La Caribena Beach House — Hotel in Bocas del Toro

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.

I 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 to stay at...

Excelente Lugar para ir de vacaciones. Es un hermoso alojamiento, tranquilo, alejado del ruido, y se encuentra sobre el mar. Los hosts te envían un mensaje con todos los detalles para tu llegada, te envían sus contactos de celular y correo, por si deseas programar tours o reservar algo previo a la llegada. Son personas muy atentas, siempre pendientes y preguntando si podían ayudar en algo. La propiedad es grande, tiene un deck precioso. Es un lugar mágico para ver el atardecer y relajarse. Tienen una cocina totalmente equipada (lo cual nos hizo la vida más fácil a mi familia y a mi). El lugar es fácil de encontrar, tiene un letrero afuera, y se encuentra sobre la calle principal que atraviesa la isla. Tienen kayaks, y flotadores para estar sobre el mar (ideal para refrescarse con una bebida), tienen bicicletas de alquiler, que nos permitió movilizarnos por toda la isla. Las habitaciones son cómodas y limpias. Los precios son asequibles, y el lugar es muy bonito. 100% recomendado....

Nous avons séjourné avec mon compagnon à La Caribeña pour nos deux dernières nuits dans l'archipel de Bocas del Toro. L'endroit est très charmant : véritable maison de plage sur pilotis, très intimiste avec seulement 4 chambres, une grande terrasse mêlant hamacs, balançoires et grande table pour profiter de la vue. Chambre fonctionnelle, mention spéciale pour la vue sur le coucher du soleil depuis la salle de bain, quelle folie de prendre sa douche dans ces conditions ! Des kayaks sont également à disposition et en très bon état, nous avons pu profiter d'un dernier tour dans la mer des caraïbes avant de quitter l'archipel. À l'écart de la ville (et donc, du bruit) mais très bien desservi, c'est l'endroit parfait pour se reposer & se...