TropicalArts Resort & Studios — Hotel in Bocas del Toro

I cannot say enough great things about this place! This was our first stop in Bocas and we were SO happy with our choice. The grounds are beautiful and perfectly located. Anywhere else on Carenero that is towards the south of the island will get a ton of noise from Bocas Town but PirateArts is super quiet (and still only a 2 minute boat ride to the action if you are seeking it). We were made to feel so at home by Karen, the owner, and felt like family by the time we left. It’s also a fantastic place to be to surf - there are multiple paths to the other side of the island where there are three popular breaks for varying levels. Our apartment was equipped with everything we needed to cook up a quick breakfast or lunch. We were very sad to leave and even extended by a night because Carenero was just so perfect! Thanks again to Karen and her team for a wonderful stay. If you want to see more great photos of the property, visit their Instagram at...

I would not recommend Pirate Arts / TropicalArts at this time. They seem to be in limbo, bigger than an Airbnb now but definitely not a resort yet. It is clear that it is in a period of transition, with noisy, active construction going on during our stay. The hosts were very kind and helpful, but they were preoccupied with many other tasks. I know they will be a wonderful place to stay in a year or two, when they have front staff dedicated to just checking people in, a printed out welcome packet and guide, and no construction noise. But for now, I can’t recommend it. It is also located on a much quieter island, Isla Carenero, and it felt much more remote than we were hoping for. We didn’t feel comfortable walking through some parts of the island. There are much fewer restaurants and not many things to do. The beaches were not worth the remoteness...

We just got home from an 8 day stay at Pirate Arts Experience. It was Great! 4 couples stayed in the four bedroom apartment each having our own bathroom. Easy walk to restaurants and the grocery store on Carenero Island and a short water taxi ride to Bocas Town. |The apartment had a full kitchen which was great for all of us. Large living area with TV, separate air conditioning for each room to accommodate our different air conditioning wants. Large covered deck outside which we used all times of the day and night. |Perfect location for us to enjoy our vacation. |Karen, Kelly and staff were extremely helpful with lots of advise and help in arranging water taxi rides to Bocas Town as well as getting us all to Red Frog Beach.|Hope to be able to visit again...