Red Frog Beach - Bocas del Toro, Panama

by Rebecca Hollman
updated March 13, 2019

Red Frog Beach - Bocas del Toro, Panama

Red Frog is a wide stretch of beach on the eastern facing side of Bastimentos. It is technically the same beach as Wizard Beach, just farther down along the same side of the island. It’s not possible to walk to Red Frog from Wizard, you would have to take a boat from either Bocas Town or Old Bank to Red Frog. However, this beach has all the same beauty as Wizard but much more amenities. There are many hotels, hostels and restaurants scattered along Red Frog Beach. Many people spend a couple of nights at a hotel on Red Frog while they are in Bocas. The waves and currents here are still pretty aggressive, like most places in Bocas, but you can swim at this beach if you are aware of your surroundings and careful. There is also a chance to surf at Red Frog depending on the swell. This is a great beach to spend the day in the sun and water, with the opportunity to walk to a restaurant and grab a smoothie or a bite to eat.

Table of Contents

Getting There

To get there you will need to take a water taxi from either Bocas Town or Old Bank to Red Frog. Depending on where you are going, you can either go to Red Frog Marina or “the shortcut to Red Frog.” If you are just spending the day on Red Frog, the driver will most likely drop you off at the shortcut. You will follow the trail from the dock about 15 minutes to the other side of the island where it will open up into a big expanse of beach. Right when you get off the dock, you will need to pass by a stand where they charge you $5 to enter Red Frog for the day. Alternatively, if you are staying at a hotel on Red Frog, they will likely drop you directly at the Red Frog Marina. Boats from Bocas Town cost $5 per person to Red Frog each way.

Where to Stay

I would highly recommend staying at a hotel/hostel on Red Frog for at least a couple nights of your stay in Bocas, if not the whole time. This is one of the places where you can stay on another island besides Colón, but for a very reasonable price. I would recommend staying at Palmar Beach Lodge - they have a restaurant with great food, private bungalows on the beach and also shared rooms for a decent price. Another great option is Selina Red Frog. Selina has changed the game for hostels and this location is no different. Beautifully decorated and clean, they also offer co-working space, tours, and transfers to/from other Selina destinations around Panama.

Learn more about PALMAR BEACH LODGE and SELINA RED FROG here.