colon

Diver’s Paradise Hotel is located on the sunset side of Bocas Town, just off of the main street in a quiet corner of the town. They also have some amazing views of the mountains of mainland Panama, and offer dive packages with their in-house scuba diving center.

Prices around $170/ night for their best rooms. | BOOK NOW

Discover the 13 Most Bucket List Things To Do in Panama

Tropical Suites, Hotel – Bocas Town, Isla Colon

Tropical Suites Hotel is located in the heart of Bocas Town and is the only place we have ever heard of that has an overwater swimming pool. The suites here have kitchens, something that sets them apart from other hotels in the area. Their in-house restaurant, Merén, is also not one to miss!

Prices for a King Suite with Ocean View for around $335/ Night | BOOK NOW

Check out our Quick Guide to Bocas del Toro Panama

Casa Botanica, Villa & Casitas – Big Creek Area, Isla Colon

Casa Botanica is one of the most beautiful AirBnb style rentals available in Bocas del Toro. It is located within the internationally recognized Finca Los Monos Botanical Garden and is tucked away in the rainforest just a 5-minute land taxi ride from Bocas Town. The villa is surrounded by rainforest but just a few steps from the Caribbean Sea. A few of the best surfing spots in Bocas are nearby and wildlife such as tucans and capuchin monkeys roam the surrounding jungle. The property consists of 3 independent buildings and sleeps a total of 10, but you can also rent the main villa separately for smaller groups. There’s also a natural swim pond (pictured), BBQ, surfboard storage space, 65MBPS internet, and a golf cart to whip around in!

Rent the whole property for $530/ Night, or the Villa for $360/ Night

Discover our 10 Day Panama Travel Itinerary

La Loma Jungle Lodge, Eco Lodge – Bahia Honda, Isla Bastimentos

La Loma Jungle Lodge is an award-winning eco-lodge and permaculture farm located in the Bahia Honda area of Isla Bastimentos. Isla Bastimentos is known for being a nature lover’s dream, and La Loma emphasizes the best parts of this. Sloths, monkeys, and strawberry poison dart frogs are frequently sighted throughout the property.

Rainforest Queen Bungalow (pictured) $510 per night (all meals included) | BOOK NOW

Palmar Beach Lodge, Eco Lodge – Red Frog Beach, Isla Bastimentos

Palmar Beach Lodge immerses you in the rainforest while being right on one of the best beaches in Bocas del Toro: Red Frog Beach. They feature a good restaurant and bar, frequent beach bonfires, and a perfectly laid-back atmosphere.

Private Bungalow for around $225 per night or a dorm bed in the hostel for around $40/ night | BOOK NOW

Discover the Best Hotels, Resorts and Overwater Bungalows in Panama

Eclypse del Mar, Overwater Bungalow Eco Resort – Old Bank, Isla Bastimentos

Eclypse del Mar is an eco-resort featuring 7 overwater bungalows built in the local style – brightly painted with thatch roofing and hardwood interiors. The property contains a nature reserve where, you guessed it, sloths, monkeys, and strawberry poison dart frogs are spotted.

Prices around $300/ Night | BOOK NOW

Check out our Island and Area Guide to Bocas del Toro Panama

Pirate Arts Experience Resort, Luxury Apartments – Isla Carenero (25% OFF!)

Pirate Arts Experience Resort has luxury beach-house-style apartments for rent. The property is in a unique location on Isla Carenero where it is quiet and peaceful but also easily connected to the action around Bocas Town. Surfers will love being able to walk to some of Bocas del Toro’s best waves that are located just a few minutes walk away!

Bonus: Get 10% Off at Pirate Arts when you mention “The Bocas del Toro Blog”

Two BR apartment for $240 per night | BOOK NOW

Roam Yoga & Wellness Retreat, Eco Lodge – Isla Solarte

Roam Yoga & Wellness Retreat is located on Isla Solarte, about a 7-minute boat ride from Bocas Town. They offer newly constructed cabins you can rent when they aren’t hosting yoga retreats. Hiking, snorkeling, yoga, and surfing are some popular activities here.

Prices start around $100 per night, breakfast included. | BOOK NOW

Casa Cayuco, Eco Lodge – Punta Vieja, Isla Bastimentos (5% OFF!)

Casa Cayuco is an Eco-Adventure Lodge located on one of the top 5 beaches in Bocas del Toro called Punta Vieja, located on the easternmost tip of Isla Bastimentos. The Zapatilla Islands sit just a few minutes away in this pristine area of the archipelago, which also borders the Bastimentos National Marine Park. This area is an ocean adventurer’s dream, and In 2023, Casa Cayuco earned Trip Advisor’s prestigious ‘Best of the Best’ award for the ninth year! Get 5% Off Casa Cayuco when you enter the discount code: “Solbungalowsblog” when making a direct reservation!

All Meals Included – Prices around $400-$600 per night | BOOK NOW

Discover the 9 Best Overwater Places to Stay in Bocas del Toro

Bambuda Lodge, Eco Lodge – Isla Solarte

Bambuda Lodge is an Eco Lodge featuring a huge swimming pool and an amazing restaurant, as well as a 150-foot, semi-sketchy water slide. They are the #1 ranked hostel in Panama and without a doubt a must-stay for the young professional traveler crowd. 

