Ultimate Guide to Community Tourism in Bocas del Toro: REDTUCOMBO
Explore Panama’s stunning Caribbean archipelago like a local with experiences offered by the region’s own community tourism network: REDTUCOMBO.
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Lying between Costa Rica and Colombia, Panama is the isthmus of the two great American continents. While the banking success of Panama City and the infamous canal make Panama a popular hotspot for business and commerce, the miles of coastline on either side of the country has made it a growing tourist destination for international travelers looking for a tropical adventure.
Bocas del Toro is a region lying on the Caribbean coastline, just next to the Costa Rican boarder. The archipelago and adjacent land boast jungles, mangroves, shallow coral reefs, caves, hammocks, and beaches. It is truly a stunning location for ecotourists (and a personal favorite of mine). However, responsible travelers should be informed on the challenges and opportunities facing the communities and ecosystems of the Bocas region.
Why Choose Community Tourism?
As an ecologist, we face many challenges when it comes to conserving ecosystems AND social wellbeing in an efficient and ethical manner. Once upon a time, many western ecologists took a fortress conservation approach which involves displacing all humans from an ecosystem, turning that ecosystem into a designated “protected area”, then often financing that protected area via tourism. Both the efficiency and ethics of this method are hotly debated.
Community-based tourism is a promising alternative to fortress conservation. The idea is that communities that live within a certain ecosystem run their own tourism initiatives as opposed to big-name corporations or federal government stepping in to do it. Theoretically, the community relies on the ecosystem for livelihood, so ecological well-being is incentivized, and all the economic benefits are guaranteed to feed back into the community to finance conservation and sustainable growth. Meanwhile, no one needs to be displaced to achieve conservation and economic goals. Ideally, communities and the ecosystems they live within both become sustainable and resilient. How well does this work in practice?
A paper published in Nature’s Humanities and Social Science Communications journal (Liu et al., 2023) explored community tourism in rural areas in depth. The researchers citied community tourism as a way to combat depopulation and unemployment, reduce urbanization pressures, and spark revitalization in these locations1. A similarly themed paper published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights (Mather & M, 2022) identifies the four categories one should focus on when developing responsible community tourism. The paper shows that promoting economic, social, cultural, and environmental aspects in community tourism leads to material, community, emotional, and health wellbeing respectively for local residents2. Both studies show a promising link to life satisfaction within local communities, experience satisfaction of tourists, and incentives for conservation through community-based tourism.
What is REDTUCOMBO?
REDTUCOMBO is a community-based tourism network promoting various local experiences in the Bocas del Toro region. At the time of this post (2025), 10 different experiences are in the network, with locations both throughout the islands and on the adjacent mainland shores.
Each experience offered is as unique as the communities that run them. Many offer lodging and food. With easy boat taxi travel, it is possible to experience them all on an extended stay to Bocas. Themes of wildlife sighting, water-based activities, cultural immersion, and organic agriculture are common across the experiences offered. However, if you are only in Bocas del Toro for a limited amount of time you can check out REDTUCOMBO’s brochure or read ahead for a brief guide of what experiences may be the best for you!
Looking for Wildlife?
A Ramsar Site at San San-Pond Sak Wetland– Ran by Aavecona, this tour experience takes place on the mainland close to the town of Changuinola. A wide variety of wildlife can be spotted, but this experience is known specifically for its manatee and sea turtle sightings.
Outstanding Trail at Bahia Honda– Ran by Timorogo, this tour takes place on the central west inlet of Isla Bastimentos. The lagoon trail is great for spotting sloths or caiman, but the bat cave that can be viewed on the sloth trail makes this experience popular for terrestrial ecosystem seekers.
Unforgettable Night at Bluff Beach– Ran by Anaboca, this tour takes place on Isla Colon, another popular island of the archipelago. During the daytime, this location is popular for surfing, but summer nights between May and August offer the chance to observe sea turtle nesting via this experience.
Looking to be on the Water?
Mangrove’s World at Isla Popa 2– Ran by Meri Ngobe, this tour takes off from the southeastern island of the archipelago. The experience includes a scenic tour of the island and the mangrove wetlands within.
Jungle and Communities at Sori– Ran by Soposo, this experience takes place on the mainland inside of the La Amistad International Park. While cultural immersion and jungle trails are popular, a chance to explore via river raft on a guided tour is a key attraction.
Looking for Culture?
Ngobes of the Islands at Salt Creek– Ran by Aliatur, this tour takes place on the east side of Isla Bastimentos. In addition to hiking trails and close access to the marine park, this experience gives insight on the traditional dances, handicrafts, and medicine of the Ngobe people.
The Naso’s River at Bonyik– Ran by Ocen, this tour takes place along the Teribe River at the base of the inland mountains. This experience includes local handicrafts, traditional medicine, and rainforest trails in the lush mainland environments.
Adventures in Tjerdi at Weckso– Ran by Odesen, this tour also takes place on the Teribe River. This experience focuses on the Naso people’s history and tradition within the region.
Looking for Organic Agriculture?
Delicious Chocolate at Rio Oeste Arriba– Ran by Oreba, this experience takes place on the mainland just inland of Almirante. It includes a guided tour of locally run chocolate plantations and an interactive chocolate making demonstration.
Friends of Palo Seco at Silico Creek– Ran by Urari, this experience also takes place on the mainland. It grants guests the opportunity to spend an entire day experiencing a local family farm while also getting guided tours of the surrounding forests and waterfalls.
Final Thoughts: REDTUCOMBO and Community Tourism
Community tourism has the potential to be an ethical, efficient, and sustainable tool in conservation and ecotourism. REDTUCOMBO serves to bring these benefits to the beautiful Bocas del Toro region in Panama. The experiences offered in the participating communities allow for tourists to enjoy meaningful journeys within the ecology and culture of the region.
References and Further Readings
- Liu, YL., Chiang, JT. & Ko, PF. The benefits of tourism for rural community development. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10, 137 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01610-4
- Mathew, P.V. and M, N.P. (2022), “Sustainable tourism development: discerning the impact of responsible tourism on community well-being”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, Vol. 5 No. 5, pp. 987-1001. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-02-2021-0052
