Things to Do in Bocas del Toro Province, Bocas del Toro Province, Panama

5Janice 5:00 PM Aug 19, 2019

Amazing!! But get a private boat.
These islands are beautiful, with white sand and crystal clear water. Definitely worth going, but best to do it on a sunny day without much wind, as it's about a 35-40 minute boat ride out there. There are a ton of different companies in Bocas Town selling island hopping boat tours that include Zapatilla in the tour. They range in price from $30-50 per person, however, we HIGHLY recommend ditching the crowds (some boats have 20 people on them) and hiring a private boat instead. We paid $45 per person (and there were only two of us) and got the boat from 10am to 4pm. We also didn't have to pay the $10 marine park fee that tour companies add on top of the tour fee (not sure if this fee is actually a thing of the tour companies just use it to make more money?). We didn't have to stop at any other islands (unless we wanted to) and got to Zapatilla 1 before anyone else, so had the whole island to ourselves for a while. Most boats stop on the same side of the Zapatilla 1, and it gets quite busy, but you can just walk around the island to the other side and find a secluded spot to yourself, or get your boat to take you to the other Zapatilla island. Make sure you bring lots of water and snacks for the day - the boat guys will provide a chilly bin (cooler) and ice. We walked around Zapatilla 1 and it took about 30-40 minutes, going slow. It's an easy walk around, but there are some spots where you have climb over and duck under trees growing out over the water or you can wade in the water up to your waist to go around them.

5Mike S 5:00 PM May 29, 2021

Awesome. Best Trip / guide In Bocas.
An excellent day trip from Bocas del Toro. For the best experience cal Luis (WhatsApp: +507 6888-2590). For $150 for the day you’ll see dolphin bay, sloths island, make a bbq on the beach, and what ever else you want to do. In my case spearfishing was a good addition. He’s a nice honest guy. Loves life and the earth. Is good at his job of making it a good experience. Bring a bag and pick up some plastic trash from zapatilla island. It’s a paradise island but that doesn’t mean you won’t find plastics littering the area. It washes up from all directions and we take it out of there. Make it part of your fun to give back a little to the earth.