Remote white-sand beach with drift wood in Panama
Bocas del Toro lodge right on the water with boats pulling up to the deck in Panama
A bright yellow tree frog with black spots and red legs on a leaf in Panama.
An overview shot of islands and inlets of Panama.
A hammock and rocking chairs on the deck of Bocas Del Toro lodge in Panama as the sun sets.
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Central America Panama Land Tour

Bocas del Toro Adventure

Enjoy 3 days of relaxing beach time, wildlife viewing by boat and on foot, and an indigenous community cultural visit. Cruise around Colon Island to Boca del Drago where the beach provides a canvas for sun bathing, swimming and searching for colorful giant starfish. Weather permitting, visit Swan’s Cay, with its red-billed tropic birds (the only place to be found in Panama) and brown boobies. Revel in opportunities to go snorkeling amongst coral reefs and mangrove isles, seeking out numerous fish species, colored sea fans, sponges and brittle starfish. Make a unique visit to Bastimentos National Park, Panama’s first marine national park.

Five hundred years ago, the great discoverer Christopher Columbus arrived at a tropical paradise in the western Caribbean coast of what is now Panama. Overwhelmed by the most incredible contrasts of vivid color and sheer unspoiled natural surroundings, Columbus decided to drop anchor and immerse in this heavenly place: Bocas del Toro. 

Not much has changed since that pristine time with the exception of the provocative Calypso beat, the constant smiles of the people and the alluring island accent of the Caribbean inhabitants. Bocas is the best place to sink your toes in the white sand, to explore lush tropical rainforests and coral reefs and to look for the faithful sea turtles that have come to these islands for millennia.

Wildlife abounds in Bocas del Toro. Birders will appreciate excursions to spot the red-throated ant tanager, golden-collared manakin, the three-wattled bellbird and green-breasted mango. Mammals such as night monkeys, white-faced capuchins and three-toed sloths also live here. Lagoons play host to spectacled cayman and slider turtle, while the rainforest paths are home to poison dart frogs. Optional, added-cost tours around town and the surrounding islands are also on offer.

Read on for details about this trip, or learn more about AdventureSmith’s Panama tours and Panama trips.



Itinerary

Bocas del Toro Adventure Itinerary

Enjoy 3 days of relaxing beach time, wildlife viewing by boat and on foot, and an indigenous community cultural visit on this Panama cultural adventure that begins and ends in Panama City, Panama. The 3-day Bocas del Toro Adventure is designed to complement a longer Panama Tour or a Panama small ship cruise. Please contact an Adventure Specialist for more details.

Route map of Bocas del Toro Adventure land tour trip extension, operating round-trip from Panama City, with visits to Bocas del Drago & Bastimentos Marine National Park.
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Day 1
Panama City to Bocas Del Drago Tour

This morning, transfer from your hotel in Panama City, Panama, to Albrook domestic airport (PAC) to board the scheduled flight to the town of Bocas in Colon Island, the capital of Bocas del Toro province. A local representative will be awaiting at the airport upon your arrival. After checking in at the Bocas Inn, receive a briefing on the activities that will take place during the trip.

Start the adventure with a boat ride around Colon Island to Boca del Drago. Weather permitting, visit Swan’s Cay—a rock protruding from the depths of the Caribbean Sea, which serves as a rookery for red-billed tropic birds (the only place to be found in Panama) and brown boobies. After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy the beach at Boca del Drago and search for colorful giant starfish. Along the coastline while returning to the lodge, make stops at coral reefs and mangrove isles for snorkeling.

Accommodations

Bocas Inn

Meals

lunch

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Day 2
Salt Creek Village & Bastimentos Marine National Park

Depart by boat from the Bocas Inn early in the morning traversing the expanse of Bastimentos National Park, Panama’s first marine national park. Reach Salt Creek by navigating through clusters of red mangroves, which provide sea creatures with a protective area during their reproductive and developmental stages. Upon arrival, first enjoy a walk along Caiman trail, which leads through several stages of lowland forest dynamics. Look for birds such as red-throated ant tanagers and golden-collared manakins. Mammals such as night monkeys, white-faced capuchins and three-toed sloths also live here. An older tract of rainforest has tall trees that provide life to birds such as the three-wattled bellbird and green-breasted mango.

A nearby lagoon is home to spectacled caimans and slider turtles. Look for the tiny endemic poison dart frog on the ground. After the hike, enjoy a visit to the Ngobe Bugle indigenous community to have a chance to purchase handicrafts such as painted woodcarvings and handbags, followed by lunch. In the afternoon snorkel among mangroves and coral reefs, searching for numerous fish species, as well as dynamic and brightly colored sea fans, sponges and brittle starfish.

