This guide is built from our own family travels and from Casa Cayuco’s own pages and booking terms — what is included, how to get there and what each room is like come straight from the lodge, never invented.

Two coasts, two moods

Panama is a narrow country, so you can see both seas on the same day, but the beaches are different. The Pacific coast is generally known for wide beaches, big tides and surf; the Caribbean coast has the islands, mangroves, coral and warm, often calm water. We mention Pacific destinations at a high level only, because our own research is on Bocas del Toro and Casa Cayuco.

Caribbean: Bocas del Toro and what it is like

Bocas del Toro is an archipelago near the Costa Rican border. You fly Panama City to Bocas del Toro in about 50 minutes, then take a boat to your island. Days are spent snorkelling, kayaking and exploring jungle and mangrove channels. The average temperature is about 27 °C (82 °F) all year, and Panama sits outside the hurricane belt.

Water is calmest for swimming from August to October. The driest months are February to April and August to October; November to January and May to July are rainier, but rain often falls at night and clears by late morning.

Pacific side: who it suits

The Pacific side generally suits travellers who want road-trip freedom, surf beaches and a choice of resorts. It usually means less boat travel and more driving. If your priority is a big resort pool and easy transfers, it can be a fit. If your priority is a quiet lodge, reef and rainforest, the Caribbean islands are what we would plan around.

Comparison at a glance

Why Casa Cayuco is our Caribbean pick

Casa Cayuco is on the secluded beach of Punta Vieja at the southeast tip of Isla Bastimentos, 30–35 minutes by speedboat from Bocas Town. The lodge says it is one of the only places in the archipelago with direct access to a calm, swimmable beach all year round. It was named Tripadvisor’s #1 Family-Friendly Hotel in the World in the 2026 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best awards.

Our room for families is the Tortuga Beachfront Bungalow4% off · HungryTravelPanama (sleeps 5); for groups of up to 8 the Estrella De Mar Tropical Beachfront Villa4% off · HungryTravelPanama.

What a Caribbean stay does not give you

It is not for everyone. Children under 5 are not accepted, only the villa has air-conditioning, and Bocas Town nightlife is a boat ride away. Stays are a minimum of 3 nights, and the scheduled boat leaves Bocas Town at 3:00 pm.

What is included and what costs extra

Beach holidays are easier to budget when you know what is bundled. Every stay at Casa Cayuco includes the scheduled speedboat transfer from Bocas Town, all meals (chef’s choice breakfast, lunch, a three-course dinner and an afternoon snack), locally grown coffee and tea each morning, daily housekeeping, 24/7 staff, the Salt Creek village tour and the use of kayaks, SUP boards, snorkel gear and yoga mats.

Extra: guided excursions, drinks, staff gratuities (the lodge suggests 12–15% of the stay), a 10% hotel tax on room charges and a 7% tax on excursions and drinks. Room rates are not published on the lodge’s site, so we never quote a nightly figure; open our link for live prices. You can read more in our guide to what is included and what is extra.

Getting there and timing your stay

Most guests fly from Panama City’s Albrook airport to Bocas del Toro in about 50 minutes with Air Panama. The lodge recommends flight 980 (arriving around 2:00 pm) and flight 981 back (leaving around 2:30 pm), because they match its daily boat: a 2:00 pm pickup at Bocas airport and a return from the lodge around 12:30 pm. Other times are possible as a paid private transfer, and early pick-ups are not available. Our full getting-there guide covers the overland options too.

Because the minimum stay is three nights and check-out is at 12:30 pm, most couples and families plan four or five nights. See our guide on how many nights to book.

What to pack and what to expect

Pack reef-safe sunscreen, natural insect repellent (mosquitoes and chitras come out at dusk and dawn), a headlamp or flashlight, trail or water shoes and a light rain jacket. Power is on 24/7 from solar panels with US-style 110 V outlets, though guests are asked not to use hair dryers. Panama uses US dollars, and payment on site can be cash, bank transfer or card; bring a little cash for crafts in Salt Creek. Geckos, bats and the odd spider are part of an open-air stay, and the nets are tightly woven. Our packing list has the full rundown.

