The best beaches in Bocas del Toro are spread across Isla Colon (the main island), Isla Bastimentos, and the protected islands of the national marine park. Between them you can float above a sandbank crowded with orange starfish, walk a golden-sand beach so wide your footprints are the only ones on it, snorkel calm turquoise water over shallow reefs, or pull up to a wild Caribbean coastline where the only building is a hand-built cabin.
The beaches you'll see mentioned most often are either the easiest to reach or the ones on the typical group boat tour of the archipelago. That doesn't make them less worth your time. It just means you'll want to be smart about when you visit, so the tour boats aren't stacked up on the sand next to you. The beaches that get less airtime are almost always the ones that take more effort to reach, and some of them are our favorites in the whole archipelago.
This guide covers six of the best beaches in Bocas del Toro grouped by island, based on our own visits, so you can plan a beach day (or a beach week) that matches what you actually came here for.
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From the field · Melina
Starfish Beach (Playa Estrella), Bocas del Toro, Panama
We got to Starfish Beach at 11 in the morning, just as the vendors were setting up their snorkel rentals and coolers of drinks. The sandbank was quiet enough that we could pick our spot and drift above the starfish without company. By the time we packed up around 2, the tour boats had started to trickle in and the beach was getting busy. Aim to arrive by 11 and you’ll get the best window before the day tours descend.
First-Hand Observation
The overview
Bocas del Toro beaches at a glance
Six beaches across three islands and one national marine park is a lot to plan around, especially when you're trying to work out which ones to fit into a short trip and which ones to save for a longer stay. The table below sorts the best beaches in Bocas del Toro by island (which is also the order they appear later in this guide), with the practical facts you need to plan your days: what each beach is best for, how you get there, and what to expect once you arrive.
| Beach | Island | Best for | Surf | Access | Amenities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starfish Beach (Playa Estrella) | Isla Colon | Snorkeling with starfish | No | Bike or taxi + walk, or boat | Food, drinks, snorkel rental, souvenirs |
| Playa Bluff | Isla Colon | Long walks, big waves | Yes (in season) | Taxi or bike from town | Beachfront hotel with food and drinks, sloths |
| Polo Beach | Isla Bastimentos | Wild Caribbean, solitude | No | Private boat | Small access fee, no infrastructure |
| Red Frog Beach | Isla Bastimentos | A resort stay on the beach | Yes (in season) | Water taxi | Resort, restaurant, entry fee |
| Wizard Beach | Isla Bastimentos | Rugged, undeveloped walking | Yes (in season) | Hike or water taxi | No infrastructure |
| Cayos Zapatilla | Marine Park | Turquoise water, sea turtles, protected islands | No | Boat tour or private charter | Park fee, no infrastructure |
A quick note on surfing. A handful of beaches in Bocas del Toro get real waves in the right season, but conditions here are shaped by swell, wind, and tide from week to week, and honest surf advice needs a local eye. If you're planning your trip around surf, reach out to a local surf shop like Bocas Surf Academy for current conditions, lesson bookings, and recommendations on where to paddle out on any given day. This guide is for the rest of your beach time.
Getting around
How to get to the beaches in Bocas del Toro
There are three ways to reach a beach in Bocas del Toro, and the right one depends on which island you're headed to. Isla Colon (the main island where Bocas Town sits) can be covered by bike or taxi. The outer islands, including Isla Bastimentos and the marine park, need a boat.
Getting there
Message your accommodation before you arrive. Most Bocas del Toro hotels handle transport coordination as a matter of course. Ask them for rough taxi pricing on the routes you're planning, and let them know if you'll want a water taxi or a private boat charter for a full day. Pre-booking through your hosts is usually smoother, and sometimes cheaper, than trying to arrange a boat on the dock the morning you want to go.
Rent a bike in Bocas Town
For every beach on Isla Colon, a rental bike is the way we recommend getting around. A full-day e-bike rental from Bocas Bikes runs around $37 and comes with fat tires, which handle the compact sand and packed gravel roads you’ll hit on the way to Playa Bluff and Boca del Drago. The ride to Playa Bluff is flat but has a gravel and dirt path most of the way. The ride to Boca del Drago (your access point for Starfish Beach) takes roughly 45 minutes across the island but you can pick up water and snacks at the end of the ride at Boca del Drago.
