Beach townsPanama2026
Panama Beach Towns
Bocas del Toro, Maria Chiquita and Distrito San Carlos were the most booked of the 8 beach towns in Panama on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, with an estimated 9,960, 4,534 and 3,671 stays. February is the busiest month across them, and the typical stay is 4.9 nights.
Figures are AirROI estimates. How they are made
- Most booked of these 8
- Bocas del Toro 9,960 stays
- Highest revenue per home of these 8
- Maria Chiquita $42,355 a year
- Highest rated of these 8
- Maria Chiquita 4.82 out of 5
- Lowest nightly rate of these 8
- Nueva Gorgona $159 a night
- Longest typical stay of these 8
- Nueva Gorgona 7.6 nights
Ranking
Panama Beach Towns Ranked by Airbnb Stays
Every one of the beach and coastal towns in Panama with 100 or more Airbnb homes and recent stays, most booked first.
| 1 | Bocas del Toro | 9,960 | $170 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Maria Chiquita, Colón | 4,534 | $394 |
| 3 | Distrito San Carlos, Panamá Oeste. Includes El Palmar. | 3,671 | $225 |
| 4 | Rio Hato, Coclé | 2,739 | $264 |
| 5 | Nueva Gorgona, Panamá Oeste | 2,507 | $159 |
| 6 | Farallon, Coclé | 2,262 | $203 |
| 7 | Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro | 2,173 | $214 |
| 8 | Coronado, Panamá Oeste | 1,952 | $186 |
Figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and stays count Airbnb bookings only. Typical stay is a booking's length, occupancy the share of available nights booked, and revenue the yearly average per home, before costs. Guest rating is out of 5. Airbnb data files some places as one district or township, so Distrito San Carlos and rows like it cover several towns.
All money figures on this page are in US dollars.
By region
Stays and Top Town by Region
| Region | Stays | Top town |
|---|---|---|
| Bocas del Toro | 12,133 | Bocas del Toro |
| Panamá Oeste | 8,130 | Distrito San Carlos |
| Coclé | 5,001 | Rio Hato |
| Colón | 4,534 | Maria Chiquita |
Town by town
Where the Top Towns Stand Out
4 of 8 are busiest in February. Maria Chiquita, Rio Hato and Nueva Gorgona peak in January, and Bocas del Toro in March. Among guests who left a review, Panama is the top home country in 6 of the 8. Apartments and condos are the largest home type in 6 of the 8. The lines below add what the table can't show, where one of the towns leads its peers or differs from the rest.
- Bocas del Toro
Of the 8 beach towns in Panama with 100 or more homes, Bocas del Toro had the most Airbnb homes, at 484, and was booked furthest ahead, about 64 days before arrival, in the 12 months to October 2026. Houses were the largest home type in Bocas del Toro, at 35% of homes. Among guests who left a review, the United States was the top home country for Bocas del Toro, at 31%.
- Maria Chiquita, Colón
Of the 8 beach towns in Panama with 100 or more homes, Maria Chiquita (Colón) had the biggest share of homes that sleep 8 or more, at 47%, and had the highest guest rating, at 4.82, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- Distrito San Carlos, Panamá Oeste
Of the 8 beach towns in Panama with 100 or more homes, Distrito San Carlos (Panamá Oeste) had the biggest share of houses, at 40%, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 5Nueva Gorgona, Panamá Oeste
Of the 8 beach towns in Panama with 100 or more homes, Nueva Gorgona (Panamá Oeste) had the longest typical stay, at 7.6 nights, and had the highest occupancy, at 35%, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 7Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro
Of the 8 beach towns in Panama with 100 or more homes, Bastimentos (Bocas del Toro) had the biggest share from abroad among guests who left a review, at 98%, in the 12 months to October 2026. Houses were the largest home type in Bastimentos, at 31% of homes. Among guests who left a review, the United States was the top home country for Bastimentos, at 34%.
When to go
Busiest and Quietest Months
February, January and March rank as the busiest months for Airbnb nights across the beach towns in Panama, and May and October as the quietest. February is the busiest month in 4 of the 8, while Maria Chiquita and Rio Hato peak in January, and Bocas del Toro in March. Across the 8 towns, nightly rates run lowest in September, at about $199, and highest in December, at about $227. Across the 8 towns, stays run longest in January, at 6.7 nights, and shortest in September, at 3.6 nights.
February ranks first, October last
Airbnb months in calendar order. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.
