By Air:

You can reach Bocas by air from Panama City on http://www.airpanama.com . You can also reach Bocas by land & boat through the port town of Almirante. Almirante is connected to other parts of Panama & Costa Rica by taxis & private shuttles.

Fly into Panama City:

Panama City is a Central American hub and has tons of flights going in and out from all over the world. Major carriers fly into PTY aka Tocumen, the international airport in Panama City. Copa Airlines is the Central American partner of United and has direct flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston. Air France has added a direct flight from CDG in Paris as did KLM from AMS in Amsterdam, Holland. More are opening up yearly with a recent huge expansion at Tocumen. Once in Panama City, you must take a taxi or Uber from PTY to the domestic airport (the smaller airport 35 min away) to get to Bocas Del Toro.

Flights leave for Bocas (Airport code Bocas Del Toro: BOC) out of  Marcus A. Gelabert Airport,  (code: PAC) commonly referred to as Albrook Airport, the smaller, domestic airport 35-40 min away from PTY.  The taxi ride across town costs $30-35. Please verify with the driver before you get in the taxi.

2 Flights typically depart Panama City everyday with multiple flights added throughout the day in high season.  The flight is about 45 minutes and is operated by Air Panama. www.airpanama.com   . **Note:  In high season, AirPanama tickets sell out VERY quickly. Be diligent in checking the site if the tickets for your month aren’t yet for sale. They tend to start 5 months out. If you are having difficulty buying tickets online with Air Panama, contact Suha Gomez at Palm Travel, palmtravel@cwpanama.net   She has amazing connections to the airline and can get it done quickly. She also does not charge a fee for booking your flights. She will ask for your passport info so have that handy.

When flying to Bocas, please note that you must arrive in Panama City AT LEAST 3 hours before your connecting flight to Bocas.  Otherwise, you must stay the night in PC. (we can recommend places to stay in the city, see links below). You must take in to account the 30 minutes it takes to get off the plane, an hour getting baggage, passing customs/immigration, and then 40 minutes drive into the city to get to the domestic airport you will fly out of to get to Bocas-Isla Colon. 3 hours is the absolute minimum.

Once you arrive at the Bocas Airport on Isla Colon, make your way to the Bastimentos Boat Dock by heading out on the road straight from the airport. Taxis are usually at the airport to drive you to the docks ( 2 min drive and cost $2 per person) but the walk is about 10 minutes if your luggage is light or roll-able.

SIDE NOTE: DO NOT BOOK TOURS AT THE AIRPORT! Those trying to get you to book a tour right away are only after your money. If anyone there says they work for The Firefly and wants to help you with transport, kindly decline. We DO NOT have anyone at the airport that works for us. You will just end up paying way more than you should. We can help you plan everything you want to do and for less when you arrive. No worries.

The Bastimentos Boat Dock is very easy to get to from the Bocas airport.  If walking away from the airport, down Avenue ‘E’, you will see a two story, yellow & teal building up ahead in the distance (Selina Hostel on Calle 1). Before getting to that building you will reach Calle 3 or Main St.  ‘Oh Toro Sushi & Ramen’ will be across the street on your left. Turn right here onto Main St. (Don’t go all the way down to Selina, you’ve gone too far). The park will be on your left, souvenir stands on your right. Walk a few minutes and look for the Bastimentos boat dock (Just past restaurant El Pirata on your left, before La Buga Restaurant/Dive school).  At the boat dock, tell the boat captains you would like to go to The Firefly on Bastimentos.

The price to Bastimentos is $5 a person and about 8 minutes.  We are unable to meet guests at the airport as our presence is required on site.

We will be ready to greet you in our bar with a complimentary welcome cocktail. **Please note: boat drivers/taxis do not carry change. Be ready with plenty of singles or small bills.

By land from other parts of Panama & Costa Rica:

If you are on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica in Puerto Viejo, you can arrive by land. The best, no hassle way is by taking the Caribe Shuttle www.caribeshuttle.com to Bocas.  Or do it yourself…….Take a taxi/bus to the Costa Rican/Panama border in Sixaola/Guabito, which is about a 35 minute drive from Puerto Viejo. You then get your CR exit stamp, cross the border into Panama by walking over the bridge paying the fee & getting your entry stamp in your passport. After crossing into Panama, hire one of the many taxis waiting to take you the one hour drive to the boat docks in Almirante. Once at the boat docks in Almirante, go to Taxi 25 or Taxi Valencia for the high speed boat. The 30 minute boat ride cost $6 a person to Bocas. Arriving in Bocas town off the dock you walk out to the street and take a left on Calle 1 (First Street) headed to the Bastimentos boat dock (see above) where you take a boat directly across to Bastimentos which is less than 10 minutes and $5 per person. Tipping is not expected.

If coming from Boquete, there are shuttles to Bocas and it take about 3.5 hours.

If already in Panama and have rented a car, there are secure lots in Almirante to leave your rental car. Go to Taxi 25 for the 30 minute boat ride to the island.

In Panama City, our favorite neighborhood is Casco Viejo. The Casco is experiencing a refurbishment as many of the old Colonial buildings are being turned into hip hotels and restaurants. The area is very walkable and has great restaurants. Casco is also very close to the Albrook airport making it a great place to stay the night before you head to Bocas. There are a bunch of great airbnb options in Casco. As most of the buildings are old and have been refurbished, read the reviews as they can be noisy. We love Casa Arias. For hotels, we recommend:

Hotel Casa Panama . Great location and rooftop pool & dining. $70 and up  https://www.guestreservations.com/hotel-casa-panama-panama-city/booking?gclid=Cj0KCQjwzLCVBhD3ARIsAPKYTcTh4qdblTb_OWEeRrF7jbwry7d1lw_qrUkwMOSqG5FRGo9fThRenPcaAmjWEALw_wcB

Tantalo www.tantalohotel.com  is priced in the mid to upper range ($150 plus) They have a hip design concept and an awesome rooftop bar. However, it can get loud if you stay on the weekends due to their rooftop parties.