What is included and what costs extra

Beach holidays are easier to budget when you know what is bundled. Every stay at Casa Cayuco includes the scheduled speedboat transfer from Bocas Town, all meals (chef’s choice breakfast, lunch, a three-course dinner and an afternoon snack), locally grown coffee and tea each morning, daily housekeeping, 24/7 staff, the Salt Creek village tour and the use of kayaks, SUP boards, snorkel gear and yoga mats.

Extra: guided excursions, drinks, staff gratuities (the lodge suggests 12–15% of the stay), a 10% hotel tax on room charges and a 7% tax on excursions and drinks. Room rates are not published on the lodge’s site, so we never quote a nightly figure; open our link for live prices. You can read more in our guide to what is included and what is extra.

Getting there and timing your stay

Most guests fly from Panama City’s Albrook airport to Bocas del Toro in about 50 minutes with Air Panama. The lodge recommends flight 980 (arriving around 2:00 pm) and flight 981 back (leaving around 2:30 pm), because they match its daily boat: a 2:00 pm pickup at Bocas airport and a return from the lodge around 12:30 pm. Other times are possible as a paid private transfer, and early pick-ups are not available. Our full getting-there guide covers the overland options too.

Because the minimum stay is three nights and check-out is at 12:30 pm, most couples and families plan four or five nights. See our guide on how many nights to book.

What to pack and what to expect

Pack reef-safe sunscreen, natural insect repellent (mosquitoes and chitras come out at dusk and dawn), a headlamp or flashlight, trail or water shoes and a light rain jacket. Power is on 24/7 from solar panels with US-style 110 V outlets, though guests are asked not to use hair dryers. Panama uses US dollars, and payment on site can be cash, bank transfer or card; bring a little cash for crafts in Salt Creek. Geckos, bats and the odd spider are part of an open-air stay, and the nets are tightly woven. Our packing list has the full rundown.

How to book Casa Cayuco with our 4% discount

Casa Cayuco takes bookings on its own booking page, and that is where our reader discount applies. Here is the short version:

1. Open our link — any Casa Cayuco4% off · HungryTravelPanama link on this page takes you to the lodge’s booking engine.
2. Check the promo box. The code HungryTravelPanama is pre-filled; if you do not see it, type it in before you search dates. It gives 4% off your stay.
3. Choose your dates and room. The minimum stay is 3 nights; check-in is 3:00 pm and check-out 12:30 pm. Rates are shown live, and all meals and the boat transfer from Bocas Town are included.
4. Pay the 50% deposit to confirm. Cancelling more than 60 days before check-in refunds the deposit minus a $100 admin fee; closer to arrival the deposit is partly or fully forfeited, so the lodge recommends travel insurance.

Good to know: hotel tax (10%), tips, drinks and guided excursions are extra. We are Casa Cayuco’s partner and earn a small commission when you book with our code. More ideas are on our Where to stay in Panama page.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

If your Panama holiday is about islands, reef and rainforest, choose the Caribbean and a lodge that makes the boat days easy. That is why we partnered with Casa Cayuco. If you want road trips and surf beaches, the Pacific is probably the better fit.

See live rates at Casa Cayuco4% off · HungryTravelPanama and keep HungryTravelPanama in the promo box for 4% off.

4% off · code HungryTravelPanama

Where we would stay on the Caribbean side

Tap a room to see live rates. Our link pre-fills HungryTravelPanama in the promo box for 4% off your stay.

Beachfront bungalow · sleeps 5Tortuga Beachfront BungalowAll meals + boat transfer includedCheck rates with 4% off →3-bedroom beachfront villa · sleeps 8Estrella De Mar Tropical Beachfront VillaAll meals + boat transfer includedCheck rates with 4% off →Beachside bungalow · sleeps 5Delfín Beachside BungalowAll meals + boat transfer includedCheck rates with 4% off →

Code HungryTravelPanama gives 4% off stays booked directly with Casa Cayuco. We are Casa Cayuco’s partner and earn a small commission when you book with our code. All our Panama stay guides →