Working remotely in Bocas Del Toro (Panama) - Digital No-mad Guide
The most gorgeous beach we have ever been to - a paradise island called Zapatilla near Bocas Tel Doro
Hi there! We are Markus and Heidi, two digital nomads who recently spent four months working remotely in Latin America. One of the places we stayed at for two weeks was Bocas del Toro.
Bocas del Toro is located in the Caribbean side of Panama and consists of a group of islands. It’s famous for its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant marine life. The main island, Isla Colon, is the largest and most developed and where we decided to stay as well.
The best time to visit
If you're looking for sunny weather and warm temperatures, the best time to visit Bocas del Toro is between December and April. During these months, the weather is dry and sunny, with temperatures ranging from 25°C to 30°C. This is also the peak tourist season, so expect crowds and higher prices.
If you're looking for a quieter and more affordable vacation, the best time to visit Bocas del Toro is between May and November. This is the rainy season, but don't let that put you off! The rain usually falls in short bursts, and the rest of the day is usually sunny. The temperatures are slightly cooler, ranging from 22°C to 28°C. This is also the low tourist season, so you'll have more space to yourself and prices will be lower.
One thing to keep in mind is that Bocas del Toro is located in a hurricane zone. The hurricane season runs from June to November, so if you're planning a trip during these months, keep an eye on the weather forecast and be prepared for possible disruptions.
Another factor to consider is the activities you want to do while in Bocas del Toro. If you're interested in surfing, the best time to visit is between December and March when the waves are larger. If you're interested in snorkeling or diving, the best time to visit is between April and June when the waters are clearest.
Climate of Bocas Del Toro
Where to stay in Bocas Del Toro
If you are planning on doing any work and don’t have a vehicle then we recommend staying in the the Bocas City. I marked the area in red. There you will have quite many restaurants to choose from and there are many grocery stores as well so you don’t really need any transport.
If you prefer a more paradise island vibe then you can also stay on Isla Bastimentos as they have Selena as well although the internet was supposed to be a bit worse compared to the one in Bocas Town.
Internet in Bocas Del Toro
We didn’t really find any cafes with fast wifi that would be reliable enough for a video call even though we did try a couple that were recommended online. The two accommodations we stayed at also had pretty slow wifi (one of them was Divers Paradise Boutique and the other one an Airbnb).
The only place to have reliable internet at that time (2022) was in Selina. That wasn’t perfect either since during a half-hour call I had in a restaurant of Selina, two planes flew over very closely causing a lot of noise. Maybe if you’d go to the Co-work area then this wouldn’t be a problem but we didn’t try since we didn’t work that much while we were staying in Bocas Del Toro. There is also a Selina on Isla Bastimentos.
Transport and Getting Around
Since Bocas City itself is a small place you don’t need a car or Taxi to get around. If you do wish to explore other parts of the island and the surrounding islands which I really recommend you to do then you have a couple of options.
When visiting Starfish beach - there’s a bus that goes pretty frequently from Bocas City (Parque Simón Bolívar at Calle 3A) to Playa Boca del Drago. You can also get a taxi - just look for the cars with a taxi sign on them on the streets. We decided to be more adventurous and sporty and opted to do the trip with electric fat bikes instead from a service provider in the city.
When visiting Isla Carenero, Old Bank, Red Frog Beach, Isla Bastimentos or Isla Cristobal - Use the cheap water taxis. Put “Water taxi” on Google Maps and when you arrive there just say where you want to go.
Best things to do in Bocas Del Toro
Explore the city - Bocas Del Toro is a very unique city with lots of the houses and restaurants near the sea “floating” in the water, built on docks. Bocas Del Toro is a very unique city with lots of houses and restaurants near the sea “floating” in the water, built on docks. The city is very walkable and has lots of cool architecture with colonial-style buildings.
Starfish Beach - a very beautiful beach in Bocas Del Toro where you can swim amongst starfishes (bring your snorkeling goggles to fully experience the abundance of them). To get there you must hike for around 1km from the Playa Boca del Drago. The hike itself is easy and is mostly along the beach.
Island hopping and snorkeling - There are a bunch of gorgeous beaches nearby that you can visit with a water taxi or with a tour. The most popular and prettier beaches in addition to Starfish Beach are Red Frog beach and the beaches of the Zapatilla paradise islands. It’s also popular to visit Isla Solarte and Isla Caranero. There are many day tours that offer to visit some of the islands together with other activities such as deep boarding and dolphin watching. We did an amazing day trip with Under Sea Panama, where we did all the activities previously mentioned. Deep boarding was a very cool experience and something that we would do again for sure. We even saw a shark deep in the seafloor! The beaches of Zapatilla islands also formed a very beautiful memory in our minds. When we visited the Dolphin Bay we had a very joyful experience as many dolphins started surfing in the waves generated by our boat!
Surfing - There are plenty of surfing spots in Bocas Del Toro. The most notable ones in Isla Colon are in Bluff Beach, Paunch Beach, and there are different spots in Isla Carenero. Here’s a useful surfing map and a guide from Sol Bungalows Bocas:
Diving - Bocas del Toro is a very popular spot for divers. People come from everywhere to get their diving certifications. It features some amazing dive spots including deep water ledges, cave systems, sunken ships, and some of the most diverse and abundant coral reefs. There is even a hotel for divers where you can take diving lessons straight from the first floor as the hotel floats on water. The hotel is called: Divers Paradise Boutique Hotel.
Fishing - if you are into it there are lots of service providers that offer a trip.
Go sloth-watching - There are plenty of sloths in the different islands. We noticed one randomly on Isla Caranero. We already had many of them on our trip to Costa Rica so we didn’t pay that much attention, but it’s always cool to see those adorable furry animals!
Dine on the water. There are many restaurants where you can basically dine next to the water. The cuisine is very international so there is something for everyone.
Getting some indian food on the water.
Wrapping it up
Bocas Del Toro is a beautiful place with lots of activities. The internet isn’t that great anywhere unless you stay or work in the Selena. Overall, it was definitely worth a visit to us. Our main highlights from the stay were definitely the Island of Zapatillas and deep boarding in its crystal clear waters and the Starfish beach.
