On my last trip to Bocas del Toro I went to places I had already visited and new ones. In this time, I am going to tell you about my second visit to Red Frog and my first visit to the Hollywood Cove.
Red Frog
The name of this paradisiacal beach is due to a red frog, it is beautiful, yet poisonous. Other of the things is it is very visited, it has crystal clear waters and an extensive beach.
The beach is located within the Bastimento Island National Park and the visit is included in almost all the tours.
The boats arrive at a point and from there you have to walk to the other side of the Island, it is a short walk of about 5 minutes, on a path where you will pass through mangroves and a small lagoon (the truth is that I don´t know if it is a lagoon, but is like a large pond), there are alligators, they are free, now I didn´t see any, if you see one, please don´t panic, neither throw objects.
At the end of the path you will see a beautiful beach with soft sand, ideal for sunbathing or playing sports like soccer or volleyball, bring your own ball.
This place has hotels, restaurant and restroom (latrine).
There are people going to spend a whole day.
I must say that the times I have gone, the beach is not crowded, which is great to enjoy it.
Now, the red frogs are really small, about 2 cm, so they are no easy to see them, this is my second visit and thanks for a boatman I could see one, because I looked for one under the trees, under the large leaves as instructed and I didn´t see none.
Entrance fee
$5.00 I think they no longer charge entrance to the National Park, but I have not yet been able to verify this information, when I went they charged it.
Transport -boat
- $5.00 each way from Colón Island– I you go in your own.
- Starting at $25.00- a tour, from Colon Island, that includes others Islands.
You will see
- Sloths,
- Monkeys,
- Red frogs,
- Birds.
Other activities
- Snorkeling,
- Canopy: 7 ziplines,
- Surf,
- Stand Up Paddle.
Where to Stay in Red Frog?
On Colón Island there are many hotels, but if you want to sleep in Red Frog, these are the options.
- Selina Red Frog – prices from $ 32.00
- Red Frog Beach Island Resort – prices from $ 881.00
- Palmar Beach Lodge – prices from $ 54.00
Hollywood Cove
The name of Hollywood is because of the stars, in Hollywood they are the movie stars and in Bocas del Toro they are starfish.
When I took the tour, I didn´t have any idea where I will go, of course, I knew about the other places, but I have no idea about this place will be full of starfish.
I had to do the tour in heavy rain, but it was that or nothing, because of we had to return to Colon Island.
However, the water is not very deep and there are a lot of starfish, just see out the edge of the boat and you will see them.
This is not one the essential place in Bocas del Toro, it is a pluss that the tours offer, it is a short stop to see the starfish, we were there not more than 10 minutes.
Advices
- Sunscreen,
- Cap,
- Bring wáter,
- Camera/cellphone ,
- Take care of the place you visit,
- Choose any tour operator of the Bocas del Toro Cooperative, check how long it will be in the places that interest you,
- If you want to stay a full day in Red Frog, bring something to eat,
- Bring cash in small denominations, to pay the boat, the entrance any other things,
- Be on the lookout for the coupon online pages (Gustazos, Quiero Ofertas y Oferta Simple), you can get a good offer, I did a full day tour for $15.00. You have to check the dates, what they offer and the conditions.
Prices
- Ranging from $25.00 to $35.00 it depends of the tour (the tours do not include the entrance to Red Frog).
- $5.00 entrance fee to Red Frog.
How to get to there?
Once in Colón Island, in the Panamanian Caribbean, you can go to any of the tour operators and take either a tour that has Red Frog and Hollywood Cove between its destinations or.
If you just want to go to Red Frog, you can take a boat that leaves you Direct in Red Frog and spend the whole day there, I don’t have the cost of the latter option, but it could be $ 5.00 each way.
Others post that you may like
- A tour to Dolphins Bay, Coral Cay and Zapatilla Cay
- Punta Vieja Beach and Sloths Island
- Knowing Colón Island
- Information about Colón Island