Accommodations

Bocas Inn

Meals

breakfast, lunch

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Day 3
Bocas Del Toro to Panama City, Panama

Spend today in leisure or choose an optional tour (added cost) such as kayaking, an Oreba chocolate tour, bat cave touring, snorkeling, spotting sea turtle nests and hatchlings or manatee conservation at Pond Sak Wetlands. Ask your Adventure Specialists for details regarding optional activities, as advanced reservations are necessary. In the afternoon, be transferred to Bocas Airport for your flight to Panama City, Panama. Upon arrival to the city, be transferred back to your hotel.

Accommodations

n/a

Meals

breakfast

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Details
Inclusions, Terms & Notes

Included

All lodging, land, air and water transportation within Panama: all airport/hotel transfers when arriving and departing on the stated arrival and departure dates of the group; meals as specified in the itinerary: hotel taxes: entrance fees to national parks, museums and places of interest in effect at the time of booking, unless otherwise specified; guide services as specified in the itinerary.

Exclusions

Airfare to Panama; Panama City hotel; baggage fees; 2024 taxes of $TBD per person (double occupancy); port fees; meals not specified in itinerary; gratuities to transfer and naturalist guides; items of a personal nature, such as alcoholic beverages and insurance of any kind.

Payment & Cancellation

In order to confirm this trip, a deposit of 50% of the total trip cost is required per person at time of booking. The balance of the trip price is due 90 days before the departure date. Special holiday payment and cancellation terms may apply. Guests who must cancel their trip for any reason must do so in writing. Standard cancellations are subject to the following per-person penalties, based on number of days prior to departure:
Up to 91 days – 50% of deposit
90 to 31 days – 50% of total trip cost
30 to 0 days – 100% of total trip cost

Terms & Conditions

This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A Traveler Information Form, which includes a release of liability, must be completed and signed by all travelers. Your Adventure Specialist will send you a unique link to complete this form along with a packing list and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information upon booking confirmation.

Arrival & Departure

The Bocas Del Toro Adventure begins and ends in Panama City, Panama (PTY). A pre- and post-trip hotel night is required. Please plan flights to arrive one day prior and depart one day after the outlined itinerary from Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport. If you would like assistance with international flights, please visit our Booking Flights resource page.

Internal Flights

Round-trip internal flights between Panama City and Bocas town (Colon Island) are included. Domestic flights within Panama allow 1 bag up to 30.8 lbs (14 kg) per passenger. Carry-on luggage is limited to 8.8 lbs (4 kg). Passengers are responsible for any excess baggage fees.

Activities

Whether you are looking for light activity options or more challenging outdoor pursuits, the guides can tailor most excursions to suit your skill level. Adventure activities may include hiking, boat excursions, swimming, snorkeling, beachcombing, kayaking (added cost), cultural visits and wildlife observation.

Room Configuration

Additional nights can be booked; please inquire with an Adventure Specialist for availability and pricing.

Families & Children

Children 11 years or younger receive discounts. Please inquire for pricing.

Travel Insurance

Protect your travel investment with insurance. Our partners at Travelex Insurance offer a variety of plans and policies to fit every trip and budget. Coverage for a pre-existing medical condition is also available if you purchase the Travel Select plan within 15 days of the initial trip payment; refer to plan details. Learn more about travel insurance or get a free quote.

Itinerary Notes

The Bocas del Toro Adventure is a trip extension designed to be booked in conjunction with a longer Panama tour or a Panama small ship cruise. Itineraries may be altered due to weather, wildlife, National Park regulation or at the guides’ discretion. The ability to be flexible makes this type of adventure travel unique.

Rates & Dates

Trip Rates & Details

Departures available daily, year-round. Contact us for current rates and availability.

Accommodation

Learn About the Lodge on Your Itinerary

Hotel
Bocas Inn

The Bocas Inn is a charming 7-bedroom, sea-front lodge located in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Hot water showers are provided by solar energy. Tour islands and mangroves by skiff and snorkeling and feel a genuine connection to the people and the places of Bocas del Toro.

Expert Review

Reviews from Our Experts So You Know What to Expect

Todd Smith • February 4th, 2014
Expert Review: Panama City, Bocas Del Toro & Gamboa

Exploring Panama for the first time with my wife and young sons, age six and nine, we crafted a custom 8-day trip to Panama City, Bocas del Toro and Gamboa.

Book with the confidence that comes from experience.

100+ combined years of experience, 7 continents explored, decades of expedition cruising around the world & here to help you find & book your dream trip.

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