Prices from $25 for dorms or $240 for Jungle Bungalows. | BOOK NOW

The Firefly, Eco Lodge – Old Bank, Isla Bastimentos

The Firefly is a long-standing favorite in Bocas del Toro, located just outside of the lively Afro-Caribbean town of Old Bank on Isla Bastimentos. They feature bohemian-style rooms, a dipping pool, and one of the best restaurants in the islands!

Prices from $110-$210 per night | BOOK NOW

Got a Layover in Panama City? Discover the 5 Best Hotels and Things To Do There

The Hummingbird, Eco Lodge – Bluff Beach, Isla Colon

The Hummingbird is an eco-lodge on Isla Colon’s best beach, called Bluff Beach. The waves here are deadly but world famous for surfing. The lodge has a great restaurant, swimming pool, and comfortable colonial-style Caribbean rooms.

Prices around $200 per night | BOOK NOW

Island Plantation, Eco Lodge – Bluff Beach, Isla Colon

Island Plantation is another eco-lodge with a swimming pool located on Bluff Beach. This place is adults only, features another great restaurant, and is built in the Balinese style.

Beachfront Luxury Cabin for $209/ Night | BOOK NOW

Casa Acuario, overwater House – Isla Carenero

Casa Acuario is a long-standing favorite place to stay in Bocas del Toro. I don’t think any other business here has so many repeat clients, that keep coming back year after year! The house is entirely over the water and just across the channel from Bocas Town. If you want to be immersed in the Bocas culture and experience, this is the place to do it!

Prices at around $200 per night | BOOK NOW

How to Get to Bocas del Toro

The best way to get to Bocas del Toro is through Panama City, Panama by flying into their Tocumen International Airport (PTY). From Panama City, getting to Bocas del Toro is just a 1-hour flight away with Air Panama from their local Albrook International Airport (PAC). Check flights to Panama City Below!

Getting to Bocas del Toro:

Step 1: Fly into PTY Tocumen International Airport

Step 2: Transfer to PAC Albrook International Airport (leave 3 hours in between your international and domestic flights.)

Step 3: Fly with Air Panama from PAC to BOC (Bocas del Toro)

You can also get to Bocas del Toro by bus or shuttle from Panama City. And another way to get here is by flying or taking a bus/ shuttle from Costa Rica. Learn more about it in our detailed guide: How to get to Bocas del Toro

The Best Time to Visit Bocas del Toro Panama

The best time to visit Bocas del Toro Panama is during the high season, which is the dryer part of the year, from January through April. 

Tourism really picks up in the islands around Christmas and doesn’t taper off until after Easter. The other half of the year is slower for tourism, with May, June, September and October being some of the least crowded months to visit.

The locals will tell you that the best overall months to visit Bocas del Toro are September and October, when the ocean conditions are the calmest and the least amount of rainfall occurs. 

These months are when you will also find empty beaches and “low-season” rates on places to stay. This is a difficult time to travel for most people with school and work schedules, so they end up being some of the least visited months. This is also why the WSJ listed Bocas del Toro as a top place for Americans to visit in the fall. 

Check out our Bocas del Toro Weather and When to Visit Guide

Things to Do in Bocas del Toro Panama

Bocas del Toro Panama has an endless list of things to do and new experiences to enjoy, with the only real drawback of the islands being the frequent and heavy rainfall. Since Bocas del Toro is located in the rainforest, it rains a lot more here than in other more typical Caribbean Destinations. 

However, while Bocas may lack in unending sunshine, it makes up for it with world-class surfing, scuba diving, hiking, nightlife, cuisine, and just about any aquatic activity you can think of: sportfishing, snorkeling, deep-boarding, kayaking, paddle boarding, and of course, exploring every nook and cranny of the archipelago by boat. It’s a pirate’s dream here in Bocas del Toro!

Check out our Bocas del Toro Activity Guides: 31 Best Things to do in Bocas del Toro, 7 Best Things to Do in Bocas del Toro

Is Bocas del Toro Safe?

On top of all the things we have listed above about this dreamy Panamanian archipelago, the islands are also very safe. 

Your biggest dangers here are getting too much sunshine, getting dehydrated (from too many fruity rum drinks), becoming hung over, or getting too many bug bites. You’ll want to watch out for your possessions while in the islands as unattended backpacks have been known to disappear from beaches. However, if you use some common traveler sense, and only bring what you need with you on activities, you will have a perfectly safe and amazing time in the islands.

Check out our Bocas del Toro Safety Guide

Is Bocas del Toro Expensive?

Bocas del Toro can be more expensive than some other Latin American destinations that are “dirt-cheap.” It really depends on how much you are willing to spend.

There are nightly rates at some places to stay in the $1,000 per night range, while you can also find hostel dorm beds for $10. Dinner and drinks at a nice restaurant can be $50 per person, or you can grab a $1.50 beer and $5.00 plate of the day. How expensive Bocas del Toro is will depend on how you want to experience it! 

Are you ready to visit Bocas del Toro? Learn all about it, and more, with our travel guides: