Coconut Hostel

Being just a 3-4 minute walk from anywhere in Bocas town was the only good part. The staff were disorganized, the place was dirty, and beds weren’t changed after checkout. The booking forums say they speak English, but the owners or manager don’t, which isn’t a problem by itself, but they shouldn’t advertise it. Showers were disgusting, and the included free breakfast was abysmal. Two beds in room no.2, the 8-bed dorm, had bed bugs. We asked to move or get a refund for the remaining night, but they refused to move us. We got the refund and left within the hour. Since leaving, I’ve read other reviews mentioning bed bugs too, so it seems Coconut Hostel, particularly that room, has them often.

We stayed with eight girls and the friendly owners and staff did their best to meet all our many needs. For $10 a night, we had an air-conditioned room with eight beds, Wi-Fi, and access to a common kitchen and fridge. It’s very cheap and conveniently placed by a grocery store, central park, and lots of bars and restaurants. We could pay whenever we wanted. Staff also offer an all-day snorkeling tour for $25. We saw fish and coral reefs, then spent around three hours on a gorgeous beach that looked straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean. We also spotted parrots, sloths, dolphins, and starfish. Even if you don’t stay here, I’d FOR SURE take the tour. We arranged a cheap shuttle back to San Jose here too, and they also run shuttles to places like Puerto Viejo. Don’t expect five-star cleanliness for the price and location, and islands can be kind of dirty. There was a cleaning lady, so it wasn’t filthy, but it was typical hostel cleanliness. We did have bed bugs in our beds, which was honestly my biggest and only complaint. The staff and the opportunities we found here outweighed the downsides and helped make our trip amazing.

Even with friendly staff and a very central spot in Bocas town, we didn’t enjoy our four nights at Coconut Hostel. We only stayed because we could no longer cancel. I’m not a sensitive backpacker, but it was loud every night. Music from the bar literally behind our room walls went until 4:30am, often. Two of the three beds in our private room were so uncomfortable that we had back pain after sleeping in them. The men’s shared bathroom was dirty, and the kitchen was dirty, poorly equipped, and stocked with old materials. Wi-Fi was limited, especially upstairs, and the private-room door didn’t feel secure. Its lock was fixed with two screws, and seemed like it could be opened with a screwdriver. Sorry, but there are better places for similar prices.

The staff were courteous, helpful, and seemed to care about doing a good job. When work was being done on our room, they moved us to a more expensive air-conditioned dorm. We also booked day tour #2 through them, which seemed to be the best price on the island. It finished an hour early, but we’d done everything advertised and could use the extra time productively. A staff member asked us how it went and seemed interested in passing our feedback about the early finish to the captain. For travelers who’d rather spend their money during the day and keep accommodation costs down, this hostel worked well. Rooms were clean, though the poor lighting made them look gloomy at first. The kitchen was great, with a big fridge and filtered water dispenser that was cheaper than buying water in a store. Breakfast was small but tasty and appreciated. One guest got bitten a couple of times overnight, and the breakfast chef told them to report it so staff could fumigate the mattress. That, along with the rest, made me feel these folks were trying to do their best. Hard to rate them badly. A few fixes would help: dust the place well, add bulbs, clear the junk from the yard and roof terrace, and shorten the shower curtains so they don’t get soaked at the bottom. Great staff and guests. Loved the ring toss game and Oso the dog. Authentic traveler lodging.