Take a water taxi
Water taxis leave from the main dock in Bocas Town and run to specific drop-offs on Isla Bastimentos, including Red Frog Beach. Prices are per person and cash only. When the water is rough (more common in the wet season), some taxis won't make the run to the outer beaches, so build in a backup plan. Always confirm the return trip and the pickup time before you step off the boat.
Hire a private boat for the day
If you want to see multiple outer beaches in one trip, especially Polo Beach and Cayos Zapatilla, a private boat is the honest recommendation. You set the pace, skip the group tour scramble, and reach beaches the big tours don't stop at. Your accommodation can usually arrange this. If you would prefer a group tour experience to see the classic Bocas del Toro archipelago, you can reserve the tour at the taxi stands of Bocas Town, through your accommodation, or online in advance.
Getting there
Carry small bills. Almost every service in Bocas del Toro (water taxis, snorkel rental, beach access fees, food stands) is paid in cash, usually 1 to 5 dollars at a time. ATMs in Bocas Town run out of cash regularly. Hit an ATM on the mainland before you cross to the islands and bring more small bills than you think you'll need.
For the full breakdown of getting to Bocas del Toro from Panama City and where to base yourself once you arrive, read our complete Bocas del Toro guide. →
Isla Colon · the main island, easy access
The famous one
Starfish Beach (Playa Estrella)
Starfish Beach, or Playa Estrella in Spanish, is the most popular beach in Bocas del Toro and the one you'll see on almost every travel guide to the archipelago. It sits at the far northwestern tip of Isla Colon, on a calm shallow sandbank where dozens of bright orange cushion starfish gather in a few feet of water. Vendors rent snorkel gear, sell food and cold drinks, and on a clear morning the water is calm enough that you can drift above the starfish and watch them without kicking up sand.
The honest take: Starfish Beach is popular for a reason and it's worth the trip if you time your visit around the tour boats. Get there early, bring cash for snorkel rental, and be ready to move on when the crowds start rolling in.
How to get to Starfish Beach
The best way to reach Starfish Beach is to rent a bike in Bocas Town and ride across Isla Colon to Playa Boca del Drago, which takes about 45 minutes. Lock the bike at the end of the road under some trees and out of the way and either walk along the beach to Playa Estrella (about 20 minutes each way) or hire one of the small boats waiting near the shore to ferry you for a few dollars.
We recommend walking at least one direction. The small beaches you pass on the way have white sand, palm trees, and virtually no one else on them, and skipping them is a real miss. If your legs are tired by the end of the day, take a boat back to Boca del Drago and let the bike ride handle the last stretch.
Use Boca del Drago as your access point, not as a place to hang out. The beach is not the nicest but there are a few establishments where you can purchase food, drinks, and use the restroom.
What to do at Starfish Beach
The main draw is snorkeling the sandbank. Vendors along the tree line rent masks and snorkels for a couple of dollars in cash, and once you have gear you can wade out to the shallow area where the starfish gather and float. On a calm morning you'll see dozens of them clustered on the sandy bottom, orange against pale sand, close enough to reach but please don't touch or lift them out of the water.
Food and drink vendors sell fresh fish, patacones, cold beers, and fresh coconut water. You can spend a full morning at Starfish Beach without needing to bring anything of your own.
Best time to visit Starfish Beach
Arrive by 11 in the morning at the latest, earlier if you can swing it. The tour boats from the typical archipelago tour tend to pull in around midday, and once they do the sandbank gets crowded, the sand gets stirred up, and the water goes cloudy. A window between 9 and 11 gives you Starfish Beach at its clearest and quietest.
Starfish are around year-round but their numbers vary based on the crowds. The wetter months tend to have more of them on the sandbank because there are fewer visitors to the islands; the drier months can have fewer. Don't plan a trip around it either way and try to visit in the morning to avoid larger groups of visitors.
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From the field · Melina
Starfish Beach (Playa Estrella), Bocas del Toro, Panama
On our morning at Starfish Beach we counted more than twenty starfish in a single stretch of the sandbank. They don’t move much. They cluster in the shallowest, warmest water and stay put, close enough that you can float three feet above one and just watch it. Renting the snorkel gear is the difference between a nice visit and a memorable one. Don’t skip it.
