Bastimento

Isla Bastimentos is the largest island in the Bocas del Toro archipelago. In Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos, beaches, mangroves, coral reefs and tropical forests come together. If you’re looking for a holiday apartment in Bastimento, you can choose your destination based on whether you’re especially interested in nature experiences, trails through forests and mangroves, water activities or Afro-Caribbean life in Old Bank.

Nature between reef, forest and mangroves

Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos offers opportunities for diving and snorkeling, as well as observing flora and wildlife. In the waters around Isla Bastimentos, you may see rays, lobsters, sharks and other marine life. On land, tropical forests and mangroves are part of the landscape, along with the national park’s beaches and coral reefs. The area is a refuge for golden frogs, nesting sea turtles, monkeys and birds.

The island’s forests are also rich in species: sloths, capuchin monkeys, white-faced monkeys, squirrel monkeys, caimans, frogs, bats and snakes live there. If you’d like to learn more about the surrounding biodiversity, consider a hike led by Ngäbe guides. That way, your stay can focus not only on views of the water, but also on the island’s diverse habitats.

Trails and special places

The trails offer a variety of experiences. Sendero Playa Polo passes through tropical forest to colorful rainbow eucalyptus trees. Another route runs from Red Frog to Playa Polo between the beach and forest, ending at Playa Polo. From Red Frog, a trail also leads to Old Bank via Playa Wizard: it passes through forest and over a bridge through mangroves before reaching the settlement.

At Playa Red Frog, a short trail leads from the sea to the island’s higher ground. Along the way, visitors may spot the colorful frogs that give the beach its name. This makes the detour a special way to experience both the beach and the forest on one trail. When planning your holiday apartment, you can consider which of these island experiences you’d like to shape your stay; the trails described lead to different landscapes and destinations.

Nivida Cave is also within the boundaries of Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos. Its entrance passes through a mangrove canopy forest; access is only possible as part of an organized tour. This is different from visiting a bat cave, which is part of the community-based tourism offering.

Old Bank, cuisine and waves

Old Bank offers a glimpse of another side of Bastimentos, with Afro-Caribbean music, food and architecture. Spontaneous calypso concerts take place there. Caribbean cuisine includes seafood cooked in coconut and seasoned with spices. Women from the community also offer a workshop on making organic cacao. If you’d like to experience music, food and local culture alongside nature and outdoor activities, these provide more ideas for your trip.

The surf spots described here vary by skill level. Playa Primera, also known as Wizard, offers surfing conditions for beginners through advanced surfers. Silverbacks, by contrast, is a surf spot for experts. Playa Larga is a surfing beach in the national park and is considered an important ecological area for endangered leatherback turtles, which come there to lay their eggs from February to August. These different features can help you choose parts of the island based on the activities that matter to your trip.

Getting there and other destinations

Isla Bastimentos is just over 30 minutes from Isla Colón. Playa Red Frog can be reached via Bahía Honda: the boat ride takes about 15 minutes from Bocas Town and about 5 minutes from Old Bank. If you’re looking for a holiday apartment on Bastimento, you can take these details into account as you consider which places and experiences to include in your trip.

Other destinations: Punte Peña, Valle De Agua, Cilico Creek, Punta Laurel, Bocas Del Toro, Crawl Cay, Loma Partida and Changuinola District.

For the main travel overview: Bocas Del Toro.