La Caribena Beach House- Bocas del Toro, Isla Colón, Panamá

House on the water, well equipped kitchen, short walking diatance to remote bars and restaurant. And also 2 swings hanging at the edge of terrace. Communication with the owner.

A bit further from Bocas City centre, but taxis run regularly.

The room had air conditioning and the shower water was hot.

The online photos are very misleading/deceiving. You walk through a rusty gate, and then you have to walk across an unstable bridge with no safety rails and ocean water below to get to the room.

We spent 4 nights at ‘La Caribeña’ in a deluxe double room. The room was equipped with an AC, a flat-screen TV, a simple clothes rail and a fairly hard queen size bed. The room was clean and small (approx. 10-12 m2).

Cleaning service was only provided upon request. Overall, the property looked as if it had seen better days. The photos on the internet looked much nicer than reality. We received instructions for the self-check-in, which contained a (wrong) key code. Also, a flyer with house rules and activities was sent by WhatsApp. The hosts were available via WhatsApp or in person at the ‘Ohana’ restaurant (15 min walk). We booked a day tour to Dolphin Bay, Hollywood Beach, Cayo Zapatillo, and Coral keys, which included (according to the flyer and our hosts) a pick-up directly from ‘La Caribeña’s’ dock, soft drinks, and snorkeling gear. In reality, we were picked up by a Taxi (15 min late), who at first had no clue where to bring us. Our hosts were not reachable by phone. Eventually, we were dropped off (and had to pay the taxi - not included in the tour) at a crowded place with several tour operators … It took us a while to figure out where to go and which tour operator was booked for us… it would have been way easier and less stressful to book a tour by ourselves. There was no benefit in using the ‘La Caribeña’ service for this. We also rented the bikes that are offered at ‘La Caribeña’. The bikes were not well maintained: The tires had too little air, the handlebar of one bike was loose, there was no gear shift (which seems to be standard in Bocas), the saddle was too low and could not be adjusted,... costs: $10 per bike per day. In front of the cabins is a common area with a few chairs, a hammock and a kitchen. Also this looked a bit sad and not inviting at all. Overall, this accommodation seemed completely overpriced to us. For a price tag of 765$ for 4 nights (almost 200$ per night!) we would have expected a way nicer accommodation and a better service. Therefore, we wouldn't recommend staying at ‘La Caribeña’.

The host were very responsive and nice! The place was clean, but could definitely use an upgrade!

Quiet spot to stay and we liked the common area kitchen and hammocks over the water. Eduardo was very responsive and helpful. Cute decor.

The entry down the side of a house could be tidier and better lit at night. When others were staying next door we could hear all their movements but everyone was very respectful of each other.

Excellent accommodation, hosts and stay Fabulous hosts, a lovely couple and very helpful. Provided a great PDF welcome pack with suggestions of things to do near by including food etc. They also gave us advice and tips for things to do and enjoy in the area as well as expected prices for taxis which we found very helpful. They own *Ohana, a restaurant a short walk away, which did truly excellent food. The breakfasts at the accommodation were good also. Room was lovely and spacious with practical extras like a hanging space for wet clothes and suitcase rack! Laundry can also be done there at a small cost. They couldn't do enough to help and we extended our stay as it was so lovely!

Breakfast was fantastic in the suggested place, within walking distance of the property.