First-Hand Observation
For a full month-by-month breakdown of when to visit Panama, including Bocas del Toro's wet and dry season windows, read our guide to the best time to visit Panama. →
The golden stretch
Playa Bluff
Playa Bluff is a wide, wild, golden-sand beach about 15 minutes from Bocas Town on the eastern side of Isla Colon, and it's the closest thing to a proper long walking beach in the archipelago. The sand runs for close to two miles, backed by palm trees and low dunes, with almost no beach infrastructure to interrupt the view. It isn't a swim beach: the currents run strong year-round and there are no lifeguards. But for a slow morning walk with a coffee, or an afternoon spread out on the sand watching the waves roll in, it's one of our favorite stretches of coast in Bocas.
How to get to Playa Bluff
The easiest way to reach Playa Bluff from Bocas Town is a taxi (roughly 30 minutes) or an e-bike rental (about 45 minutes on flat, paved and gravel/dirt road). If you're on a bike, the ride out is easy and you'll pass the turnoff for Playa Paunch and a couple of small local restaurants along the way.
What to expect at Playa Bluff
The lack of infrastructure is what makes the walk worth it. At low tide, doing the full length of the beach is as close as you'll get in Bocas to feeling like you have the coast to yourself. Bring water, sunscreen, and a book. There's a beachfront restaurant a little over halfway along Playa Bluff with service right on the beach, which makes a good rest stop if you're walking the full length. Prices are higher than in Bocas Town.
Because the beach faces the open Caribbean directly, the waves get big. During surf season you'll see experienced surfers working the break. If you want to join them, talk to a local surf shop for current conditions.
Safety Note
Playa Bluff is not a safe swim beach for most travelers. The currents run strong year-round and the beach has no lifeguards. Wade to your knees if you want to cool off, but save the swimming for calmer beaches like Cayos Zapatilla, or for Starfish Beach on a calm morning.
Where to eat and drink at Playa Bluff
There's a restaurant and bar at the end of the road to Playa Bluff that serves food and drinks either on site or on the beach. While it may be pricier than some other restaurants in Bocas Town, it is a reliable spot for food and cold drinks right on the beach itself and it makes a good rest stop if you're walking the full length. You may also get the opportunity to spot a sloth or two in the trees around the restaurant property. Prices are higher than in Bocas Town but the view, ambiance, and location make it worth it.
Isla Bastimentos · the outer beaches, worth the boat ride
The quiet one
Polo Beach: the beach tourists sleep on
Polo Beach is the beach locals in Bocas del Toro recommend most, and one of the most surprising stretches of sand in the archipelago. It sits on the wild, outer side of Isla Bastimentos, along the same stretch of coast as Red Frog and Wizard, but without the resort infrastructure of the first or the mugging warnings of the second. You reach it by private boat, pay a small fee to the man who lives on the beach in a hand-built cabin, and then, most likely, have the sand almost to yourself for the day.
If you want the wild, pristine Caribbean beach most travelers picture when they book a Bocas del Toro trip, without the crowds or the price tag of the resort experience, this is the beach we'd send you to first.
How to get to Polo Beach
The honest recommendation is to hire a private boat for the day and put Polo Beach on your route. Your accommodation can arrange this, and pairing Polo with Cayos Zapatilla on the same charter makes for one of the best days you can have in the archipelago. Because the outer side of Isla Bastimentos isn't protected by reefs, water conditions matter: if the swell is up, your boat captain may not be able to land at Polo. Build in flexibility.
There is a second way to reach Polo Beach that we don't recommend for most travelers. You can take a water taxi to Red Frog Beach and walk the jungle trail along the coast to Polo. The trail is not always safe. There are periodic reports of muggings along this stretch, and conditions change from month to month. If you're set on hiking in, ask your accommodation for a current honest read on trail safety before you go. Bring sandals for the hike as conditions may be muddy in the forest.
What we pack for this
Three items are worth having for your hike through the rainforest. For the full kit, visit our hiking gear guide →.
Hiking Sandals
Sturdy and supportive sandals for walking through the muddy terrain and along the beach
Water bottle
Bring at least 1.5L per person. It can be quite hot and there is no infrastructure at this beach
Day Backpack
Waterproof packable day pack that can hold all that you need for a day at the beach, including food, drinks, towels, etc.
