Isla Colón, Panama: A Local’s Travel Guide to Bocas del Toro’s Main Island

Isla Colón is the main island of Panama’s Bocas del Toro archipelago, and almost every trip to Bocas starts here. It’s home to Bocas Town, the airport, and famous spots like Starfish Beach and Bluff Beach.

This guide is part of our complete Bocas del Toro Travel Guide, written by locals who have lived in the islands since 2015.

Bocas Town is the busy hub, packed with restaurants, bars and water taxis to the other islands. Step outside town, though, and most of the island is rainforest and quiet beaches. Surfing, scuba diving, biking, ATVs and horseback riding are all a short ride away.

We’ve lived in Bocas del Toro since 2015, and this is the guide we send our friends.

We may receive a small commission from any accommodations booked through our articles. Thanks!

Map of Bocas del Toro

Read our other island guides: Isla Carenero | Isla Solarte | Isla Bastimentos

How to Get to Isla Colón

The fastest way is a 1-hour Air Panama flight from Albrook Airport (PAC) in Panama City. It lands at the Bocas del Toro airport (BOC), right in Bocas Town on Isla Colón.

Your other options:

• Night bus: about 10–11 hours from Albrook Bus Terminal to Almirante, then a 30-minute, $6 water taxi to Bocas Town
• From Costa Rica: shuttles cross the border at Sixaola, about 4 hours from Puerto Viejo or 10–12 hours from San José
• From Boquete: shuttles take about 3–4 hours

For schedules, prices and tips, read our full guide: How to Get from Panama City to Bocas del Toro.

Panama City layover? Read our 5 Best Hotels and Things To Do in Panama City.

Getting Around Isla Colón

Unlike the other islands, Isla Colón has a road running out to its beaches, so you can get almost anywhere by land.

• Walk: Bocas Town is small and flat. You can walk everywhere in town.
• Land taxis: 60 cents anywhere in town ($2 from the airport in a yellow taxi), and $15–20 each way to Bluff Beach, depending on group size.
• Bus to Boca del Drago: small buses leave Simón Bolívar Park in town about every hour, for around $2.50–3.50 each way.
• Bikes and ATVs: a fun way to explore. Bluff Beach is a doable bike ride, with a few sandy stretches.
• Water taxis: leave from the docks along Bocas Town’s main street to every other island.

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Bocas Town

Bocas Town is the capital of the islands and the busiest place in the archipelago. It’s lively, but in a laid-back Caribbean way. No building is taller than 4 stories.

This is where you’ll find most of the restaurants, bars, shops, grocery stores, banks and the hospital. Staying here puts you steps from the nightlife and a quick water taxi from every other island.

One honest heads-up: Bocas Town is the party center of the islands, and some bars stay loud until 4 a.m. Light sleepers should pick a hotel on the quieter edge of town, or stay outside it.

Best Beaches on Isla Colón

Isla Colón has some of the best beaches in Bocas del Toro. Calm and shallow on one side, wild surf on the other.

Starfish Beach (Playa Estrella)

Starfish Beach is the most popular day trip on Isla Colón. It’s calm, shallow and clear, with bright orange starfish in knee-deep water.

How to get there:

1. Take the bus from Simón Bolívar Park in Bocas Town to Boca del Drago. It runs about every hour, takes around 45 minutes, and costs about $2.50–3.50 each way.
2. From Boca del Drago, walk 15–20 minutes along the shore, or take a small boat for about $1.50.

A taxi costs about $15–20 each way. Go early, since midday buses can fill up.

Please look but don’t touch. Lifting starfish out of the water can kill them.

Boca del Drago

The quieter beach right where the bus drops you off, on the way to Starfish Beach. Great for a swim and a long lunch.

Bluff Beach

A long, wild beach about 30 minutes from Bocas Town, backed by rainforest. The waves can be powerful, so swimming isn’t always safe, but it’s one of the best surf spots on the island.

Paunch

A thin strip of sand with some of the best surfing in Bocas. The jungle here is full of howler monkeys and toucans.

Mimbitimbi

A rugged, less-visited stretch of coast a short ride outside town.

Best Things To Do on Isla Colón

You can spend your days on the beach, in the water, or in the rainforest looking for monkeys and sloths. Isla Colón is also the nightlife capital of the islands, so you can practice your salsa or fist bump until 4 a.m. if that’s your thing.

Top pick: an afternoon at the Floating Bar

The Floating Bar is our favorite thing to do on Isla Colón. It’s a $2, 2-minute water taxi from Bocas Town, and it’s open year-round from noon to 7 p.m.

It’s a simple joint with just what you need: cold beers, margaritas, tacos and ceviche. There’s swimming, snorkeling, live music on Mondays, and a second-story diving board so you can practice your belly flops after too much tequila.

More of our favorites

• Horseback riding and a day at Bluff Beach
• Renting ATVs from Flying Pirates
• Starfish Beach and Boca del Drago
• Renting e-bikes or motor scooters and exploring the island
• A night out in Bocas Town

See all of the best things to do in Bocas del Toro.

Surfing on Isla Colón

Bocas del Toro has been known as one of the Caribbean’s best surf spots for about 20 years, and Isla Colón has several of its best waves:

• Tiger Tails
• Paunch
• Bluff Beach

What makes Isla Colón special is that every one of these spots is reachable by road. Stay almost anywhere on the island and take a taxi, or a bike, to the surf.

Read our Bocas del Toro Surf Guide, and our guide to scuba diving in Bocas del Toro.

