Built in 1905, it is one of Isla Colon’s oldest historic buildings and was constructed to accommodate the main offices of the United Fruit Company, today known as Chiquita Brands International. Conveniently located close to all the main attractions on Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Gran Hotel Bahia offers 18 spacious and comfortable rooms, all of them with air conditioning, cable TV and private bathrooms with hot water. Its relaxing and friendly atmosphere makes you feel at home. After the latest renovation, the new Deluxe Plus rooms are available on the upper floor, each with a king size bed, full sofa bed, mini-fridge and flat panel TV. There also is a remodeled room on the lower floor to meet the needs of guests with impaired mobility, with two double beds and all the facilities required for their convenience.

At the theme park Window of the World, visitors get to stroll through a mini-version of the globe. In just an afternoon, you can wander among over 130 replicas of iconic landmarks from five continents: snap a selfie beneath the towering Eiffel Tower, step back in time at the pyramids of Giza, and wind along the paths of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. The park doesn’t just recreate famous sites—it also brings them to life with events year-round. Summer’s Beer Festival and Winter’s Dance Festival fill the grounds with live music, dancing, and international flavors.

If you’re looking for a different side of Bocas, you’ll find it hidden in the indigenous villages tucked away in the forests on every island. The indigenous Ngöbe-Buglé and Naso continue to live without modern luxuries such as running water, electricity and medicine. They know how to get around the forests of the islands and speak their own language, make their own clothing and crafts, and cure illnesses with local plants prepared by medicine men known as curanderos. To learn more about living in the wild in these unspoiled communities, book a tour with an operator or if you’re staying in a remote hotel, ask the owners, there may be a village nearby.