The Polo Beach access fee explained
When you land on Polo Beach, you'll meet Polo. He's a Bocas del Toro resident who lives off the grid in a small cabin at the tree line, and he charges a small fee (cash, a few dollars) for beach access. Bring small bills. He is not always at the beach to collect the fee - we visited in November and were able to enjoy the beach without paying.
The fee is a feature, not a nuisance. It's part of why Polo Beach stays as pristine as it does: fewer people, less trash, and someone whose home this actually is keeping an eye on the place. We paid the fee happily and would do it again in a heartbeat.
What to expect at Polo Beach
Wild Caribbean coastline, powdery sand, palm trees running right down to the water, and rainforest behind it all. No restaurants. No bathrooms. No lifeguards. No vendors. Bring your own water, snacks, sun protection, and a dry bag for anything you don't want to get wet on the boat ride over.
The water along this beach remains calm because of the reef that breaks the waves. It is also a popular place to snorkel to enjoy the crystal clear turquoise water. Along the forest line, you may be able to spot some of the red frogs that are famous on Isla Bastimentos. You can read more about the wildlife of Panama and Bocas del Toro here.
Best time to visit Polo Beach
We visited in November and the boat was able to land without issue. The dry-season months tend to be more reliable for boat access to the outer beaches, and calmer water makes the trip more pleasant either way. For a full breakdown of Bocas del Toro's seasonal weather patterns, see our guide to the best time to visit Panama.
Who should skip Polo and book Red Frog instead
Polo Beach is not for everyone. If you want beach service (a bar, a restaurant, a lounger, a bathroom nearby), you'll be happier at Red Frog Beach, where the resort, restaurant, and tourism infrastructure means you can spend a whole day on the sand without needing to plan for it. If you want the wild pristine Caribbean feel and you don't mind bringing your own supplies, Polo is the better choice.
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From the field · Melina
Polo Beach, Bocas del Toro, Panama
We visited Polo Beach on a private boat tour in November. The water was calm, our captain landed easily, and we spent close to three hours on a stretch of sand where the only other people in sight were two travelers packing up at the far end. Polo himself came down from the cabin to collect the access fee, chatted with us for a few minutes about the surf, and then went back to his day. The beach itself is postcard Caribbean: powdery sand, coconut palms, turquoise water, and the sound of the rainforest behind you. It’s the beach we tell friends about when they ask what to do in Bocas del Toro.
First-Hand Observation
For the resort stay
Red Frog Beach (for the resort experience)
Red Frog Beach is the most well-known beach on the outer side of Isla Bastimentos and the answer for travelers who want a full-service resort stay directly on a wild Caribbean beach. It sits along the same stretch of coast as Polo and Wizard, with the same pristine sand and Caribbean vibe, but with a resort community, restaurant, and infrastructure the other two don't have. It's named after the small red frogs that live in the rainforest behind the beach (which you can also see at Polo Beach).
A note on our experience: we haven't stepped foot on Red Frog Beach ourselves. We've seen it from the water on our boat tour and researched it thoroughly through local sources, but the details in this section come from research, conversations with locals, and comparison to nearby beaches we have visited (particularly Polo), not from a personal day on the sand.
Why book Red Frog Beach
The main draw of Red Frog Beach is the combination that's rare in Bocas del Toro: a wild, outer-side Caribbean beach with resort service. You can spend a full day on the sand without having to bring your own supplies, take a break for lunch at the on-beach restaurant, and stay in a room a few steps from the water. If a resort day is what you want from your beach time, this is where to have it.
How to get to Red Frog Beach
Hire a water taxi from the main dock in Bocas Town. Prices are per person and cash only. Water conditions matter here too: on rough days some taxis won't make the run to the outer beaches, so build in a backup plan.
We do not recommend walking the jungle trail from Wizard Beach or Old Bank to Red Frog without a guide. There are periodic reports of muggings along the coastal path, and this is the same trail that connects Polo, Wizard, and Red Frog on the outer coast. Take a water taxi both ways.