Where to Stay on Isla Colón

Isla Colón is big, and each area has a different feel. Want a quiet beach surrounded by rainforest? Bluff Beach. Local life and sunsets? Saigon Bay. Bars, restaurants and shopping? Bocas Town.

Bocas Town: for nightlife and convenience

• Tropical Suites Hotel: overwater hotel with an overwater pool, deck and restaurant
• Bambuda Bocas Town: overwater hostel and hotel on the good side of town, with great rooms and views
• Diver’s Paradise Hotel: scuba-focused hotel with great reviews and views
• Lula’s B&B: a Bocas Town classic

On a budget? See our best hostels in Bocas del Toro.

Bluff Beach: for nature and beach lovers

About 30 minutes from town. The waves here can be big, so most places have a pool.

• The Hummingbird: good food, comfortable rooms, pool
• Island Plantation: Bali-style eco-resort with a pool
• Oasis Bluff Beach: good restaurant, nice rooms, pool
• Bluff Beach Retreat: family-style lodge with great hosts and a pool

Paunch: for surfers and jungle views

• La Coralina Island House: Balinese-style resort with luxury houses and a huge pool
• Casa Botanica: luxury villa in a botanical garden, sleeps up to 10, 5 minutes from town
• Surf Break at Paunch: stylish rooms in the jungle above Paunch
• La Selva: tree lodge with yoga and a pool
• Skully’s Hostel: popular waterfront hostel with a pool, small beach and bar
• Jungle Tree House: a real, actual treehouse!

Saigon Bay: for local life and sunsets

The real, local side of Isla Colón. The bay is almost always calm, which makes it great for kayaking and paddleboarding, and it faces west for sunsets over the mainland mountains.

• The Sunsetter B&B: overwater B&B with friendly Canadian hosts
• Saigon Bay B&B: overwater B&B with well-known local hosts

Want something more remote? Read our Where to Stay in Bocas del Toro guide, or check out our overwater bungalows on Isla Solarte, 5 minutes by boat from Bocas Town.

Where to Eat on Isla Colón

Isla Colón has more places to eat than anywhere else in Bocas: Caribbean, Panamanian, Asian, Indian, French, Mexican, Argentinian and Italian, from breakfast to late-night street food.

Our top picks

• Renny’s Pizza: our favorite pizza
• La Neta Caribe: authentic Mexican, amazing tacos
• Amaranto and Cafe del Mar: good coffee shops in Bocas Town
• Buena Vista: Caribbean food, open all day, every day
• Octo: a local grill famous for its octopus
• JJ’s at Bocas Blended: American-style, big portions
• Om Cafe: Indian food that can compete with Indian food anywhere
• Ultimo Refugio: Caribbean food with a great overwater location
• The View at Oasis: International/Caribbean food at Bluff Beach
• Tequila Republic: dirty burgers
• Shanti Restaurant: over the water, with a great, varied menu and pizza
• Ohana: Caribbean food with a view of the surf
• Pipa Beach: Caribbean food on a beach with calm water for swimming

The best local food

• Restaurante Tom’s: near the fire station, some of the best food in Bocas, with one of the best views
• Chitre: overwater seating and cafeteria-style plato del día (pick what you want)
• Rosti Pollo: overwater, near the ferry dock, with a big, tasty plato del día
• La Chomba food truck: next to Isla Colón Supermarket. I’m addicted to their empanadas. I need help, but I don’t want it.

These are all places I’ve eaten at and loved, but there are plenty more to explore.

Isla Colón FAQ

When is the best time to visit Isla Colón?

December to April is usually the best time. It can be the driest stretch of the year and is the busiest for tourism. March and April tend to be the driest months.

Bocas has a tropical rainforest climate, so it’s humid year-round and you should expect at least a little rain on any trip. Christmas, New Year’s, the November national holidays, Carnival and Easter week (Semana Santa) are the busiest times, and rooms can sell out completely.

More in our best time to visit Bocas del Toro guide.

Is Isla Colón safe?

Yes. Isla Colón is safe for travelers and expats. The main crime is theft, usually of things left unattended. Bikes get stolen often, and a backpack left alone on the beach might not be there when you get back.

Our safety tips:

1. Don’t leave your things unattended on the beach, or anywhere public.
2. Lock up your room at night and when you go out.
3. Don’t overdo the drinking, and skip illegal drugs.
4. Avoid the street hustlers.
5. Only use licensed water taxis and tour operators.

More in our safety in Panama guide.

Can you drink the water on Isla Colón?

No. The town water isn’t safe to drink and can make you sick. Stick to filtered rainwater or purified water. Small amounts, like for brushing your teeth, are generally fine.

Other health tips:

• Be very careful of strong waves and rip currents.
• Stay hydrated.
• Clean every cut, even small ones.
• Avoid risky activities, since good hospitals for serious problems are far away.
• Boats are the biggest danger in the water. Don’t swim or snorkel where boats are passing.

Is Isla Colón expensive?

It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. Eating and staying local will save you a lot. You can splurge if you want to, or backpack through cheaply.

Can I buy real estate on Isla Colón?

Yes, and many expats do. Property values have climbed fast over the past decade, and we expect them to keep rising. The jaw-dropping deals of the late 90s are gone, like $3,000 titled beachfront lots now worth $300,000, but cheaper properties still exist farther from town.

Read our guide to buying real estate in Bocas del Toro.

Do I need a car on Isla Colón?

No. Taxis, the Boca del Drago bus, bikes and ATVs will get you everywhere you want to go.

Read More About Bocas del Toro from Our Blog:

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