5 Places To Get Your Grub On In Bocas del Toro

Casual, breezy, full of Caribbean flair. Food in the Bocas del Toro islands is flavorful and fresh! Our list will keep your appetite completely satisfied.

1. Punta Lava – Best Beach Location

$$$$ Calle 50, Ciudad de Panamá ( (map, website)

Just sand-covered footsteps away from Palmar Tent Lodge is Punta Lava Beach Bar and Grill. The family owned beach joint has major personality, and the food is spectacularly fresh. Chef Kinga Samudio prepares every fish with respect to its innate taste and flavor, but with that delicious simplicity comes a complex compilation of Caribbean flavors that speak to Bocas’ gulf influences. Tip: If you see something unique on the menu, try it! You can bet there is an amazing story behind it.

punta lava retaurant panama bocas del toro — FACEBOOK Punta Lava

2. Leaf Eaters Cafe – best vegetarian

$$$$ La Cabaña Beach, Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama ‎(map)

3. The Firefly Restaurant and Bar – Fusion Cuisine

$$$$ Old Bank, Isla Bastimentos ‎(map, website)

The Firefly Restaurant and Bar is a tapas-style restaurant serving up gastronomical concoctions created by Maryland native, Chef Lauren and Co-Owner Ryan. The Thai/Caribbean fusion pairs fresh seafood with bold Asian flavors. Add a cocktail and you’ve got the best night of your life.

4. El Ultimo Refugio – Ceviche

$$$$ Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama, 100 meters right after the ferry dock, and Casa Verde (map, website)

El Ultimo Refugio’s menu changes on a daily basis, but staples like their Peruvian Mahi Mahi Ceviche bring everyone back. The entrees are extremely low priced (about $10-12) and they have everything from fresh red snapper to their always popular pork tenderloin. They also sell art, so check out the local artists while you eat!

El Ultimo restaurant bocas del toro panama — FACEBOOK El Ultimo Refugio’s

5. The Blue Coconut – cool Caribbean

$$$$ Bahía de Almirante, Panama (map, website)

Only in Bocas del Toro would you find the area’s best bar built on stilts over the water in the middle of nowhere. Ten minutes outside of Bocas Town on Isla Solarte, this palapa bar-restaurant lures travelers who show up even before it opens at noon. Blue Coconut is known for its cold beers, fruity cocktails, reggae music, and crystal waters so clear you can see the bottom. Soak up the powerful drinks with a plate of yucca fries, fish tacos, coconut chicken, and blackened fish sandwiches. There are complimentary lounge chairs, hammocks, and snorkel gear, as well as stand-up paddleboards ($7/hour). This ultimate chill spot has excellent snorkeling, especially beneath the dock where neon fish nibble at pylons and coral. A boat taxi from Bocas runs about $10.

Wendy Hung

CEO, FOUNDER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As the founder of Jetset Times, Wendy is an avid traveler and fluent in five languages. When she's not traveling, Wendy calls Paris and Taipei home. Her favorite countries so far from her travels have been: Bhutan, Iran, and St. Bart's because they were all so different!