We have stayed at the Buccaneer a few times. True it is not brand new or perfectly clean but the location is terrific and the staff is great. You can hop in a water taxi and be in Bocas or Bastimentos in a few minutes. Or walk out the door and into the ocean for a swim.
We would not be happy staying at any hotel in Bocas town. Prefer to be where it is green. Just depends what you are looking for!

The "resort" is currently changing ownners and thus the currrent owner is doing absolutly nothing to keep the place up. The beach is covered with debries, the rooms smell of mold and the service is nill. We got out of the boat with our bags and had to find the office. Three good things
One breakfeat service is great ( a really nice women) the food is ok
Two the cleaning lady really did her best with what she had
Three the resturant/hotel ( I think it's called the druncken Pellicun) down the beach is really good and the owner is fun.

After spending 7 days on or near the Isle colon in the Bocas Del Toro Region of Panama, I would say the place to stay is at the Buccaneer Resort. It is not a 5 Star facility but isn't asking the price of a one iether. The three different dwellings are all nice and the location is ideal. 2 Minutes by water taxi to town, and clean water to swim in right in front! .

We stayed in Bocas Town on the Isle de Colon for 3 days, a remote island for 2 days and the Buccaneer for 4 days. Bocas Town was a little to trashy for us, as well as being higher in temp. The remote island place was the Hacienda Del Toro, which was very nice but limiting in what you can do.

It has a spectacular beach in front that is shallow, has nice coral and and is clean.

Capt Tom is a fun guy to sit and chat with, and the rest of hte staff are nice.

There are several resturants clos by sitting at the end of a dock that we enjoyed.

The only thing I would be carefull of is what type of dwelling you shoose, If you want nice cold AC I would suggest that you stay in the Bungelow style of dwelling!

Just returned from a stay at the Buccaneer and wanted to share what a great time we had! It's clear from the previous reviews that this place isn't for everyone, but we didn't find much to complain about.

The location is a really positive aspect. It's away from the relative bustle of Bocas Town, which gets lively at night. But it's only a five-minute water taxi ride to town for activities and meals. We had no problems hailing a water taxi whenever we wanted one, and at one dollar per person each way, the cost wasn't much of a burden.

My boyfriend and I stayed in a cabina and loved it -- what a cool experience. Yes, it's rustic, but as long as you expect that, it's all part of the fun. Had no issues with hot water or air conditioner, and the bed was comfortable.

We ate breakfast at the Buccaneer restaurant each day, and the food was fine. Service is -- how should we say? -- relaxed, but we found that everywhere we went in Panama. Who wants to rush when you have that amazing view, anyway?

The only real complaint we had was the music each night coming from somewhere else on Carrenero -- thumping bass continued until about 2:30AM. Being from New York, we can handle it, but it's definitely jarring in an otherwise serene setting.

We didn't see much of Captain Thom or the other management, but they were very friendly when we did encounter them. Our advice would be to do plenty of research on Bocas, so you aren't at a loss for what to do or where to go. We had a mostly good experience with J&J Transparente boat tours. If you take a private boat tour, settle the price before you go and make sure to ask if there are any extras like equipment rental. I get the feeling there isn't always 100 percent communication between boat drivers and the desk staff who schedule the trips, so know your price ahead of time and stick to it.

Above all, enjoy Bocas, and take care of it for future travelers. It's the most amazing place, and we'll definitely be back.