Hotel Bocas del Mar

We absolutely loved our stay at Bocas del Mar. The view from our room of the bay was spectacular, as were the grounds of the hotel. We had seriously debated whether to go to Bocas del Toro and instead chose Boca Chica and I am so grateful for our decision. I found the Pacific to be as beautiful as the Atlantic, perfect white sandy beaches that you have to yourself (by boat). If you are looking to relax and get a feel for a more traditional Panama, this is for you. Also, loved listening to the howler monkeys and spotting them in the trees next to our room along with parrots flying in pairs. The hotel staff was amazing - thank you for your hospitality.

I would definitely recommend Hotel Bocas del Mar. It has beautiful grounds, nice rooms and easily bookable activities with a staff that was generally very helpful. There are no more than 50 guests at a time across approximately 20 rooms. The activities and guides were great and the food was good. There are a couple of different areas to hang out at on the property which is well taken care of for the most part. We stayed there in late December 2024 with a group of 13. With said, a few things to know:||1. They are in the process of updating the rooms. Rooms 1-10 are updated while 11-17 are not. (I’m not sure about the houses up on the hill.) I don’t know when the rest are being updated. The non-updated rooms are still nice just not as nice as the new ones. So while the quality of the rooms differ, they do not adjust the price of the rooms between the new and old. We stayed in rooms 8 & 9 which were connected with our kids which was great as we had a king bed on one side with a full kitchen and they two queen beds. (Yes, a full kitchen which was kind of odd because I can’t envision very many people actually cooking their own food. I’m not sure if any other room had that same setup. The large fridge was freezer was nice.) Other members of our party stayed in 10 & 11 which were not updated but offered a better view with a hot tub that was only warm and were more money. Still others stayed in 1 which was updated and nice. And lastly we also stayed in 17 which was a two level suite all the way to the far side of the property which was nice (though not updated). It offered a nice place for adults to hang at night, had a great balcony and a hot tub that also only got warm. Also, there were plenty of monkeys in the trees right next to it you could see and most definitely hear.||2. Food Service: While the staff was friendly and helpful, the service was slow. I don’t think this was necessarily because we had such a large group. Drinks took a long time. Every dinner was two hours if not more. The last night we were there, we actually put in our dinner order before we got there which was helpful. ||3. We booked a tour to Boqute and a ½ day snorkeling trip. Both were great and very easy to do with the hotel via email prior to our arrival. To note on the snorkeling trip – the snorkeling itself was ok but the beach you have lunch on is gorgeous and the time with the dolphins is AMAZING. They didn’t make a big deal about the dolphins when we booked and went out but it was hands down the best part of the trip. ||4. While not necessary, we stopped at a supermarket on the way to the hotel to buy the kids snacks and the adults some liquor. It was handy and maybe saved us a few dollars but overall the hotel food and drink prices are very reasonable. More than anything, it’s that the bar closes at 10pm most nights, so if you want to hang later than that with drinks, you need to BYOB.||5. There are not really beaches on the property that you swim out from. You can definitely go in the water but there aren’t really beaches you would lay out on, etc. Easiest to access via a water taxi which are readily available at the hotel’s dock.

They are rated Best of the Best on TripAdvisor for a reason. Everything was great - food, activities, organization. Thank you - it was a great stay. Keep doing what you are doing! Tips: 1). Walk next door to Seagull Cove for a drink - the view from the bar is phenomenal. 2). If you like local food check out LA Promesa. A++ 3). If you are interested in fishing inshore book at the hotel with Paco (their tour guide). He's awesome. Stay away from "Come Fish Panama". They are 3x the price and our experience with them was a borderline scam (they are not affiliated with the hotel but will pick you up at the dock)

This is a wonderful hotel on the waters edge. The views are beautiful with lovely trees and flowers surrounding the property and small boats floating nearby. The service is great, the people are friendly, and the food is delicious. I’ve stayed here several times and highly recommend it.

This hotel/ resort is amazing! The staff were so accommodating and very friendly. My wife and I enjoyed the view from our bungalow and two full day fishing trips. There is a couple of very nice/clean pools onsite and the restaurant rivals any high end eatery back in the states. They prepared the fish we caught each day for dinner- very elegant presentation and the taste was phenomenal. Chris made us feel very welcome and made sure we had everything we needed during our stay. Highly recommend!

Awesome experience. Very relaxing. Got to know the staff. So friendly! We loved our time there and we really enjoyed it. The staff helped recommend and book excursions that filled the days with memories we will never forget.

Staff are amazing! The rooms and the grounds are beautiful! We loved our stay.

As a solo female traveler, I appreciated the personal attention given to me by all the staff. The restaurant staff, the manager and the tour guide all made a point of making me feel comfortable and welcome. I've travelled a lot and this hotel is divine. Soft, comfy beds, luxurious tubs and the ability to look out side while no one can look in is fantastic. The grounds are gorgeous. The waiter made me a paper flower when I told him I was divorced to make me feel better. The guide brought my sandwich me to me after I got seasick. He kept checking on me once we got off the boat. Very well run place.