Panama is well known for its tropical paradise islands, and where the San Blas Islands lure people with their seclusion, the Bocas del Toro island group is their partying elder sister. Though it receives way more tourists than San Blas, it too has palm tree-lined beaches and azure-blue seas, but with the added bonus of sunset-cocktail happy hours. If you can swat away the drug dealers that try to sell-off their statch in Bocas Town to every random tourist they encounter, the Bocas Del Toro islands are a tropical party paradise.
Consider September — December if you are looking for a quieter, cheaper break. Bocas del Toro is probably one of the more expensive destinations in Panama. Meals are a lot more friendly priced and there is even some street food in Bocas Town that will provide you with a tasty dinner under 5 USD. From most major towns in Panama, including Panama City , you can take the direct bus to Almirante. Tickets can be bought at Allbrook Bus Terminal, make sure you have your passport on you when you want to purchase the tickets.
Obviously, the many taxi-drivers that are scrambling the place will put on a convincing act that it really too far away to walk, the offline map we had downloaded however told us otherwise.
From the harbour in Almirante, you can take the boat they call it water-taxis in Bocas to Bocas Town on Isla Colon 6 USD for one-way, 10 USD for a roundtrip , and from there a boat onwards if you intend to stay on a different island. Bocas Town is the biggest settlement in the Bocas, on the main island Isla Colon. This is where most hotels and restaurants are, and this is also where the best nightlife takes place. I did stay and would recommend staying here.
For one because its a chilled out place to be. The town is pretty small and you can easily get around on foot. There are a couple of nice bakeries in town and streetside stalls serving delicious fruit shakes.
