Hostal Bastimentos

I love Hostal Bastimentos and highly recommend this establishment as my first choice when visiting Bocas. They have a wide variety of rooms ranging from super fancy to moderate and affordable. I went with my 19 year old daughter and I cannot fully express how incredible and beautiful the people, the rooms, and the island of Bastimentos are. First of all I feel proud that we were completely submerged in the culture alongside the locals and had the opportunity to support local business owners. In the Caribbean, the rich outside world had crushed local communities, therefore on this trip I felt as though we both supported and were welcomed by the local islanders of bastimentos. At the Hostal, alongside the outstanding view there was additionally hot water, air conditioner, comfortable beds, and a wide variety of delicious Caribbean style food every night for only $5. Enrique’s daughter Naida consistently makes the best octopus I’ve ever tasted among the many I’ve had, and according to my daughter (who eats meat), all of the non-vegetarian options were cooked beautifully nightly. There were several activities we engaged in while on the island, a few including: Island Hopping with a local captain by the name of Bolo, several excursions, and even got to catch fish that were later cooked by the people of the island. This experience has increased the already great respect I have for this community. A beautiful place to return to after a night of fun and a magical place to call home. Bastimentos is home to some of the kindest people in the world and this hostal is a great representation of what this island has to offer.