Life in Bocas del Toro: An Insider's Guide to Panama's Wildest Island

People ask me: "What's it actually like to live in Bocas del Toro?"

The honest answer? It's loud, colorful, a little chaotic, and absolutely nothing like anywhere I've ever lived before. Coming from the Canadian corporate world and landing on a remote Caribbean island in Panama was not exactly a logical career move. But logic is overrated.
I've been here full-time since 2022, and I paint what I see every single day. The neon sunsets. The cyclops-eyed creatures staring back at me from the jungle. The pangas buzzing across the water. This place broke my brain open in the best possible way, and now it's all I want to paint.
So if you're thinking about visiting Bocas, here's everything I wish someone had told me.

Where Is Bocas del Toro?

Bocas del Toro is an archipelago on the Caribbean coast of Panama, near the Costa Rica border. It's not on the way to anywhere, which is part of why it's still so wonderfully itself. You fly in (the runway is... cozy) or take a water taxi from Almirante on the mainland.
The main island, Isla Colon, is where most of the restaurants, hostels, and street life happen. But the magic is really in getting out to the smaller islands: Bastimentos, Carenero, Solarte, and beyond.

What to Do in Bocas

Go to Starfish Beach. It's iconic for a reason. Crystal water, enormous starfish, palm trees, cold beer. You get there by panga, which is basically a small motorboat that serves as the main transportation here. My Starfish Beach collection started with a single afternoon out there watching the light change on the water.
Take a snorkeling tour. The coral reefs around Bocas are extraordinary. You'll see lionfish, sea turtles, pufferfish, and creatures that look like they were designed by someone who had never heard the word "subtle." (I can relate.) Most tour operators run full-day trips that hit multiple spots.
Wander Isla Colon at dusk. The main street comes alive in the early evening. Locals, expats, travelers, chickens, dogs, and the occasional howler monkey in the distance. It's a lot. I love it.
Watch the sunset from the water. Rent a kayak, hop on a sunset cruise, or just find a dock. Panama sits so close to the equator that the sun drops fast and the sky turns completely unhinged shades of orange and pink. It's what inspired my Serenity Bocas collection and I still stop what I'm doing every single evening to watch.
Look up. Toucans, parrots, sloths, howler monkeys, red poison dart frogs. The wildlife here is absurd in the best way. The chatty parrots of Isla Colon have their own local gossip network and are not subtle about it.

Where to Stay

The range goes from $15-a-night hammock hostels to beautiful private casitas with pools. If you want a little slice of quiet away from the main town buzz, a private casita is the way to go. (Our own pool casita at Casa Santosha is available on Airbnb seasonally, if you want the full local experience.)
Whatever you book, make sure you're okay with the sounds of the jungle at night, intermittent power, and the fact that "island time" is a real thing.

What to Eat

Fried fish. Always fried fish. The local pescado frito with patacones (fried plantains) and a cold Panama beer is a perfect meal every single time. There's also a growing number of excellent restaurants ranging from fresh ceviche spots to surprisingly good Italian and Asian food.
Fruit, however, is where Bocas really shines. Mangoes, dragonfruit, cacao, coconuts, and more banana varieties than you knew existed. My Neon Food series is basically a love letter to the produce market.

What to Know Before You Go

Cash is king. ATMs exist but they run out. Bring more than you think you need.
The rain is real. Bocas gets a lot of it. Embrace it or bring a great umbrella. (I may be biased, but a Casa Santosha Art umbrella turns a rainy day into a statement.)
Go slow. The pace of life here will reset you whether you like it or not. Fighting it is exhausting. Leaning into it is transformative.
Bocas changes people. Almost everyone I've met here came for a week and stayed for months. Or years. Or permanently. There's something about this place that makes the life you left behind feel very, very far away.

Why I Paint Bocas

Everything I make at Casa Santosha Art comes from this place. The colors, the creatures, the energy. When I paint the Cyclops Shark or the Neon Cacao or the Starfish Beach, I'm trying to bottle that feeling of being somewhere so alive that you can't help but pay attention.
If you've been to Bocas, you already know. If you haven't, put it on the list.
And if you want to bring a little piece of it home, you know where to find me.
Browse the full Casa Santosha Art collection

Jennifer Van Geel-Smith is a Canadian artist living full-time in Bocas del Toro, Panama. She paints in neon acrylics and turns her work into prints and products sold worldwide at CasaSantosha.Art.