Safety Note
Do not walk the jungle trail from Old Bank or Wizard Beach to Red Frog Beach without a guide. There are ongoing reports of muggings along this coastal path. The safest way to reach Red Frog Beach is by water taxi, both directions.
The Red Frog Beach entrance fee
Red Frog Beach charges a small entrance fee to reach the beach, similar in principle to what Polo charges at Polo Beach. Based on our Polo experience we think this is a feature, not a nuisance: fees like this help keep outer-side beaches cleaner and less crowded, and they support the local landowners who maintain access. Bring small bills.
Where to stay at Red Frog Beach
Red Frog Beach Island Resort is the accommodation on the beach itself. It's a large resort community with beach access, a restaurant, and different lodging options from hotel-style rooms to private villas. If a resort day on a wild Caribbean beach is what you're planning your Bocas trip around, staying on-property gets you there without the daily water-taxi logistics.
••• Worth Splurging
◆ Local character
Red Frog Beach Island Resort
Best for: A resort day on a wild Caribbean beach
Where to see the red frogs
The strawberry poison-dart frogs the beach is named after live in the rainforest behind the sand. You can sometimes spot them along the tree line at Red Frog Beach itself, but they aren't exclusive to this beach: the same species lives across Isla Bastimentos, and you may see them at other beaches on the island as well. If frog spotting is a priority, ask your accommodation about guided rainforest walks on Isla Bastimentos, which are more likely to produce sightings than wandering the beach edge. You can read more about other wildlife around Panama and Bocas del Toro here.
The rugged walk
Wizard Beach
Wizard Beach is the wildest of the three outer-side Isla Bastimentos beaches, and the least visited. There are no restaurants, no vendors, and no lifeguards. The water is rough enough that swimming isn't recommended. Getting there means either a water taxi in reasonable conditions or a muddy hike from Old Bank on the other side of the island. We think Wizard is worth a stop for the rugged, undeveloped Caribbean coastline, but only for travelers who are prepared for what "undeveloped" actually means.
A note on our experience: we haven't spent a full day at Wizard Beach ourselves. The details in this section come from local sources and from our on-the-ground research in Bocas.
How to get to Wizard Beach
Two options, both with caveats. The first is a water taxi from Bocas Town, same as Red Frog Beach. On rough days the taxi may not be able to land at Wizard because of the surf, so this is a weather-dependent choice.
What to expect at Wizard Beach
Wild, undeveloped Caribbean coastline. No infrastructure of any kind. Bring your own water, snacks, and everything else you'll want for the day. There's no shade beyond the tree line, and no vendors selling anything to anyone.
The waves are the main character here. Wizard is known for consistent, powerful surf, and the water is not safe for casual swimming: riptides are common. If you want to cool off, keep your feet on the sand.
Safety Note
Do not swim at Wizard Beach. Riptides are common, there are no lifeguards, and rescue is difficult. Enjoy the beach for the walk and the scenery.
Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park
The postcard islands
Cayos Zapatilla
Cayos Zapatilla is a pair of small, uninhabited islands about a 45-minute boat ride south of Bocas Town, and it's the closest thing to a postcard-perfect turquoise-water day trip that Bocas del Toro offers. The two islands sit inside Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park, which means they're protected, undeveloped, and require a park fee to visit. Powdery white sand, calm shallow water, palm trees, and, if you visit between April and October, a decent chance of seeing sea turtles.
If you have a single day to spend on the water in Bocas del Toro, this is the day trip we'd send you on.
How to get to Cayos Zapatilla
Two ways: a group boat tour that stops at Cayos Zapatilla as part of the typical archipelago tour, or a private boat charter that lets you stay longer and skip the group logistics.
The honest recommendation is to hire a private boat for the day and pair Cayos Zapatilla with Polo Beach on the same charter. You'll pay more than the group tour price, but you'll get the islands earlier in the morning before the group tours arrive, spend as long as you want on each stop, and skip the scramble of a shared boat schedule. Your accommodation can arrange this, or you can book a full-day boat tour through a booking platform.
If a private charter isn't in the budget, the group boat tour still delivers you to the islands. Time your visit early in the tour rotation if you can, and be ready to share the beach.
