Taboga on a Budget: A Day Trip Cost Breakdown

Traveling to Taboga on a budget — in my experience, as a day trip — can start with packing a bag with your clothes and sandwich supplies (bread, ham, cheese), crackers and peanuts: something easy to carry and quick energy. Liquids are heavy, so I recommend buying them on the island; an individual water bottle runs about B/.1.25 in the shops.

Having a good breakfast matters, and keeping every battery charged — starting with your own body’s, then your phone’s.

Note (2022): the prices in this post reflect July 2022. Before you travel, confirm current fares and schedules in our getting there guide.

To reach the pier economically, we recommend Panama’s metro: taking both legs costs 70 cents to the stop that connects to the Causeway; the connecting bus charges another 25 cents, so with B/.2.00 you’re covered for the round trip.

Since we’re in budget mode, we’ll use the “Calypso boats,” which charge B/.17.00 round trip and are based on the Causeway, behind La Playita in Amador. The crossing takes about an hour, right past the entrance to the Panama Canal — that view alone is worth the fare. Total transportation cost: B/.19.00 (metro, bus and boat).

Once on the island, you can pick between two beaches: “La Restinga,” the most popular one (you’ll see plenty of umbrellas waiting for visitors), or “Playa Honda” if you’d rather have a quieter setting. There are shaded spots too, like “El Morro,” a small sister islet you can see as soon as you arrive — just keep an eye on the tide, since it can rise and strand you there for a good while, which you don’t want.

You can wander the village’s narrow streets, visit the church, and if you’re a bit more adventurous, hike up to “La Cruz” or “El Vigía” — all fairly cheap, just bring water and be ready to walk. Great photos can be had along Taboga’s little streets and beaches.

Back at the beach, you can buy water, drinks or beer at various spots; the cheapest beer is at the shops, at B/.1.00 and nice and cold, while restaurants charge more (though prices drop back to B/.1.00 as you get closer to the beach). One of the sandwiches you packed is a good pairing.

Keep your things under a tree where you can see them: the island is very safe, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially once you’re in the water.

By midday there are food stalls to choose from; plates run from B/.8.00 to B/.15.00 depending on what you order, and since you’re on the island, a plate of garlic octopus is a good call — worth spending about B/.10.00 on it.

Optional spending (2022 reference):

• Umbrella and chair: B/.5.00 + B/.3.00 = B/.8.00
• Restrooms: B/.2.00 for the whole day
• Water and beer: up to about B/.10.00, depending on the heat
• Food: B/.10.00

Just the restroom, drinks and food add up to B/.22.00. Then it’s back to the beach, walking and chatting with the locals, sitting at a beach shack with one of the beers already in the budget.

There’s plenty more to buy on the island — piña coladas, ceviche, lobster — but since this is a budget outing, we’ll skip those expenses, though that’s up to each traveler.

All told, one person could get by on about B/.42 (July 2022 reference). Personally, I bring B/.60.00 and can enjoy the whole day comfortably, even treat myself to a cocktail at a hotel.

It’s always good to bring a little extra cash for anything unexpected.