Marinas in Bocas del Toro: Getting There, Harbour Information and Sailing Destinations

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Bocas del Toro is an island archipelago on the Caribbean coast in the north-westernmost province of Panama. The marinas in Bocas del Toro are located on Isla Colón on the edge of Bocas Town and on the neighbouring island of Bastimentos. Here you can read how to get to Bocas del Toro, which marina is where, where to shop, what the sailing weather is like throughout the year, which sailing destinations are close by and what skippers should know about clearing in and berthing.

Where are the marinas in Bocas del Toro?

In Bocas del Toro, yachts berth in two places: at Bocas Marina on Isla Colón, the main island with the main town, Bocas Town, and at Red Frog Beach Island Marina, or Red Frog Marina for short, on the sheltered south side of the island of Bastimentos, about seven kilometres east of Bocas Town as the crow flies. Opposite Bocas Town lies the small island of Carenero. With floating pontoons for up to 100 boats, Bocas Marina is the marina right in town. Red Frog Marina is part of a resort and also accommodates large yachts.

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Feature	Bocas Marina	Red Frog Marina
Location	Isla Colón, southwestern edge of Bocas Town	Isla Bastimentos, south side, around 7 km as the crow flies from Bocas Town
Berths	up to 100, concrete floating pontoons	95, of which 12 for megayachts
Largest yachts	20 to 120 feet (around 37 m)	up to 300 feet (91.4 m), draught up to 6 m
Power	110/220 V, 30 and 50 A	30 to 200 A
Fuel station	Diesel	yes
Technology	Repairs, boatyard with 60-tonne travel lift on the mainland	Repairs and maintenance
Route to Bocas Town	free boat shuttle, four times a day	Water taxi, around 15 minutes
Phone	+507 757-9800	+507 6726-4500

Arriving for the start of your sailing trip in Bocas del Toro

The quickest way to reach Bocas del Toro is by plane. Overland, you can travel to the coast by car or bus and cover the last stretch by boat.

From the airport to Bocas del Toro

Flights to Bocas del Toro leave Panama City mainly from Albrook city airport (Marcos A. Gelabert), and a few connections also operate from Tocumen International Airport. From Albrook, it is a direct flight of around 45 minutes to Capitán José Ezequiel Hall Airport in Bocas Town on Isla Colón, with several flights daily at the time of writing (November 2026). Getting from Tocumen Airport to Albrook takes between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on traffic. If you want to fly on on the day you arrive in Panama, allow around three hours between landing at Tocumen and departing from Albrook.

The airport is on the same island as Bocas Marina. Isla Colón has paved roads and taxis that will take you from the airport to the marina. To reach Red Frog Marina on Bastimentos, it is around 15 minutes by boat from Bocas Town.

By car, coach or ferry

Overland, all routes lead to Almirante on the mainland coast. By car, it takes around six hours from Panama City along the Pan-American Highway into Chiriquí Province, and then around three more hours to Almirante after the turn-off towards Gualaca. Buses run from Albrook bus terminal in Panama City to David, where you change to a bus for Almirante. There are also evening buses that go all the way to Almirante in around ten hours.

At the time of writing (November 2026), ferries and water taxis take you from Almirante to Bocas Town in around 35 minutes. Another option is the port of Chiriquí Grande, from where boats travel through the mangrove islands to Bocas Town. From Costa Rica, you arrive via the Sixaola border crossing, which you cross on foot over the bridge, and then continue by bus to Almirante.

Parking

If you are travelling overland by car, you can leave it in a secure car park on the mainland at Chiriquí Grande and cross to Bocas Town by boat. At Red Frog Marina on Bastimentos, you can hire golf carts.

Showers and sanitary facilities

Both marinas have showers. Bocas Marina has modern sanitary facilities with six showers and a laundry service, while Red Frog Marina has its own shower block and a laundrette for guests.

Shopping for the trip

For shopping at Bocas Marina, there are several small supermarkets in Bocas Town: Comercio Toto and Mini Super Meiby around 600 metres from the marina, Super Centro Alba around 750 metres away, plus other small shops in town. With full bags, you can take a taxi or the marina's free boat shuttle back, which runs between the marina and the town four times a day. For a big shop, too, the supermarkets in town are the place to go.

At Red Frog Marina, the marina arranges the provisioning, and there is also a chandler and several restaurants on site. If you want to do your own shopping, take the water taxi to Bocas Town.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

The nearest pharmacies are in Bocas Town, around 700 metres from Bocas Marina. Hospital Guillermo Sánchez Borbón is around three kilometres north of the marina on Isla Colón. From Red Frog Marina, you take the boat to Bocas Town to see a doctor or visit a pharmacy.