- Three busiest months
- Other months
Month by month: rank, typical stay and nightly rate
| Rank | Month | Typical stay | Nightly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February | 6.4 nights | $219 |
| 2 | January | 6.7 nights | $222 |
| 3 | March | 5.5 nights | $212 |
| 4 | July | 5.3 nights | $205 |
| 5 | December | 4.7 nights | $227 |
| 6 | April | 3.9 nights | $216 |
| 7 | August | 3.9 nights | $201 |
| 8 | September | 3.6 nights | $199 |
| 9 | November | 4.3 nights | $216 |
| 10 | June | 4.9 nights | $203 |
| 11 | May | 4.1 nights | $210 |
| 12 | October | 4.2 nights | $208 |
Who comes
Where Guests Come From
Among guests who left a review, 65% come from abroad. Among those guests, the largest groups from abroad come from the United States, Canada and Germany. The top home cities among those guests are Panama City, Panamá and Panama. Bastimentos (Bocas del Toro) draws the most from abroad, at 98%, among towns with 100 or more homes.
Top countries abroad
Among guests who left a review
Top home cities
Among guests who left a review
65% from abroad
The money view
Revenue, Occupancy and Nightly Rate
Among the 8 towns on this list, Maria Chiquita has the highest estimated revenue per home, at $42,355 a year. Of those 8, Nueva Gorgona has the highest occupancy, at 35%, and the lowest nightly rate on Airbnb, at $159. The most booked of the 8, Bocas del Toro, earns about $16,514 per home.
Highest revenue per home of these 8
A year, AirROI estimate
- Maria Chiquita $42,355
Colón
- Bastimentos $16,752
Bocas del Toro
- Bocas del Toro $16,514
- Distrito San Carlos $15,966
Panamá Oeste
- Rio Hato $14,305
Coclé
Highest occupancy of these 8
Nights booked, AirROI estimate
- Nueva Gorgona 35%
Panamá Oeste
- Bocas del Toro 34%
- Maria Chiquita 33%
Colón
- Bastimentos 31%
Bocas del Toro
- Coronado 29%
Panamá Oeste
Lowest nightly rate of these 8
On Airbnb, AirROI estimate
- Nueva Gorgona $159
Panamá Oeste
- Bocas del Toro $170
- Coronado $186
Panamá Oeste
- Farallon $203
Coclé
- Bastimentos $214
Bocas del Toro
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular beach town in Panama?
By AirROI's estimates, Bocas del Toro is the most booked of the 8 beach towns in Panama, with 9,960 Airbnb stays in the 12 months to October 2026. Maria Chiquita is second, with 4,534. This counts Airbnb bookings only.
What is the most affordable beach town in Panama?
By AirROI's estimated nightly rate on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, among beach towns in Panama with 100 or more homes, the lowest are Nueva Gorgona (Panamá Oeste) ($159), Bocas del Toro ($170) and Coronado (Panamá Oeste) ($186). That is the average asking price on booked nights, not what it costs to live or buy there.
What are some small beach towns in Panama?
By AirROI's count of active Airbnb homes as of October 2026, the smallest of the 8 beach towns it lists in Panama are Bastimentos (Bocas del Toro) (133), Maria Chiquita (Colón) (155) and Farallon (Coclé) (186). AirROI's list starts at 100 homes, so smaller places are not on it.
What beach towns in Panama offer the strongest Airbnb returns?
Returns depend on what a home costs to buy and run, which AirROI's figures do not cover. On AirROI's estimated revenue per home in the 12 months to October 2026, among beach towns in Panama with 100 or more homes, the highest are Maria Chiquita (Colón) ($42,355), Bastimentos (Bocas del Toro) ($16,752) and Bocas del Toro ($16,514). Among the same towns, Nueva Gorgona (Panamá Oeste) has the highest occupancy, at 35%.
Method
How These Lists and Numbers Are Made
How a town gets on this list. A town needs 100 or more Airbnb homes with recent stays. A language model then judges the place from its name, state, country and coordinates, not from words in its name: it has to be on an ocean or sea coast with its own beach, seafront or harbour, or on a Great Lake with a public beach, and within about 10 km of the shore. The town's own listings can back that up, with 30% of its homes listing beach access, or 10% with ocean views, waterfront homes or beach in their titles besides. A town whose listings do not gets a second, stricter check, which asks whether people go there for that or mainly for something else. Big cities stay off. Corrections come last: places the checks got wrong are added or taken off, and rows that name one place are joined.
How the figures are made. Stays, occupancy, nightly rate and revenue are AirROI estimates built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. A town's stays are its bookings in the period, and the typical stay and busiest month come from the same data. Guest ratings, home sizes and how far ahead guests book are the latest figures in each town's AirROI data. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 74,955 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. A town needs 1,000 reviews before this page gives its share from abroad.