I arrived in Bocas del Toro in late September, at about the 7-week point of my 8-week holiday, and was looking forward to just kicking back and taking it easy for a while, maybe a bit of beach time. Bocas is a relatively small town and it does not take long to familiarise yourself here. The afternoon I arrived was pretty hot and humid and some other gringos (who I met on the boat ride from Almirante) and I walked around and checked out a couple of hotels.
Accommodation
We had been told by a dude on the boat that Dos Palmas (on the water) was fairly cheap but we found out that it was full anyway and at $40 for a pretty basic-looking room, I thought that rooms there were not cheap. The same goes for the place next door (cant remember the name). After a beverage at Dos Palmas (just to take the edge off), one of the gringos and I went back out into heat and looked at some other accommodation options. We each took a room at Hotel Cayo Zapatilla that is located about half way along the western side of Calle 3, above the supermarket, near the parque. The first night I was in a very small, airless room with a double bed that was $20. However, I preferred something a bit nicer and shifted to an upstairs room with a double and a single bed for $25 as I took it for a number of nights. The manager was pretty easy going and the rooms fairly clean. The mattress was firm and the room had A/C, fan, cable and 24hr H/W. There is a supermarket down stairs and I had my laundry done there too.
I found Bocas to be a relaxing place to spend some time and the locals that I interacted with were laid-back and friendly as were the other tourists. It rained on and off for a couple of days while I was there, while the other days were clear and hot.
Eating
There are heaps of restaurants and eateries in Bocas so you are not going to go hungry here. Lots of different offerings from donuts to Indian.
El Chitre - Calle 3 - Cheap, filling lunchtime meals of chicken/beef/fish, veg and rice. A couple of bucks for a plate from the bain marie.
Don Chicho’s - Calle 3 - Like El Chitre but with wider selection of food.
Pecado (no, not pescado, that is fish rather than Pecado=sin) – Upstairs across the road from Hotel Cayo Zapatilla on Calle 3 – Some of the best food in Bocas del Toro.. so I am told. Innovative menu, tasty food, interesting décor, friendly service, although not cheap. The owner is a real odd-ball but a great guy and very entertaining. Sit at the bar and have a few cold ones or even try the alcoholic concoction in the large bottle behind the bar.
Indian Restaurant (Ohm?) - Upstairs on the corner of Calle 2 & Avenue F – Great breakfasts and good Indian meals, reasonably priced and friendly service.
Asian Restaurant (cant remember the name) - Upstairs about half way along Calle 1 - Good menu, fresh and tasty meals, live music on certain nights.
Restaurante Da Claudio – Calle 3 - OK Breakfast but a little on the expensive side.
Le Pirate – Good breakfast where you can either sit inside in smoke-free environment or eat out by the water and watch the world go by. Cheap drinks here to.
Drinking
There are several smaller drinking options, some over the water like Le Pirate, but the two larger, lively ones, that I found were:
Bohmfalks - In the short street joining Calle 1 & Calle 2, near the park - Look for the Cold Beer neon sign - tasty chicken wings and bar snacks, movies, rock music on CD and live music on certain nights … a bit of a gringos’ hangout but cooled by lots of fans and has friendly service.
Barco Hundido (The Wreck Deck) - On Calle 1 - This is the place where everybody ends up late and has a bar built over the water where there is a sunken boat. Hip hop dance scene with a $2 cover charge. Not my cup of tea but it is the place to go out ‘til late and get plastered or what ever.
Tours
Transparente Boat Tours - On the water on Calle 3, near intersection of Calle 1 - one of several tour operators offering day tours around the islands. My day tour went to: Dolphin Bay - dolphin watching, and lots of them too; Snorkelling somewhere or other - shallow water and a fair amount of very colourful coral; lunch stop - pretty good selection of meals, lots of seafood on the menu; Red Frog Beach - a couple of hours on a beach with gentle surf and beach volley ball; Hospital Point - some more snorkelling. A great way to spend a relaxing day.
Internet
There are 2 internet cafes - forget the one half way along Calle 3, surly service and expensive. Instead, go to the one upstairs on the western side of Calle 3, near the intersection of Calle 1 & 3. It’s half the price of the other one, and the staff are friendly and helped me out with flight information.
Flights
Bookings for flights onwards to PC can only be made at the small airport at the end of Avenue F. I paid about $80 for the flight that gave great views over the archipelago’s islands. Beware that the over-weight baggage policy is strictly enforced and excess baggage is not cheap. If you think that you are going to go over weight, then get all your heavy stuff into your carry on as that is not weighed.
Part 12 - Panama City - the final leg to follow
