Questions and answers about our Coiba tours

Use the booking form or send us a WhatsApp message at +507 6888-7940 with the date, the tour and the number of people (and their nationality, for the park entrance). You can also write to info@coibaislandtours.com. Asking is free. In the dry season, from December to April, book a few days ahead.

Asking is free. When we confirm your date, a deposit per person secures your seats (by PayPal or Wise). You pay the rest on the day of the tour in cash, by card, Yappy or Wise.

Asking for availability is free. To confirm your seats we ask for a deposit per person. If we cancel because of the sea or the weather, you choose a new date or get your deposit back. Deposits can't be refunded for other cancellations, but write to us as early as possible and we'll try to move your date.

$20 for foreign visitors and $10 for Panamanians, per person. Children 12 and under don't pay. It is paid separately on the day of the tour, so please bring cash.

The boat ride with a certified captain, a bilingual guide, mask, snorkel and fins, life jackets, lunch and drinks (vegetarian or vegan on request) and fresh fruit. The Coiba National Park entrance is not included.

For the park registration: full name, nationality, age and passport or ID number of each person. We also ask for shoe sizes (for the fins), vegetarian or vegan meals and allergies.

On the shared tour you join other travelers and pay per person. On the private tour the boat, captain and guide are only for your group, you pay per boat and you can adjust the plan.

A full day. We meet at 8:00 AM in Santa Catalina and are back at about 3:50 PM. The boat ride to the national park takes about an hour each way.

At 8:00 AM in Santa Catalina. We send you the exact location of the meeting point on WhatsApp when you book. We are back on the mainland at about 3:50 PM.

Lunch and drinks are served on Coiba Island, with fresh fruit. We prepare vegetarian or vegan meals on request. Tell us about any allergies when you book.

Yes. Our guides speak English and Spanish, and we answer on WhatsApp in both languages.

Coiba can be visited all year. The dry season, from December to April, brings the most sun and the calmest seas. From July to October humpback whales are in the area.

By car, about 5 to 6 hours from Panama City; by bus via Santiago and Soná, about 6 to 7 hours; or by shuttle. Arrive the day before your tour, because the boat leaves at 8:00 AM.

Yes. Everyone wears a life jacket, and your guide stays with you in the water and shows you how to use the gear. Tell us when you book so we can plan for it.

Yes, families are welcome. Everyone wears a life jacket and we have child-size masks, fins and vests, so tell us the children's ages when you book. Most kids from about 6 years old enjoy the day. With younger children, a private tour lets you go at your own pace. Children 12 and under don't pay the park entrance.

Yes. Take your usual remedy 30 to 60 minutes before the boat leaves, sit toward the back of the boat and look at the horizon. The sea is usually calmest in the dry season, from December to April. Tell your guide if you feel unwell.

Safety comes first. If the sea or the weather isn't safe, we don't go out, and you choose a new date or get your deposit back.

No. Humpback whales are wild animals and we never chase them. From July to October they are often seen in the Gulf of Chiriquí, especially in August and September, but sightings can't be guaranteed.

Not right now. In June 2026 the government moved a group of inmates to the aeronaval station on Coiba, and the ruins of the old penal colony are closed to visitors for now. The beaches, reefs and visitor center are open as usual. Write to us for the latest news.