Bocas del Toro Archipelago Places

Bocas del Toro

The town of Bocas del Toro, which the locals simply call Bocas, sits on a little headland connected to the island's primary landmass by a narrow isthmus. The western half of that headland is covered by a mangrove swamp, but the eastern half holds a neat grid packed with homes, businesses, and government offices. The town is surrounded by water on three sides, which means it has plenty of ocean views. The nearest beach, on the isthmus that connects it to Isla Colón, is not the island's best. In order to play in the surf and sand you either have to boat to Isla Bastimentos or take a bike, taxi, bus, or boat to one of the beaches on Isla Colón. Luckily, Bocas has an abundance of boatmen eager to show you paradise, as well as several dive shops and tour operators offering day trips to beaches and coral reefs.

Although Bocas has little in the way of museums and landmarks, the laid-back town is worth exploring, with its wide streets, weathered Caribbean architecture, and plentiful greenery. It is home to an interesting sampling of humanity, with a majority of Afro-Caribbean or Hispanic extraction, a good number of Chinese, some Ngöbe and Kuna, and a growing number of European and North American expatriates. There are domino-playing fishermen, Rastafarian artisans, and South American surfers. For some islanders, doing nothing seems to be a full-time occupation, and in the heat of the afternoon or the middle of a downpour Bocas has plenty of spots to do just that, with a cool drink and an ocean view.

Most of Bocas's restaurants and other businesses are located along Calle 3, sometimes called Main Street. This is a wide, north-south track stretching from one end of town to the other (seven blocks) and running along the sea for its southern half. Boats to the mainland and other islands depart from docks along that stretch, as do tours bound for fun in the sun, while people from the other islands arrive here to shop and run errands. Halfway up Calle 3, Calle 1 branches off it to the right, passing various hotels and restaurants built over the water. Calle 3 ends at Avenida Norte, which runs west to the isthmus that connects the town to Isla Colón and across the island. If you turn right onto Avenida Norte and walk two blocks to the island's northeast corner, you find the fire station, which holds a couple of antique fire engines.