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Island-Hopping Tour: Bocas del Toro's Best Beaches
4.5
39 Ratings
Bocas del Toro
Embark on a Bocas del Toro island-hopping tour. Snorkel vibrant reefs, relax on pristine beaches, and spot exotic wildlife. Book your adventure today!
Embark on a Bocas del Toro island-hopping tour. Snorkel vibrant reefs, relax on pristine beaches, and spot exotic wildlife. Book your adventure today!
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Bahia Honda - Our tour begins with a warm welcome from resident dolphins as our lancha boat glides smoothly towards our first stop. Upon reaching Bahia Honda, a quaint bay surrounded by mangrove forests, you’ll spot sloths leisurely hanging from tree branches, fully enjoying their serene life.
- Cayo Coral - Next, we head to Cayo Coral,…
- Bahia Honda - Our tour begins with a warm welcome from resident dolphins as our lancha boat glides smoothly towards our first stop. Upon reaching Bahia Honda, a quaint bay surrounded by mangrove forests, you’ll spot sloths leisurely hanging from tree branches, fully enjoying their serene life.
- Cayo Coral - Next, we head to Cayo Coral, renowned for its vibrant coral gardens and ideal snorkeling spots. Don your snorkel mask and dive into the warm ocean to explore the vivid underwater world. As you float effortlessly in the turquoise waters, you’ll see countless reef fish going about their daily routines among the corals and anemones.
- Isla Zapatillas - The Zapatilla cays are celebrated for their stunning coral reefs and crystal-clear waters brimming with marine life. These islands, covered in mangroves and encircled by fine white sand, palm, and coconut trees, are a sight to behold. From March to September, you can witness turtles migrating to the west side of the island to lay their eggs. According to local legend, the islands were formed by God’s footprints, giving them their unique shape.
Relish this extraordinary paradise. Stroll along its beaches, unwind under a palm tree, or explore the rich coral reefs.
- Cayo Coral - For lunch, we return to Cayo Coral, where a delicious, freshly prepared meal awaits you at the Sea restaurant.
- Bocas del Toro Province - Our final stop is Hollywood Cove, famed for its numerous starfish visible just a few feet below the ocean’s surface, easily seen from the boat.
What's Included
- Local bi-lingual English/Spanish speaking guide
- Snorkeling equipment (mask and snorkel)
- Water
- Local bi-lingual English/Spanish speaking guide
- Snorkeling equipment (mask and snorkel)
- Water
What's Not Included
- Meal (restaurant option with typical courses between $12 and $18)
- Entrance fee to Bastimentos Island: $10 per person. Guests are required to make the payment online
- directly on the Panamanian Ministry of Environment’s website.
- We will provide you with detailed steps to guide you through the process.
- Meal (restaurant option with typical courses between $12 and $18)
- Entrance fee to Bastimentos Island: $10 per person. Guests are required to make the payment online
- directly on the Panamanian Ministry of Environment’s website.
- We will provide you with detailed steps to guide you through the process.
Additional Information
Embark on our Zapatilla Island Tour for an unforgettable day exploring the highlights of Bocas del Toro. Sail over turquoise waters, accompanied by playful dolphins, to Bahia Honda, where sloths lounge in the mangroves. Visit Hollywood Cove to admire vibrant starfish, then snorkel among the colorful coral gardens at Cayo Coral, teeming with tropical…
Embark on our Zapatilla Island Tour for an unforgettable day exploring the highlights of Bocas del Toro. Sail over turquoise waters, accompanied by playful dolphins, to Bahia Honda, where sloths lounge in the mangroves. Visit Hollywood Cove to admire vibrant starfish, then snorkel among the colorful coral gardens at Cayo Coral, teeming with tropical fish. Proceed to the untouched Zapatilla Cays—two uninhabited islands boasting powdery white sands and crystal-clear waters. Stroll along the lush forest trail, unwind under palm trees, or swim in the tranquil lagoon. From March to September, witness sea turtles nesting on the beach. Savor a freshly prepared Caribbean lunch at a waterfront restaurant before heading back through the renowned Starfish “Hollywood” Pool. This Zapatilla Island Tour perfectly blends relaxation, adventure, and natural beauty—an essential experience in Bocas del Toro.
- Bring Cash for meals and souvenirs
Location
3R Mall
Avenida H Norte
Please find us behind the supermarket 3R Mall at the Richard's dock
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(39 Ratings)
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Michelle_s
Aug 31, 2025
Overall good experience.... - Overall good experience. Saw dolphins, starfish, etc. one recommendation is the guide should ensure everyone paid the entrance fee not included to ensure no issues upon island arrival. The water was beautiful. Snorkeling was ok as there were lots of jelly fish with tentacles.
Review provided by Viator
Elsa_s
Jun 14, 2025
Great Tour with Kids - Our guide met us promptly at agreed location. We did all the things mentioned in the description. We saw dolphins, crabs, a baby sloth, starfish, sea urchin, and sea cucumbers. Overall happy with our tour we just wished our guide was more informative and interactive.
