Bocas del Toro

[Hotshot76]

Does anybody have any information or thoughts on BDT about things to do, where to eat, or general advice? I am planning a visit about this time next month with an agenda of drinking beer, getting a sunburn, and sitting on a beach, after that the agenda is wide open. The collective here pointed me in the direction of Caye Caulker a few years ago and that place was great and we are looking for something similar.

[wyeaster]

i was in bocas 20 years ago and loved it. i have nothing useful.

[Sagamoron]

Does anybody have any information or thoughts on BDT about things to do, where to eat, or general advice? I am planning a visit about this time next month with an agenda of drinking beer, getting a sunburn, and sitting on a beach, after that the agenda is wide open. The collective here pointed me in the direction of Caye Caulker a few years ago and that place was great and we are looking for something similar.

We did our part of our honeymoon there 5 years ago, really nice place. Bocas is a cool little surf town. Fun Bars, Restaurants etc. Most stuff is built right along the water, seems like most of the accommodations in Bocas are of the B&B, Inn or Small Hotel Variety.

We stayed a short boat ride away at Red Frog Beach(10 minutes). Rented a brand new house. 3 Bedrooms, Pool, Modern Kitchen, etc. Got a screaming deal as they were still working on a few of the other homes and still pretty early in the development of the place. Came with a golf cart, so we took that to the beach, Bars and randomly cruised around. Depending on how built up it has become, the price may have risen accordingly. But it seemed like most people who stayed in Bocas would take a small boat over to red frog as the beach is pretty amazing.

let me know if you have other questions.

[Beastiality]

Place has turned into a dump. Run by the Chinese who operate the ferry and the market. Reefs are devoid of fish due to over fishing, it was really shocking to see all the dead coral, and literally no fish. Many of the neighboring islands have been trashed by the locals...don't even bother going to Bastimentos...trash everywhere. Really too bad as it was once a great place

[wyeaster]

^^this is what i would have expected to hear based on what i saw 20 years ago.

[sirbumpsalot]

I've met people that rave about Bocos, but I went a couple years ago. While I still had a great time, I gotta say...."What a sheet hole!" Diving was ok...like someone said - coral is damaged and fairly dead many places and its over fished. Town is tiny and does have a few good places to eat and drink, but after having been to almost all the central american countries, I'd put panama on the bottom of the list. Beaches tend to be overcrowded and every 25 ft is a stand selling drinks while blasting its techno-pop music as loud as can be done.

I'd recommend Roatan as an alternative.

That said, if you are in your 20's and living on a shoestring budget and haven't traveled to 3rd world countries much, you might find it "great".

IMHO of course.

[plugboots]

Close friends went a couple years ago with 2 10 year old boys. Would not go back. Murky water not totally due to the wind, and basically kinda a dump. For what you want to do it’ll be great, but so many better, cooler more fun places that are waaaaay easier to get to.

[stuckathuntermtn]

I was about to say BULLFIGHTING FORUM JONG, but this is a real place?

[that dude who did that thing]

Boca looks way too developed for my tastes,and for what you want to do, but that's a matter of choice.

Just north of there is Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. Sure it has a few beach bars, and some hostels for the euro crowd, but no yacht marinas, or zipline operators. It's a relatively quiet place, pretty affordable to stay, with miles of beach, and a strong rasta vibe.

[wyeaster]

i spent some time in puerto viejo and enjoyed it a lot.

[Rico in Flag]

Me and my wife did part of our honeymoon in Bocas 10 years ago. We fairly enjoyed it. The main island was visibly growing fast. We stayed at a resort on Bastimientos owned by some Belgian dudes. Cool chill place. Then we spent a few days in Bocas Town and on Isla Caranero. One day we took a boat tour around the island, saw Bird Rock, Starfish Beach, etc. When we got back to the dock the woman at the counter starts screaming at us, "you didn't pay, you didn't pay". Well after 20 minutes of arguing in limited Spanish and English, I knew she was trying to hustle us, I shot her the finger, universal in most languages, and walked off.

Sad to hear the place is going to shit. I've got a buddy in Truckee who's planning to retire there. I wonder how he feels about the place.

[Hotshot76]

Mucho Gracias. After some more research on BDT you guys are echoing what the blogs are saying: its a party town that is kind of trashy. We have our sights on Placencia Belize. Caye Caulker was great and Placencia sounds somewhat similar.

[Game Over]

I thought he was great in Unusual Suspects. Too bad Kevin Spacey's rep may taint that film.

[TheSilverSurfer]

Bocas has a new garbage and recycling program and has really cleaned up it's act.

The best beaches are not near town. If you want low key, find a boat driver and hire him for the day. Don't get ripped off. Pay $100 and gas. Have him take you to a sandy beach with nobody on it. They're all over, and all beaches are public.

Stay in a place like http://www.casacayuco.com or https://www.islandplantationbocas.com and avoid the town for the most part. There are lots of options for Eco resorts

[t-the-east]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XFTfmdRYj98