CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsAnchorage· Isla Colón· Other Caribbean
Bocas Town Anchorage (Isla Colón)
9° 20.2′ N · 82° 14.4′ W
The busy 'south anchorage' off Bocas Town's waterfront: dinghy straight to the restaurants, stalls and hardware stores, with Carenero's palms across the channel and New Year's fireworks right overhead.
Practical
Noonsite position off the town 09°20.22'N, 082°14.36'W (updated July 2025). Inside the archipelago's inland sea, so waves rarely exceed knee height (SAIL). Closest anchorage to shopping, restaurants and clearance; also the busiest, with fast water taxis day and night — many run without lights after dark, so show an anchor light and take care in the dinghy (Noonsite docking, 2026; melonthego 2022). Security: CSSN reports dinghy/outboard and deck-gear theft in the Bocas area including the marina anchorage — lift and lock the dinghy and outboard every night (Noonsite, April 2026). No moorings and no anchoring fees reported (SAIL). Land the dinghy at waterfront docks/restaurants by arrangement. The Cruisers & Expats Net runs at 7:45 am on VHF 68. No published depths in our sources — sound in and check your chart; Bauhaus' Panama Cruising Guide has aerial photos with lat/long grids.
Best for
Provisioning, clearance and town life within a short dinghy ride
Season
Year-round; south of the main hurricane belt
Nearby
- Bocas del Toro Port of Entry (AMP Port Captain, Bocas Town)Right here
- Bocas Water Taxis & Almirante FerryRight here
- Calle 3 Chinese Supermarkets (Super Centro Alba, Supermercado Cayo Zapatilla & Mini Super Cristina)0.1 NM away
- Super Gourmet Deli (Bocas Town)0.1 NM away
- Banco Nacional de Panamá (Bocas Town)0.2 NM away
- Barco Hundido (over-water bar, Bocas Town)0.2 NM away
- Bocas Cruisers & Expats Net (VHF 68)0.2 NM away
- Bocas Town Laundry, Propane & Hardware0.2 NM away