Review provided by Viator
Shameciap
May 21, 2025
Amazing Time with Amir - my group of 4 had an amazing time with Amir on the zapatillos tour! Amir is friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. my 80-year old grandmother was traveling with us and he made sure she was comfortable and gave her special assistance. we had some rain come through, but Amir was quick on his feet and rearranged our itinerary to avoid the rain and still get us time on all of the stops. the locations are beautiful and the restaurant we visited was delicious! i highly recommend this tour and Amir.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anasaxo
Apr 28, 2025
Wonderful captain, highly qualified - Hard day of rain and rough sea but Amir was excellent. We saw dolphins, snorkeled and cayed valuable sneaker for both its landscape and
For his Olaya and that day did not accompany. Opting for professionals in the Toures is a sure hit
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren_i
Apr 20, 2025
Mangroves, beach and snorkeling - We got off to shaky start as we were a little late arriving to the dock. However, we sent a messsage through viator that we were delayed, got a response from the tour company and they waited for us. (Thank you!) Amir was our captain and guide He is local to Bastimentos and speaks fluent English and Spanish. We stopped off first to see dolphins. Then into the mangroves where we saw a cayman alligator, crabs, sloths, monkeys, and an indigenous community. We stopped off at "hollywood" which is shallow water where you can see large starfish of many colors even on an overcast day. Snorkeling was very nice over a healthy reef. Lunch not included with tour price was a restaurant on a dock where you can look at parrot fish, a nurse shark, brain corals and many other things I can't name. Food and cocktails were delicious. Finally, the trip to Zapatilla was like a paradise. White sand beach, very peaceful.
The boat was sea-worthy, but nothing to look at. The life vests have clearly survived many journeys. This is true of every other tour I saw going. I would book with this group again. Amir was great. If you book with the group and have small children, I would double-confirm there will be snorkel gear for the kids as they don't seem to have kids' gear on the boat as a matter of course.
Review provided by Viator
Dipak
Apr 19, 2025
Great family tour and travel - Gorgeous views. Saw many starfish, dolphins and sloths too! Many differed landscapes. Wetland interiors was amazing too. Zapatilla island was beautiful. Our guide and host was good too. Highly recommend. Our kids age 13,10,7 had a great time. Snorkeling and swimming in the wide open sea was nice too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elena_v
Apr 15, 2025
Book here, look no further! - Absolutely! Here’s a polished and engaging version of your review that keeps your voice but reads more smoothly:
I was honestly hesitant to book a trip to Bocas del Toro after reading so many negative reviews—but I’m so glad we went with Tao Travel 365 because they were absolutely top-notch.
We had a minor hiccup with our taxi and thought we might be late, but communication with the captain was super easy (luckily, we made it on time!). Boarding was a bit chaotic, as expected, but somehow our captain managed to find our group in the crowd, call our names, and get us going with a very prompt departure.
Our captain—if I remember correctly, his name was Amir—spoke great English and explained everything clearly throughout the tour. He was calm, organized, and genuinely hardworking. Huge thanks to him for making the day so smooth.
We didn’t waste time with unnecessary stops and saw so much wildlife—playful dolphins, starfish, and even a sloth hanging out in the mangroves. The weather wasn’t ideal for most of the trip, but just as we reached Zapatilla Island, the sun broke through and gave us a glimpse of paradise. A stunning, pristine beach with crystal-clear water all around—it was the highlight of the day.
Snorkeling was fun, though not mind-blowing due to the recent rain, which made the water a bit murky. We also made a quick stop to pre-order lunch, which was super well organized and explained in detail. Plenty of water on board, and even a cheeky beer to enjoy along the way!
Highly recommend Tao Travel 365 if you’re heading to Bocas. They made what could’ve been a stressful experience into something really special.
Review provided by Viator
Navigate11764878302
May 19, 2025
Rejuvenating — but don’t forget cash! - Was a memorable experience in what is a paradise. Should have known in advance that only cash was accepted at the restaurant. Had to withdraw from the ATM upon returning from the day trip (gave the change plus a dollar as tip to the guide, who paid for my lunch).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Reginagd2645gv
Apr 18, 2025
Terrible experience.Do not recommend. Not a tour guide... - Skip this... ask your hotel for a local experience when you get here. You can even get a private AMAZING tour for a little more money. Our "tour guide", more like a "lanchero" only, gave us little to no explanation the whole tour. AND WE HAD TO STOP TO GET GAS IN A COUPLE PLACES BEFORE IT STARTED. DO NOT RECOMMEND. He complained about the weather the whole time. We are here and we have to make the best out our day.... So do that. Always the last in line to pick up, he wasn't even trying.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scott_g
Apr 27, 2025
If you don’t want back problems, stay away - 7 hours is entirely too long to spend on what could barely be considered a boat. The guide was barely engaging and lacked any amount of charisma. After stopping off at the island to order food, we spent about 15 minutes speeding through incredibly rough waters to reach Zapatillo island. The boat was so rickety that you could feel every wave and even with multiple layers of life vests between you and the wooden bench, our backs were killing us. People were legitimately frightened on that section of the trip as sped to the island all to save maybe 15 minutes of beach time. Would not recommend this to anyone. Go for a shorter session with a more reasonable crew.
Review provided by Viator
