Things to do
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Bastimentos Island
Largest of the archipelago's islands, with a Guna and Afro Caribbean village at one end, a national marine park at the other and no road between them. Boats from Bocas town take about ten minutes. Trails across the island are muddy and unsigned, so the beaches are usually reached by water taxi around the coast.
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Red Frog Beach
Named for the tiny strawberry poison dart frogs that live in the forest behind it, this beach on the north side of Bastimentos has real Caribbean surf and a scattering of bars and a resort above the sand. Rip currents are strong when swell is running. Access is by boat and then a short walk on a boardwalk.
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Starfish Beach
Shallow, almost currentless water at the northwestern tip of Isla Colón, where cushion starfish sit on the sand in numbers and the wading is easy for small children. Boats come from Bocas town, or a road and a bumpy last stretch lead to Boca del Drago nearby. Handling the starfish harms them, and guides ask that they stay in the water.