Arts & Music

Visitors will notice that Bocas del Toro is not brimming with galleries, museums and live music venues – instead the culture, like many of the province´s best features, belongs very much to the people, and remains low-key. 

The best place to hear traditional music is at the parades held at the various festivals and celebrations throughout the year, when the streets rattle to the rhythm of pounding drums and marching.

Reggae is an island staple – the locals haven´t forgotten their Jamaican roots, nor their Latino ones - salsa and merengue are played late into the night in the open air bars across town. There´s no shortage of places to watch some fancy footwork in action!

As for the visual arts, ancient skills have been passed down from generation to generation in the region´s indigenous Ngöbe-Buglé and Naso communities. The Ngöbe specialize in weaving gorgeous bags from natural plant fibers and dyes – try one of our craft workshops to see how it´s done! They also sew unique, colorful dresses, still worn by some of the women, and create intricate pieces of beaded jewelry. The Naso produce many of the carved wooden designs seen around town, as well as use the calabaza gourd to make bowls and water carriers.