Mark Johnson from Paradise Found Realty says that what most people are looking for when they buy real estate in Bocas del Toro are these five things:

• Titled property
• On or near a sandy beach
• Elevation
• Calm water to keep a boat
• Public Utilities

In fact, this is more or less what we told him we were looking for when he helped us find our property. 

Now, we didn’t get everything we wanted, but we learned that there really isn’t a property in Bocas del Toro that will check all of your boxes. You’ll have to be flexible with some things, and in the end, I think you’ll be ok with it. 

Take Living Off-Grid, For Example

Living Off-Grid in Bocas del Toro might be intimidating to some, but our personal belief is that it is a much better option. 

Most people want to be connected to the grid. However, the electric grid on Isla Colon, which also supplies Isla Carenero and Old Bank on Isla Bastimentos, fails frequently. 

Even now, as I write this article in mid-December of 2021, the Bocas Town water pump is broken and in need of a replacement part that they can’t get. They are currently rationing the water by only turning the pump on for a few hours a day. And this is during the tourism high season. These problems are always resolved quickly, more or less in a few days, but they still happen much less frequently with our off-grid systems.

Anyway, this is just an example of how you may be surprised with the real estate opportunities you can find in Bocas if your criteria and mindset are more open and flexible. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what you will find!

Here is a list of the 6 areas where we would love to buy real estate in Bocas del Toro (and why):

• Big Creek, Skully’s, Paunch – Isla Colon
• Solarte North West End
• Carenero North End
• Punta Rica – Isla Bastimentos
• Isla San Cristobal – North/ East End + Dolphin Bay
• Bahia Honda

Big Creek, Skully’s, Paunch Coastline

The area of coastline from Big Creek to Paunch (and honestly the entire coastline from Big Creek all the way to Bluff), is, in my opinion, the most desirable area in all of Isla Colon and Bocas del Toro – for most people. 

This area offers oceanfront, walk-to-surf, bike to the beach, car life, connectivity to the grid, and easy access to Bocas Town essentials and social scene. The coastline has some beach areas, plenty of beach bars and restaurants, and beautiful Caribbean views. It is also backed by the rainforest, which is known to be home to toucans and howler monkeys. 

All of these things together make this area Bocas Town’s most sought-after suburb – and properties are priced accordingly. 

Why We Like It

We like this area because it offers the best and most convenient Caribbean lifestyle in Bocas del Toro. You can still have a car and easily drive anywhere on the island, including to the beach or to Bocas Town for your essentials. 

It’s also connected to the grid, so you can have public electricity, although public water is not guaranteed in all places. This is not a problem though, as having a rainwater catchment system is cleaner and more reliable. 

We also like this area because you have easy access to the Bocas social scene, the waves, restaurants, and even schools. What this area doesn’t have, is easy access to a/ your boat, which may be the deal-breaker for some people. 

Isla Solarte North End

The North End of Isla Solarte is known as Solarte Uno and is home to around 30 local houses that comprise the local indigenous community, as well as a school, soccer field, volleyball court, and church. Solarte Uno is also home to the popular landmark of Hospital Point, which has historical value as well as being a popular snorkeling and diving spot. 

The west end of Isla Solarte is reachable by water taxi in 5-10 minutes from Bocas Town, and is also the same amount of time to the neighboring islands of Bastimentos and Carenero. Popular activities for Isla Solarte living include hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, scuba diving and snorkeling. 

Why We Like It

The North end of Isla Solarte (that is closer to the center of the islands) is where we live and run our business (Sol Bungalows). After living in both Bastimentos and Bocas Town, and having considerable knowledge of Isla Carenero as well, we can say that Isla Solarte offers the most relaxed “outer island” living while still being in the center of all of the action. 

Living on Solarte also offers you the chance to live the boat life, which we think is what really makes Bocas special. The local community here is also very relaxed and not as into the partying/ loud music as many other communities are. 

Really the whole island of Solarte is a good option for buying property in Bocas del Toro, we are just more pulled towards having a quick boat ride to surf and Bocas Town, so being towards the North End is best for us. The south/ east side, however, also already has a big and welcoming expat community.

Bonus: 

Due to a failed development project from many years ago, there are now a good amount of small but cheap lots for sale all over the island. There’s also an old Inn that is for sale right down from us, which you can contact me about for more details. It could be a good spot for a private home or an eco-style accomodation!

Carenero North End

The North End of Isla Carenero is another area that falls in the sweet spot of not-too-close, not-too-far from Bocas Town. You can have beautiful ocean or bay views, sunsets or sunrises, and you can walk to our favorite wave: Carenero Point. There are alot of properties, land, and other real estate options for sale in this area, and it has long been a hot spot for ex-pats. 

Why we like it

We like the north end of Isla Carenero as an option for real estate in Bocas del Toro because you can have the boat life, walk to the surf, and are still just a couple of minutes from Bocas Town. 

