Bocas del Toro Island Hopping Day Tour in Zapatilla Beach
Overview
Available languages
7 hours
Mobile ticket
Join our Zapatilla Island Tour and experience the best of Bocas del Toro in one unforgettable day. Glide across turquoise waters as playful dolphins guide you toward Bahia Honda, where sloths rest lazily in the mangroves. Stop at Hollywood Cove to spot colorful starfish, then snorkel among vibrant coral gardens at Cayo Coral, surrounded by hundreds of tropical fish. Continue to the pristine Zapatilla Cays—two uninhabited islands of powdery white sand and crystal-clear waters. Wander the lush walking trail through tropical forest, relax beneath palm trees, or swim in the calm lagoon. From March to September, you may even spot sea turtles nesting on the beach. Enjoy a freshly prepared Caribbean lunch at a waterfront restaurant before returning via the famous Starfish “Hollywood” Pool. This Zapatilla Island Tour is the perfect combination of relaxation, adventure, and natural beauty—an essential Bocas del Toro experience.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Bring Cash for meals and souvenirs
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Water
Local bi-lingual English/Spanish speaking guide
Snorkeling equipment (mask and snorkel)
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.
What To Expect
Bahia Honda
The first highlight of our tour will be resident dolphins greeting you to a new day in paradise as our lancha boat glides effortlessly past them towards our first destination. As we arrive at Bahia Honda, a small bay with mangrove forests, you will be able to see sloths lounging on tree branches, enjoying their life to the fullest.
Cayo Coral
We continue on to Cayo Coral, famous for its coral gardens and perfect snorkel area. It's time to put on your snorkel mask and plunge into the balmy ocean to marvel at the colorful world below the surface. As you float weightlessly surrounded in the turquoise ocean, witness hundreds of reef fish go about their daily business in their coral and anemone homes.
Options
Bocas del Toro Island Hopping Day Tour in Zapatilla Beach
Reviews
42 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Postcards Caribbean
PotterUbik,
Nov 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A beautiful experience. Dolphins and sloths are of course not guaranteed, but just the drive and also the island in the nature reserve are an experience. The trips can be booked on site for as little as 30 euros plus 10 euros admission to the nature reserve. Agree to leave sooner or later than most of the boats, otherwise the dolphin hunt and snorkeling will take place with too many boats.
Magical day seeing fantastic sights around Islas Bastimentos in Panama!
riverspirits,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Captains Harvey and Amir provided us a fantastic day visiting beautiful places around Isla Bastimentos, including everything described for the tour we booked, and much more! We started out from Isla Colòn, and headed to a bay with beautiful starfish on the bottom. Then we went dolphin watching and got wonderful close-up views of these awesome beings as well as the surrounding mangroves. Next we cruised into a channel in the mangroves which was so beautiful, where Harvey and Amir pointed out a sloth in the trees and shared regional knowledge. We headed to a restaurant over the water to pre-order lunch, then out to Cayas Zapotillas to walk beautiful trails around the island and walk, swim, and snorkel the beach surrounding the Cay. Amir and Harvey surprised us with a beautifully arranged buffet of fresh fruit on the beach! We went back to the restaurant over the water for a delicious lunch and to watch the fish and little rays swimming under the docks. Then we boated out to Cayo Coral to snorkel among the beautiful coral heads. At the end of the tour, they dropped us off at the dock at our hotel. It was purely magical! We couldn’t have had a better day with better Captains / Guides! Thank you so much, Harvey and Amir, for such a wonderful day in your beautiful country! 😀🇵🇦❤️
Exceptional wildlife and scenery
Sam-107651,
Oct 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Genuinely some of the best snorkelling I have ever experienced. Everything from the wildlife, coral and remote islands made this an incredibly memorable day
Gorgeous views and wonderful day
Bari N,
Oct 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a wonderful time out on the boat, and even saw a pod of dolphins! So many activities packed into one day and it was unbelievably gorgeous. Lunch spot was pretty but food was basic, that’s my only critical comment.
Overall good experience....
Michelle S,
Aug 31, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Overall 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.
Great Tour with Kids
Elsa S,
Jun 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our 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.
Amazing Time with Amir
shameciap,
May 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00my 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.
Rejuvenating — but don’t forget cash!
Navigate11764878302,
May 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Was 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).
Wonderful captain, highly qualified
Anasaxo,
Apr 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Hard 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
If you don’t want back problems, stay away
Scott G,
Apr 27, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.007 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.
From US$50.99
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Chat with us on social
Related Experiences
Operated by Tao Travel 365