The Cayos Zapatilla park fee
Because Cayos Zapatilla sits inside Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park, visitors pay a national park entry fee. It's a small fee, paid in cash, and you'll want to keep proof of payment on your phone in case a park ranger checks it during your visit. Ask your boat captain about current fee amounts and how the payment is handled: it is typically paid online in advance with a screenshot saved to your phone.
What to expect at Cayos Zapatilla
Two small islands, roughly a quarter mile apart, sitting in shallow turquoise water. Both have beach access. Neither has infrastructure of any kind: no restaurants, no bathrooms, no vendors, no shade beyond what the palm trees provide. Bring your own water, snacks, sunscreen, and a dry bag for the boat ride. On tours, fresh fruit is sometimes provided at each island stop.
The water is the main attraction. Because the islands sit inside the reef-protected marine park, the water at Cayos Zapatilla is typically calm enough to swim, float, and snorkel. It's the beach where you can actually get in the water without checking the flag or reading the current, which is not something you can say about the outer-side beaches on Isla Bastimentos.
Best time to visit Cayos Zapatilla
Sea turtle season runs roughly April through October. If a turtle sighting is a priority, plan your visit for that window and ask your boat captain about the best turtle-spotting spots in the marine park (some are just off the islands, others are elsewhere in the park). Outside of turtle season, Cayos Zapatilla is still worth the trip: the water is at its clearest in the drier months (roughly December through April), which is when the postcard-turquoise color is at its most dramatic. For a full breakdown of Bocas del Toro's seasonal patterns, see our guide to the best time to visit Panama.
The match
Which Bocas del Toro beach is right for you?
Six beaches, three islands, and one marine park is a lot to hold in your head at once. Here's a quick match of common traveler intents to the best beach in Bocas del Toro for each, so you can plan a trip that actually delivers what you came for.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about the beaches of Bocas del Toro.
Which is the most beautiful beach in Bocas del Toro?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the two beaches most travelers put at the top of their list are Cayos Zapatilla (for the classic postcard turquoise water) and Polo Beach (for wild, undeveloped Caribbean coastline). Cayos Zapatilla is the more polished, photographed pick. Polo Beach is the one that feels the most like you've discovered something.
Is Red Frog Beach worth the entrance fee?
Yes, if a resort day on a wild Caribbean beach is what you're after. The Red Frog entrance fee is small, cash-only, and functions similarly to the access fee at nearby Polo Beach: it helps keep the beach cleaner and less crowded. If you're not planning a resort day, and you'd rather have the same wild Caribbean vibe with more solitude, Polo Beach delivers that at a similar price point.
Can you see starfish at Starfish Beach year-round?
Yes, though numbers vary from month to month. The wetter months tend to have more starfish on the sandbank, the drier months can have fewer, but the beach is a reliable starfish-spotting destination throughout the year. To see the most, arrive early in the morning (by 11 at the latest) before tour groups stir up the sand and cloud the water.
What's the best way to visit multiple Bocas del Toro beaches in one day?
Hire a private boat charter for the day. A private charter lets you pair harder-to-reach beaches like Polo and Cayos Zapatilla on a single trip, set your own timing, and skip the group tour scramble. Your accommodation can arrange this, or you can book a full-day tour through a booking platform. If a private charter isn't in the budget, the typical group archipelago tour also visits multiple beaches in a day, though you'll be on a fixed schedule.
Are the beaches in Bocas del Toro safe for swimming?
Some are, some aren’t. Cayos Zapatilla is protected by reefs and is typically calm enough for casual swimming and snorkeling. Starfish Beach is safe on calm mornings. Playa Bluff and Wizard Beach both have strong currents and rip currents year-round and are not safe swim beaches. Red Frog and Polo can go either way depending on the day’s conditions: check the water when you arrive and, at Red Frog, check the flag on the beach.
Do you need to book a tour to see Cayos Zapatilla?
Yes, you need to arrive by boat. That can be a scheduled group archipelago tour (which stops at Cayos Zapatilla as part of a wider itinerary) or a private boat charter (which lets you spend as long as you want on the islands). You cannot reach Cayos Zapatilla independently, and because it sits inside Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park, you'll also pay a small park entry fee on arrival.
Continue planning
Planning the rest of your time in Bocas del Toro?
Where to stay, how to get there, best time to visit, and what to do beyond the beaches.