• 911: Emergency number (ambulance, police, fire brigade)
• At sea: VHF channel 16

Where is Bocas Marina?

Bocas Marina is on Isla Colón at the southwestern edge of Bocas Town, on Macca Hill opposite South Avenue. Bocas Town is the starting point for boats and water taxis to the other islands. The marina accepts boats for short and long stays and, if requested, takes care of ongoing maintenance while the owners are away.

Facilities at Bocas Marina

The concrete floating pontoons are connected to the shore by aluminium ramps. 22 berths have a long finger pontoon and 42 have a short one. In total, the marina has room for up to 100 boats between 20 and 120 feet in length. Water at the berth is free, while electricity at 110 or 220 volts and 30 or 50 amps is charged per berth. There is also free Wi-Fi, a diesel fuel station, a chandlery, the bar and restaurant Calypso Cantina and a night-time security service. The marina offers repairs to sails, engines, outboards and refrigeration. For haul-outs, there is a boatyard with a 60-tonne travel lift on the mainland.

Where is Red Frog Marina?

Red Frog Marina lies on the sheltered south side of Isla Bastimentos, about seven kilometres as the crow flies east of Bocas Town. It belongs to a resort with its own beach access and is run by the marina group IGY.

Facilities at Red Frog Marina

The marina has 95 berths, 12 of which are for megayachts. It takes yachts up to 300 feet in length and with a draught of six metres, and there is no limit on beam. Shore power is available from 30 to 200 amps, and the pontoons are secured around the clock. The fuel dock is open Monday to Friday from 7 am to 4 pm, and at weekends by arrangement. On site you will find restaurants, a chandlery, Wi-Fi, showers and a laundry. The marina can also arrange repairs and maintenance, provisions and customs and immigration clearance.

What is the weather like for sailing in Bocas del Toro?

Bocas del Toro has its own climate, which differs from the rest of Panama. March, September and October are the driest months, while November and December see the most rain. Even in the drier months there are showers, and sun and rain often alternate within a single day.

From December to April, the north-easterly trade wind blows over Panama. From December to March, the strongest swells roll in on the open coasts, and this is the high season at the surf beaches. From August to October the sea is usually calm, which makes destinations on the open sea easier to reach.

Which sailing destinations can you reach from Bocas del Toro?

The nearest destinations are in the archipelago itself, among islands, mangroves and reefs. Further afield are the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica to the northwest and, to the east, the entrance to the Panama Canal and the San Blas Islands.

• Isla Bastimentos and the national park: The Isla Bastimentos Marine National Park was the first of its kind in Panama and covers a good 132 square kilometres of beaches, mangroves, coral reefs and rainforest. It includes large parts of Bastimentos and the Cayos Zapatilla. Turtle season runs from April to October, and the beach on the Cayos Zapatilla is important for the protection of the hawksbill turtle. The village of Old Bank is also on Bastimentos.
• Colón and Shelter Bay: Shelter Bay Marina lies at the Caribbean entrance of the Panama Canal, next to San Lorenzo National Park. It has 100 berths and a boatyard with a 100-tonne travel lift, and from here you can transit the canal into the Pacific.
• San Blas (Gunayala): The archipelago further east has more than 365 islands, many of them small and uninhabited. It is an autonomous territory of the indigenous Guna people, and there are no large hotels.
• Costa Rica: To the northwest lies the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. If you leave Panama by yacht, you need clearance out (zarpe) from the maritime authority.

If you continue sailing in the Pacific after the canal, you will find the marinas on the Causeway in the profile of the Marinas in Panama City.

What can you do on a day in port in Bocas del Toro?

Bocas Town is the starting point for almost everything: water taxis and tours to the other islands leave from the jetties in the town.

• Bocas Town: The main town has hotels, restaurants, shops, pharmacies and cash machines. The streets are paved, and it is easy to get around on foot or by taxi.
• Isla Carenero: You can reach the small island opposite Bocas Town in about two minutes by water taxi. It takes roughly an hour to walk all the way around it.
• Boca del Drago and Playa Estrella: At Boca del Drago beach on Isla Colón you can go kayaking. A path leads on to the starfish beach of Playa Estrella, and boats run from Boca del Drago to the bird island of Isla Pájaros.
• Red Frog Beach: From the beach on Bastimentos, a short path leads up to the highest point on the island. With a little luck you will spot the colourful frogs the beach is named after along the way.
• Playa Bluff: The long beach on Isla Colón has orange sand made of coral and high waves, and it is mainly a destination for experienced surfers.

