Bastimentos vs Colon

My husband and I are planning a trip to Panama in August. We plan to be there for a week in total and bocas del toro is out main destination. Just wondering about advice on where to stay. Batimentos seems to be mainly where I want to be - on the beach! He is more interested in exploring more of the mainland in colon. I have seen that there are water taxis between the two for fairly cheap. What I'm worried about is the availability of them and what the travel is like. How often do the water taxis go during the day.? Are they often out of service because of harsh seas? Is it feasible to travel to colon from Bastimentos a few times during a weeks stay? Is there enough to do on Bastimentos other than the beach? Also wondering if it's better to book lodging before going? It seems we are going during the off peak season but I feel a little uncertain about availability and going without having a secured place to stay feels uncertain. I'm a bit of a planner and I feel anxious about doing that and i like to know what I'm getting myself into, I'm liking the idea of a villa (ie red frog beach resort) but it does look quite expensive and I hear there are other hotels for quite cheap. I'm thinking I'd prefer to stay somewhere right on the beach but if the price difference is drastic then I may be willing to compromise that.

Colon? The city of Colon??
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3359/3278406741_d6b6442bf9.jpg

http://travelmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/140212panama1.jpg

http://images.travelpod.com/users/nz2uk/1.1276849393.colon-city.jpg

Oh ...Isla Colon.
http://lomitadepalmas.com/bocas_del_toro/DSCF0112.jpg

There are only a few places on the beach in bocas but if you want to spend the money there are some rreal nice options, the nicest being in punt vieja which is far away from isla colon. Water taxis go all the time from the town of Old Point to isla colon, the are 3 dollars a person. You can stay on the beach in boca del drago on isla colon at Cabanas Estfany for fairly cheap. The problem on bastimentos is the is only food and stores in the little town and all the beach places have their own bars and food etc etc.

To answer your question, yes, it is very easy to get from Isla Colón to Bastimentos during the day. The seas aren't really harsh as you will be traveling along the south shore of Bastimentos (waves arrive from the east-northeast, northeast and north).

Bastimentos is only a 10 minute boat ride if it's to the town of Old Bank, and from 20 - 40 minutes if it's to middle or south-eastern side of the island.

You might also want to have a look at Bluff or Boca del Drago on Isla Colón.

In Carenero there also several water front, or built over the water hotels.

Enjoy Bocas!

@panamajoules

Thanks for your replies!

@panamajoules - I am looking forward to the Bluff or Boca del Drago! After a few days of research, I've pretty much decided on Isla Colon. I think it seems pretty central to everything. What are the best ways to travel to Boca del Drago and Playa Bluff from the south part of the Isla Colon?

For blufff you can either taxi, bike or walk. It's a fairly long walk. For Drago same except there is a bus the goes every two hours for 5 dollars round trip. You can take a boat as well. Because of large waves and riptide you can really swim at bluff unless it's truely flat. If you walk far enough though you can get to a very lagoon that is the mimbitimbi river. Carenero is nice but the no see ums are heavy.

thought the trip to Zapatillas was worthwile as well,was $ 20 on a tour and was the best beach I saw in Bocas(went to Bluff,red frog...starfish )but rate the beaches in San blas much higher but thats my personal opinion