Bastimentos Island

Isla Bastimentos is one of the largest islands in Panamá and provides a laid-back alternative to the busy streets and bars found in the center of Bocas Town. Just a ten-minute water taxi ride from Isla Colon, Isla Bastimentos is home to many wonderful beaches including the picturesque Wizard Beach, which you can reach by jungle path, as well as coral-ringed Polo Beach, where the water is calm and visitors are few. For one of the best places to snorkel, check out Coral Cay. Red Frog Beach, named after the population of small red frogs that inhabit the nearby forest, is also home to a popular bar where you can grab a beer and spend the day by the beach. Then, on the western tip of the island, between the forest and the sea, you’ll find Old Bank, home to the Afro-Caribbean community. 

Nearby Isla Bastimentos are the Cayos Zapatillas—two beautiful uninhabited cays. One of the cays, Cayo Zapatilla II, is open to visitors, and it’s definitely worth a visit.