For skippers: clearing in, berthing and marine weather in Bocas del Toro

If you arrive in Panama by yacht from abroad, you must report your arrival to the maritime authority, obtain a navigation permit and, for crew and guests, a visa from the immigration authority. Both marinas will help you with clearing in.

Arrival report, navigation permit and visa

Since 2024, the Panamanian maritime authority AMP (Autoridad Marítima de Panamá) has required an arrival report, the “Smallcraft Arrival Report”, for sailing and motor yachts on international voyages. You submit it online before arrival or, at the latest, on arrival, or at the marina if you have no internet access. Among other things, it asks for the boat's papers, port of arrival, planned length of stay, last ports of call, and the names and passports of crew and guests. The marinas make sure that every arriving yacht has been reported. Before departing for another country, you must also submit a departure report, which does not replace clearance out (zarpe).

To move around in Panamanian waters, foreign yachts need a navigation permit (Permiso de Navegación) from the maritime authority. It only permits passage, and fishing requires a separate licence. Crew and guests arriving with the yacht apply to the immigration authority for entry; there is a dedicated visa for passengers and crew of pleasure craft.

At Bocas Marina, help with clearing in is part of the service. At Red Frog Marina, the marina office arranges customs and immigration clearance by appointment.

Registration and berthing at Bocas Marina

You reserve a berth using the form on the marina's website, by email or by phone, stating your boat's length, beam and draught. You will lie at floating pontoons with finger pontoons, at berths with long or short finger pontoons, or at fixed piers. Charges are based on length overall: the daily rate for monohulls at a floating pontoon with a long finger pontoon is US$1.25 per foot, and a short stop of up to two hours costs US$30 (as at November 2026). Departure is by noon.

Registration and berthing at Red Frog Marina

A reservation is strongly recommended for Red Frog Marina, as a berth is not guaranteed without confirmation. The marina asks for your estimated time of arrival 24 hours in advance. Once you are in the Government Cut approach, call the marina on VHF channel 68 and you will be assigned your berth. A marinero helps with mooring and connects power and water, after which you check in at the marina office. Arrival is from 2 pm and departure by 1 pm. Before casting off, you let the office know one to two hours beforehand.

Harbour rules at Red Frog Marina

• Wash and wake are prohibited everywhere in the lagoons.
• Only the pontoon staff connect power and water, so that the meter is read correctly.
• Barbecuing and cooking on the pontoons are prohibited, as are repairs at the berth.
• The marina asks for quiet from 10 pm.

Which marine weather forecast applies in Bocas del Toro?

The responsible body is the Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá (IMHPA). It publishes on its Website a regularly updated forecast, divided into the Caribbean and Pacific sides. For the Caribbean side, which includes Bocas del Toro, it gives rain and thunderstorms, wind direction and wind strength in kilometres per hour, and, under “Condiciones marítimas”, the wave height and wave period on the Caribbean coast. In the event of heavy rain, thunderstorms or rough seas, the weather service also issues advance warnings (Avisos de Vigilancia).

Sailing trips from Bocas del Toro on Törnfinder

You can find sailing trips in the region under Sailing in the Caribbean, and all offers worldwide under Trips.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from the airport to the marina in Bocas del Toro?

Take a taxi to Bocas Marina, as the airport and the marina are both on Isla Colón. To get to Red Frog Marina on Bastimentos, it is a boat ride of around 15 minutes from Bocas Town.

How do I get from Panama City to Bocas del Toro?

The fastest way is by air: from Albrook airport, the flight takes around 45 minutes. Overland, you travel by car or bus to Almirante and from there by boat to Bocas Town in around 35 minutes.

Are there showers at the marinas in Bocas del Toro?

Yes. Bocas Marina has six showers and a laundry service, while Red Frog Marina has a shower block and a laundry for guests.

Where do I buy provisions for a sailing trip in Bocas del Toro?

In the supermarkets of Bocas Town, around 600 to 800 metres from Bocas Marina. Red Frog Marina arranges the provisioning for its guests.

When is the best time to sail in Bocas del Toro?

It is driest in March and from September to October, and the sea is usually calm from August to October. November and December see the most rain.

How far apart are Bocas Marina and Red Frog Marina?

Red Frog Marina lies around seven kilometres as the crow flies east of Bocas Town, on the island of Bastimentos. By water taxi, it takes around 15 minutes from Bocas Town.