BOCAS DEL TORO Surf Lodges,
Caribbean | Bocas | Panama.

Bastimentos Lodge | Bluff Lodge | Carenero Lodge | The Archipelago | The Trip

Bastimentos Lodge

On the island of Bastimentos, most of it protected as a National Marine Park, these fantastic bungalows are situated just steps away from the most gorgeous beach in Bocas del Toro. You will have it all to yourself, except maybe when some tourists come by boat for the day. But luckily  they cannot stay for long as the Surf Lodge is the only nightly accommodation available.

The Lodge

Bastimentos Surf Lodge enjoys one of the most beautiful locations in the world. Highlights include pristine beaches, world class surf, wildlife and an astounding marine life. The Surf Lodge caters to adventurers who want an off the beaten path experience. 

The bungalows are brand new and built in Balinese style. Situated in a lush tropical garden just steps away from the beach, these magical bungalows will provide you with all the comfort you need.

• Traditional Balinese Homes
  
• 2 story with 3rd story loft
  
• Orthopedic Mattresses
  
• Solar powered
  
• 700 watt inverter for AC Power
  
• Spring fed water
  
• Handcrafted Balinese Furniture
  
• Hot water
  
• Large indoor bathroom
  
• Covered private outdoor shower and garden
  
• Large covered front Patio 
  
• 2nd story covered patio

When you wake up in the morning you’ll have the pleasure to see Parrots, Yellow Tails, Seahawks, Woodpeckers and pelicans just sitting on the garden patio.

There are over 10 great waves within 20 minutes from the Lodge. Some of them world-class! We can take you to all spots on our 26-foot boats, drop you right at the take-off point, or on request anchor in the channel to serve as a rest spot.

The surf in Bocas Del Toro challenges beginners and professional alike. For the past 3 years the surf lodge has catered to the best professional surfers in the sport.  Matt Archbold, Dan Malloy, Russell Smith, Billy Hume, Brett Simpson, Ben Mcbrie, Nick Jiampa, and Sam Hammer are to name a few.  We scored some of the largest and heaviest waves ridden in the Caribbean.

The Lodge is is fortunate to have an incredible number of excursions for the outdoor enthusiast. We can tailor your trip if you have a particular activity that you would like to experience. We run our own guided activities like surfing, kitesurfing, kayaking, snorkelling, hiking, fishing, wakeboarding. We also provide kayaks and snorkel gear at the resort which you have full access. We have awesome kayaking and snorkelling right in front of our resort.

Accommodation Package

All rates include:

• Meet and greet at the Bocas del Toro Airport
  
• Round trip transfer to the resort
  
• 3 Delicious Meals per day
  
• Exceptional Customer Service

• Rates are per pax/day and exclusive of local tax (+10%)
  
• Children up to 3 years: FREE
  
• Children from 3-12: 50 USD per child/day

Bluff Lodge

Carenero Lodge

The Surf Lodge is located on the tropical island Carenero Key, between the Colon and Bastimentos islands, just five minutes by water taxi from the town of Bocas, on the archipelago's main island Isla Colon. With a population of only 450 inhabitants, Carenero has no roads or cars and offers a very peaceful and relaxing place to get away from it all. The island is covered by a tropical forest teeming with exotic birds and skirted by unspoiled beaches. Surf wise, there is an excellent reef break on Carenero key itself, which offers good surfing conditions year round.

The Archipelago

Bocas del Toro

The Bocas del Toro archipelago is a collection of ten tropical islands on the Caribbean coast of Panama, near the border with Costa Rica. Warm, turquoise waters, nice beaches fringed by coconut trees, tropical rain forest teeming with exotic birds and coral reefs for snorkelling provide and ideal background to get away from it all. Bocas del Toro has been the shooting location of Survival Series of no less than 12 different countries, including France, Spain and Italy !

The archipelago was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1502 and the main island named after him (Isla Colon). At the turn of the century, the main town, Bocas on Isla Colon, was the headquarters of the US United Fruit Company. Boasting 25,000 inhabitants, the town had six consuls and five newspapers. But its heyday ended in the 1920's, when banana blight put an end to this thriving commercial centre.

Most of the stately colonial buildings and parks from that time still remain, giving the town its special flair. Bocas has many different European styles bars, restaurants and hotels - most are run by Europeans who have moved to Bocas and started these businesses. The town attract a lot of hippies, backpackers, divers, surfers and ecologically friendly travellers.

Surfing Bocas del Toro

The surf in Panama is a year-round experience, with the most consistent conditions occurring on the Pacific coast between March through November, and on the Atlantic Coast from November through April. But what makes a trip to Panama an especially fine wintertime option is the prevailing wind: blowing out of the north during the dry season between December and April, meaning clean offshores.

A short flight from Panama City, Bocas Del Toro is the surfing capital of the southwest Caribbean. The archipelago formed by ten coastal islands offers excellent surf conditions nearly all year. December until April is the surf season in Bocas, when the archipelago receives strong swell. June and July are fine as well, due to wind and cold fronts to the north. August is generally smaller, but there is still some surf in Bocas. September and October are normally flat on the Caribbean coast, but sometimes they get some swell during those months with the hurricanes in the Caribbean pushing swells in. 

The best and more reliable swell season is December-February, when wave heights average 3-6 feet during this season, but can get up to 8-15 feet on the biggest swells. However, it can also go dead flat for days at ANY time of the year even in peak season.

The green colour of the water and clarity of the ocean in Bocas is just incredible, combined with the abundant jungle backdrop and tropical sun provides a beautiful setting for your surfing experience.  The most ordinary waves are reef breaks, but there are also some beach breaks, tubing, shallow and can be risky at times! There are few rights but the lefts are widely ranged. Bocas del Toro’s waves normally favor short boards.

Climate

Torpical, the weather on Bocas is quite unpredictable. Storms and dense cloud cover are usual, but so are spurts of sun and beautiful calm weather. The most frequent wind direction is NW to NE, and that is fine for many of the breaks in Bocas that have a more easterly or southerly position. As for the weather, the reliability of the surf is also irregular and difficult to predict, because the swells come up abruptly and without much warning, and go down just as suddenly.

The Trip

Bocas del Toro
Caribbean coast, overnight road trip from Panama City

Bus from Panama City:
Bus departing daily from Panama City in the evening and arriving early morning in Almirante, from which you take a ferry to Bocas (30 min. trip)

Bocas del Toro Airport (BOC)
Daily flight from Panama City Albrook Airport, then taxi to Isla Colon (Bocas). Taxi to Bluff Lodge or water taxi to Carenero and Bastimentos.

Panama City Albrook Marcos Gelabert Regional Airport (MPMG)
Daily flight to Bocas (Mapiex and Aeroperlas)

Panama City Tocumen International Airport (PTY)
Major US and European airlines

Warning! Many airlines will refuse to check-in your board to Panama !

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Bastimentos Lodge | Bluff Lodge | Carenero Lodge | The Archipelago | The Trip | Contact