Cayos Zapatilla - Bocas del Toro, Panama
by Rebecca Hollman
updated March 12, 2019
Cayos Zapatillas - Bocas del Toro, Panama
THE Zapatillas make up two islands and are one of the most visited places in Bocas, second to Isla Colón, and for good reason. The two small islands are part of the national marine park, devoid of human inhabitants, and a picture-perfect example of a Caribbean island. The entire shoreline of these islands offer perfect beaches and although a popular destination here among tourists, you can still walk to parts of the island where there is no one in sight. These islands are also important ecological sites for the critically endangered Hawksbill sea turtles that nest on their shores.
About
The islands of Zapatillas are the most beautiful things in all of Bocas. You need to spend at least one of your days in Bocas going to these two pristine white sand islands. The easiest way to get to Zapatillas is to go on an organized tour. These tours usually have a handful of spots they stop besides just Zapatillas. From Bocas Town, you will head out towards Zapatillas and first stop at Sloth Island. You don’t get off the boat here, they just drive you right up to the mangrove trees where you can see sloths right there at the edge of the island. From there, you will head to Cayo Coral for snorkeling. They first take you to a restaurant where you can order food for lunch to eat after you get back from Zapatillas but I suggest bringing your own lunch (the food here is very pricey and you won’t eat lunch until 3:30 PM). From there, they bring you to a snorkel spot for about 30-45 minutes where you can snorkel over very beautiful coral beds. There are tropical fish here but not bigger marine life so expect to just look at amazing corals and small fish. The tours provide snorkel gear. From there, you will finally go to Zapatilla 1. They drop you off in about waist deep of water and you have to walk onto the island so keep this in mind when thinking about what you will bring onto the island. The tour usually includes 2-3 hours on Zapatilla. You can swim, lay on the beach, and walk around the entire island in this time comfortably. Lastly, they take you back to Cayo Coral to eat food if you ordered it. On the way back to Bocas Town, they will make a quick stop at Starfish Island where you can see a good amount of starfish sitting in the seagrass in the shallow waters around this mangrove island.
Getting There
Any of the tour companies in town will take you on the Zapatillas tour. I would make sure to book/arrange the tour at least the day before. Tours leave around 9 or 10 AM. Each tour company has their own place to meet so make sure to get all the information when you book the tour. You can also get to Zapatillas without a tour if you hire your own water taxi for the entire day. Hiring your own water taxi for the day is a great way to get to explore more of Bocas on your own time. You get to essentially make up your own tour as long as long as it fits within a half (or full) day. It’s a little bit more expensive as it would probably be $50-100 to have the boat to yourself for a day, but you get to do and see a ton of stuff. I would suggest hitting up snorkeling spots (Hospital Point, Coral Gardens, Cayo Coral) and then either going to Zapatillas and hanging out or going to Starfish Beach/Isla Pajaros. If you have a full day, you could go to all of these places and maybe more depending on how long you spend in each place. Have your hotel/hostel recommend a boat driver so you know you are getting a decent price.