Fodor's Expert Review Bocas Inn

This small lodge in an older wooden building over the water has a great location at the end of Calle 3 and is buffered from the street by a large garden, so it's relatively quiet. It has a lovely second-floor balcony and large, open-air restaurant with plenty of hammocks and chairs from which to contemplate the sea. Most guest rooms are on the second floor of the main building; they have varnished hardwood floors, colorful tile bathrooms, and either one queen or two single beds. The rooms opening onto the common porch with an ocean view are well worth the extra $10; those over the office sit too close to the street. The lodge belongs to Panama's highly regarded Ancon Expeditions, so guests have access to the tour operator's top-notch excursions.