Is it worth visiting

The full experience of visiting Taboga Island was fairly memorable. We’ve never sailed on a catamaran, so that was a cool piece of novelty for us. The sailing journey was a bit thrilling as we zoomed fairly fast on the seas with the occasional ocean spray adding a bit more fun. You’d hear some audible “ah!” from others getting wet. As we were approaching the island, the crew set up some activities for guests to partake in, fostering a social and fun environment on the boat. Finally we arrived near the island and anchored near shore. The crew gave us some time to swim or relax on the catamaran’s “trampolines”, which are kind of like rope hammocks. Afterwards we finally boarded Taboga Island itself and had some time to explore. During our time wandering around the island, it wasn’t the most memorable. There isn’t an awful amount to do besides checking out the various beaches or eating at a local establishment. The condition of the island was a bit rough around the edges, respectfully. We wished we had a bit more time to explore the island and there are some hiking options towards the south with viewpoints. Some of the beaches are more pebble-like and have various sea shells making it not fully ideal to comfortably walk on. Unfortunately, the weather was cloudy when we went, so we didn’t get the idyllic beach setting.

In our opinion there was no standout “wow factor” throughout our Taboga Island experience that really captivated us and defined our experience. The island itself is fine, but we don’t believe there is an iconic or highly rewarding view or moment that really gives it a claim to fame to be a must-visit. It’s a fairly untouched island with minimum development. We weren’t expecting 5-star luxury resorts, but the island is somewhat basic. If you are into rustic and basic islands, then Taboga might be a standout for you.

Because we felt Taboga Island doesn’t have a stand out “wow factor”, the uniqueness score of the island itself will be ranked a bit lower. The island doesn’t have a standout quality that differentiates itself as something you can rarely get elsewhere in the world. It felt fine and got the job done. We did like the uniqueness of riding a catamaran and enjoying the activities on the boat. However, you can argue riding a catamaran itself is not the most rare experience to partake in since they could be found in ports nearby major bodies of water.

We spent $119 in total for this half-day experience of sailing to Taboga Island. So ~$20 an hour for the 6 hours we roughly spent. While on the boat, you do get inclusive snacks, beverages and a lunch with your purchase, which was nice. The food was decent as well. We were addicted to the plantain chips, hah. There is also WI-FI onboard. The catamaran itself seemed to be in good condition and the crew were very professional and friendly. They did a great job creating scripted and unscripted activities while onboard such as dancing and playing games with guests. While Taboga Island wasn’t all too incredible from our visit, the crew certainly made up for our overall experience. We would rate their service fairly high. If you want to visit the island without the social activities, there are ferry options that are cheaper ranging between $25-30+ and take a similar amount of time getting to the island. Overall, the half-day experience felt generally “worth it”.

We spent between 5 to 6 hours for this experience, but 2 hours were for the roundtrip journey. We anchored nearby the island and spent 1 hour lounging or you could take a dip in the water by the shore. Then we had roughly 2 hours to explore Taboga Island itself. We felt it would’ve been nice to have more time on the island, perhaps another hour. There are some decent hikes on the island that you could do but that requires a bit more time. Otherwise the overall experience felt properly timed.

Our entire experience visiting Taboga Island required little effort. You won’t need to expend a lot of effort and energy throughout the day. It was generally a slow paced kind of experience. Of course, if you do end swimming then you’ll exert more energy, but in our case we didn’t. If you’re looking to sit back, relax and have a chill day, then this experience could be a good fit for you.

The main natural risk of the Taboga Island experience is sailing on the water. Our roundtrip ride went smoothly overall. We had no dangerous encounters while sailing even if the catamaran was exposed. Just practice normal safety precautions. If you cannot swim or have a fear of swimming then you might have to reconsider although it’s not required at all during the experience. Also prepare sunscreen and hydration in case the weather ends up being a hot day.

The social risks of the Taboga Island experience are generally low. The crew will only admit people who have checked-in onto the catamaran. Our fellow guests were kind and easygoing and we had no issues with anyone. When you arrive at Taboga Island you might notice security throughout the island. They’re there to protect the island and make sure things are in order. So we felt safe and secure generally. The island is not heavily populated, but be aware of your surroundings as a normal precaution. While we didn’t experience it, there is always a chance of petty theft or inflated prices for food and drinks because it’s a tourist destination. It’s something to keep in the back of your mind, but otherwise we had no issues.

During our experience the weather was not the best. There was a chance of a thunderstorm. The crew ultimately deemed it okay to sail, otherwise they would cancel the experience for the safety of everyone. With that being said, weather will play the biggest factor in whether the tour continues or not. We felt the experience was well organized as the crew gave us clear instructions. We met at the port and checked in. They later gathered us up to board the boat and gave us a run down of what to expect during the day. The operation was smooth and efficient.

We would say this experience could be accessible for most people because it doesn’t require any technical ability since you’re mainly lounging on the catamaran or beach. The crew will help you onboard and offboard the boat too. However, the company explicitly states on their tour page that it’s “not wheelchair accessible”. The steps to board a catamaran could be steep and there wasn’t a mechanical lift. Something to keep in mind.

You’ll most likely need a car to get to Causeway Amador shopping mall to start the experience. You could also ride a public bus as another option. In our case we hailed an Uber roundtrip to and from Causeway Amador for convenience. The ride was fairly pleasant and scenic since you’re overlooking Panama Bay. Overall, it was straightforward and a low effort to travel to Causeway Amador to check-in.

Booking this experience was straightforward. After we did our research we purchased our tickets on Viator (not sponsored). On the day of the experience, we simply showed up at Causeway Amador shops, which was the designated meeting point. We looked for staff who were stationed inside and told them of our attendance. After they confirmed our attendance we waited until 9 am and they began herding the group and began approaching the catamaran to begin our journey and experience.