The Sea Monkey is located on Isla Bastimentos. We are a 10-minute boat ride from Bocas Town on Isla Colon, in the Bocas Del Toro province of Panama.

Bocas del Toro connects by plane to Panama City. It also connects by a 30-minute boat ride from Almirante on the mainland ($6 per person). Almirante connects by taxi, shuttle, and bus to the rest of Panama and to Costa Rica.

Depending on where you are coming from, you may want to fly into either San Jose, Costa Rica or Panama City. Just remember when comparing pricing that Costa Rica charges a $28 exit tax if you are in San Jose for more than 12 hours in transit, and that flying into Tocumen International Airport in Panama City requires a taxi ride ($30-35) to Albrook Airport, where flights depart for Bocas del Toro.

How you get to Isla Colon will depend on how much time and/or money you have to spend getting here. Here are the options:

FROM PANAMA

Via Panama City

The super-easy way:

Air Panama and Flytrip have daily flights from Albrook Airport in Panama City to Isla Colon that start at $79 one way and take about 45 minutes. Take note, these flights depart from Albrook Airport, which is a fairly lengthy taxi ride from Tocumen International Airport, so make sure to allow enough time between your international flight and your flight to Bocas.

The cheap way:

Take the overnight bus from Albrook Bus Terminal (to get to Albrook bus terminal, it’s about $35 via taxi from Tocumen Airport, $8 or so from most places in central Panama City; depending on where you are coming from, you can also get there via Panama City's new Metro Line 1 for 35 cents – it's cheaper, faster, and a lot more eco-friendly than a taxi). The bus costs about $35 and takes 10 to 11 hours. There are daily departures from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. On Sunday, there is also a 7 AM departure, which will allow you to see the countryside on the way. Note that departures that travel during the daytime will not get you to Almirante on the mainland in time to get to Bocas the same day as the last boat leaves at 6 PM.

If the direct bus schedule doesn't work with your plans, there are buses every hour from Albrook Terminal to David from 5:30 AM to midnight. These take about 6 hours and cost about $15. From David, you can connect to Almirante on any bus headed to Changuinola for $8.45. This route takes about 4 hours.

When you arrive in Almirante, take a water taxi to Bocas del Toro for $6 (30 minutes). They leave every half hour on the half hour from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Via Boquete

The easy way:

Take a shuttle ($30) directly from Boquete to Almirante, then the water taxi to Isla Colon, which is included in the price of the shuttle. Shuttles can be booked at most hotels and hostels and depart daily at 8 AM.

The cheap way:

Take a bus to David ($1.75, about an hour). Buses leave every 45 minutes from the main plaza.

From David, you can connect to Almirante on any bus headed to Changuinola for $8.45. They depart every half hour. This route takes about 4 hours.

From Almirante, follow the instructions above to get to Bocas Town.

FROM COSTA RICA

Via Puerto Viejo

The easy way (3.5 hours):

Take a shuttle. They'll pick you up at your hotel at either 8 AM or noon, shuttle you to the border, escort you through immigration, get you to the water taxi, and get you to Bocas Town on Isla Colon for about $30 per person plus exit and entry stamps. Several companies offer this service, which can be booked the day before departure in Puerto Viejo.

The adventurous way via bus/taxi/boat (3.5 to 4.5 hours):

Take a bus from Puerto Viejo to Sixaola (approximately one hour; departures at 6:30 AM, 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 12:30 PM, 1:30, 2:30 -- later departures won't get you to the border before it closes).

Walk across the bridge to Guabito, Panama. The border is open from 7:00 to 17:00 Costa Rica time (8:00 to 18:00 Panama time). Get an exit stamp on the Costa Rica side ($7 by credit card, $10 in cash) and an entry stamp on the Panama side ($3 fee). Then head to immigration to get your documents checked. This process should take about 30 minutes total.

Just in case, make sure you have a copy of your travel reservation out of Panama. A screen shot of your reservation on your mobile phone will suffice. They don't always check for proof of onward travel at the airport, but officials at the land border at Changuinola often do, and they'll make you go to an internet cafe to print it out should you not have anything with you. It's not the end of the world (and it's cheaper than buying a throw-away bus ticket back to Costa Rica), but it's annoying. If one member of your party has proof of a reservation, that will usually suffice if he/she says it includes everyone in the party.

Once you finish immigration proceedings, you will likely be offered a seat in a shared shuttle to the water taxi port in Almirante. This should cost no more than $10 and can often be cheaper. Keep in mind when bargaining that you can take a taxi directly to Almirante for $25 for the whole car. It takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to Almirante via shuttle or taxi. You can take a taxi to the Changuinola bus terminal for $5 and a bus to Almirante for $1.50. Buses leave frequently as they fill up. From the bus station, you can walk or take a $1 taxi to the water taxi dock.

When you arrive in Almirante, take the water taxi to Bocas del Toro for $6 (30 minutes). They leave every half hour on the half hour from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Via San Jose

The easy way:

Take the shuttle (10 hours, $75). They will pick you up at your hotel in San Jose or at a Denny's near the airport (the airport doesn't allow shuttle pick-ups) and get you all the way to Bocas Town on Isla Colon, with a stop for lunch in the lovely beach town of Puerto Viejo.

The cheap/adventurous way:

Take a MEPE bus from San Jose to Sixaola (departs every 2 hours beginning at 6 AM, 6 hours, $14 — make sure you take either the 6 or 8 AM bus if you want to make it to Bocas the same day) from Terminal Atlantico Norte. Then follow the instructions above from the border to Bocas Town.

FROM BOCAS TOWN TO THE SEA MONKEY

The airport is a 5-minute walk or a $2 (per person) taxi ride from the Bastimentos water taxi dock on Main Street. A taxi from anywhere else in Bocas Town is $1 per person. Make sure you go to the Bastimentos dock, as the captains there charge $5 per person and know the island well, while the captains at other docks often overcharge and don't know their way around Bastimentos. Ask the boat captain to drop you off at The Sea Monkey and he will bring you directly to us.

If you are coming from elsewhere in Old Bank, follow the sidewalk to the right (with your back facing the water). It's a 5-minute walk from the main dock (known locally as The Park) to The Sea Monkey. 

Please let us know if we can assist in planning your route in any way, or if you need recommendations for hotels, taxi drivers, or restaurants at transit layover points!