You also still have a pretty wild and undeveloped jungle filling the interior of the island, and the north side of the island also features some good elevation and consistent breezes. Both of these will help with a known problem in Bocas: the sandflies. 

For us, having the boat life, access to surfing, and being in close proximity to Bocas Town for shopping and other essentials (as well as being easy to get to for our guests), were some of the top priorities when were searching for property a few years ago. This side of Carenero checks all the boxes – but just wasn’t the perfect place to build overwater bungalows. 

Punta Rica (John Brown Point) – Isla Bastimentos

The area known as Punta Rica (also known as John Brown Point or Mango Point) is located on the south-east side of the bay of Old Bank. It is essentially a suburb of Old Bank and is still just a few minutes boat ride from Bocas Town, making it another ideal spot for real estate in Bocas del Toro. 

There are two sides to the point, one which faces Old Bank, and the other side which faces Isla Solarte. The Isla Solarte side is more private and definitely seems like a small and secluded community. There is a small beach, a decent area for swimming, calm water for paddle boarding or kayaking, and there is also a cement dock that could be used to keep your boat (you’d just have to talk with the neighbors in the area.) There are a few tourism accommodations in this area already, most notably Eclypse del Mar, Ataraxia, and

Why we like it

I know a lot about this area because I lived there for two years, and it is really nice. We actually almost chose this area to start our business but ended up finding a better opportunity on Isla Solarte. 

Anyway, this area falls into the sweet spot of being close to everything – but not too close. There’s raw jungle, great views, good snorkeling nearby, and you’re just a quick walk or water taxi to Old Bank where there are restaurants, bars, and convenience stores. We also loved being close enough to walk to Wizard Beach. 

Bocas Town is also just a 5-10 minute boat ride, as well as surfing at Carenero Point. 

Downsides to this area would be the music you can hear from Old Bank on occasion. After living there for 2 years, however, I can tell you that you will get used to it eventually!

North Side of Isla San Cristobal – Dolphin Bay

Isla San Cristobal is a big island. There’s a lot of space, a lot of coastline, a lot of coral reefs and a lot of mangrove. There’s also a fair bit of water in between the island and Bocas Town, which makes it the longest boat ride of the areas listed before. 

But, because it is farther away, and because there’s so much space, you can still find big properties here for cheaper than areas closer to town. The two most popular areas on San Cristobal would be the point that is closest to Bocas Town and then the area known as Dolphin Bay.

Why We Like It

Probably the biggest reason we like this area is because of how peaceful and natural it is. You really feel removed from the hustle and bustle of the center of the islands, but are still fairly close enough to not have it be a giant pain in the ass to buy groceries. 

The Dolphin Bay area is very popular with expats and already has a solid community growing there. It’s also home to some big names in the hospitality industry, including Bocas Bali and Dolphin Bay Hideaway. 

The natural scenery of the area, including the calm bay that is frequented by dolphins, and the easily accessed and very wild rainforest, make this one of the best places to be located for nature and escape. 

Bahia Honda – Isla Bastimentos/ Isla Solarte

The Bahia Honda area is another location that is similar to what dolphin bay is like, except it is a much easier boat ride to Bocas Town at only about 10-15 minutes. The bay and waters here are calm and protected, with some shallow reefs and alot of mangroves. There’s a decent scattering of ex-pat houses and tourism accommodations, most notable of all is La Loma Jungle Lodge, which is an internationally top-rated eco-lodge and permaculture farm. 

Bahia Honda is also home to a fairly large indigenous population that is spread out in small groupings of homes along the coastline. I worked in this area for 4 years with the non-profit organization Give & Surf, and I can tell you that these are some very nice people and a good community to belong to as an ex-pat. 

Why we like it

We like Bahia Honda because it is still close enough to Bocas Town but also removed. There’s easy access to Red Frog Beach, the Nivida Bat Cave, and the cut that leads out towards the Zapatilla Islands. You’ll definitely need a good boat and your house will be off-grid, but like we said before, these are good things. 

The locals in this area are good people and it would be easy to find some good help/ workers for your business. The calm waters are great for kayaking, paddle boarding, or even wakeboarding. 

Those are our top 6 picks for where to buy real estate in Bocas del Toro 

We like these areas and see them to continue becoming developed and growing along with the rest of Bocas del Toro. They offer what we think will be a good base upon which you can build your life in Panama. You’ll just have to come and see them for yourself to decide! 

For a realtor in Bocas del Toro

We recommend Mark Johnson from Paradise Found Realty. Mark helped us find our dream property, where we live very happily, and also where we were able to build a successful B&B – large in part due to our location. If you end up using Mark, let him know we sent you!

We try to only recommend things, activities, or people in Bocas del Toro that we have actively participated in/ with ourselves, and we can say from experience that Mark does a great job throughout the whole process!

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