Would have given 5 stars if it wasn't for the horrible bars and restaurants near this beach. Beach itself was very nice, but all the bars/restaurants take zero responability in taking care of the environment. There was trash everywhere, and loud music to hide the noise of the diesel engines (to provide for electricity) in the background. All garbage is just being pushed into the wild jungle behind these bars/restaurants. Please don't support this and avoid the beach in it's entirely for as long as this doesn't change.

This beach is beautiful; however there is a lots of garbage behind restaurants, it would be nice if municipality decide to clean it up! Lots of boats, exhaust fumes and loud music. That's unfortunate, If you want to visit better beach, red frog beach is much cleaner and nicer.

It is a place that could pass as paradise on earth. We were there today, Monday and have to say it was busy. Unfortunately, the same story here again, too much tourism and too little structure (to protect everything better) destroys everything. We did see some Starfish but there weren't many. You can also enjoy delicious food and drinks here, but keep in mind that you will be here for at least 3.5 hours (which is long by my standards) and the smell of the waste is unbearable, you can smell it almost everywhere, which is extremely disappointing. Hopefully, efforts will be made to prevent these scenes in the future.

The beach is crowded by cheap bars and terrible music, nothing compared to the wild experience I was expecting. You can see few starfish but I would suggest to keep on walking until the bars ends and you can enjoy some pure nature

Playa Estrella isnt the beach you go to just watch starfish. This beach has restaurants across all the beach. Your boat captain will take you to whoever he has arrange a deal with. Food is good enough but restrooms are terrible and the waiting time for the food is even worst. Still, this has to do with the restaurants and not the beach. You can probably arrange to go snorkling for starfish on a more secluded part of the beach.

Very quiet largely unspoilt Caribbean beach with overhanging palms. Most notable however for the huge number of Starfish in the shallows that give the beach its name. Easy snorkelling enables you to see these starfish in only a couple of feet of water with virtually no waves. This said starfish, fascinating as their physiology is, are hardly a fascinating watch, right up there with watching paint dry so not worth a great deal of time.

The beach was very overcrowded when I went there. There wasn't any meter without people and loud music. It does have a nice atmosphere but don't go there if you want some relaxing beach time (at least not on weekends or holidays). Also didn't see any starfish. However, if you do go, make sure to not take the water taxi but walk there from bocas del drago. This was my favorite part of the visit. It's a stunning walk and you pass a lot of private little beaches.

Amazing place. Went today, 30 may 2023, it was us and max 20 other people scattered around. Seen a bunch of starfish and a sloth. the water was crystal

A beautiful spot, although the beach is narrow and it can get crowded. If you take the short walk from Drago, there are some beautiful sections of beach with very few people.

It is so exciting to see starfish at the Starfish Beach! After the bus ride from Bocas del Toro followed by a walk beside the stunning sea from Bocas del Drago, you will be rewarded with a very pretty pristine beach, aqua water and orange starfish. Bring your swimming costume and snorkels!

If not too crowded, it can be one of the best beaches in Panama. Clean, not loud, spectacular.

Super nice beach area With plenty of opportunities to sit down or have a drink….

Super nice. There’s a huge drop off after like 10 steps in the shallow part. So make sure you can swim lol. There are a bunch of star fish at the drop off.

Good place for some snorkeling to see very impressive and large starfish. It’s easy to get her with the bus from Bocas del toro square for 2,5 dollar for foreigners (leaving every full hour from 7 am). Way back it’s the same, from playa Estrella to bocas every hour.

Save your self the disappointment. Completely trashed beach. With really bad smell from the behind the scenes trash depot. Laud music from all sides. Not a place i would recommend.

So very crowded! And with tourist banana boats. Plus, there are jellys. They told us not to go on a weekend. I read this with so many reviews, and we had our own boat, so we could’ve gone at any time, but it was supposed to be really stormy the next few days and so we decided to go to Starfish Beach on a Sunday. Big mistake. Every bit of the charm was lost as there were giant Tourist banana boats with 10 people each, bouncing along and screaming and yelling and I know they were having fun, but it took the entire beauty of the beach away. There is something pretty awful about a giant motorized boat with a bunch of people on it screaming really loudly that ruins the atmosphere of a tranquil beach. I don’t mind the banana-boat-type-fun loud fast boats. I just think that should be reserved for areas like Myrtle Beach South Carolina or other super populated touristy places. It felt really out of place to have them on Starfish Beach. I’m quite certain the starfishes didn’t appreciate it either. ;) We did see quite a few starfish, but again, the beach was super crowded. My son was also stung pretty badly by jellyfish! So often when the waters are calm and tranquil that does tend to be jellyfish, so be aware. I also saw some people handling the starfish, which made me cringe a little bit. You’re really not supposed to be picking them up. Right after my son was stung by the jellyfish we left, so we did not get the chance to explore any of the restaurants our walk down Drago Beach, so it was a bit of a shame. I’m sure the place is lovely if it was not on a weekend. Just having the really loud motorboat touristy situations was really incongruous with what a beautiful beach it was. Will I go back? Probably not, just because I know that there are jellyfish. But I really did want to go to Drago Beach, which you can walk to from Starfish Beach, and eat at one of the restaurants. That said, It is a gorgeous beach. I’ve been to so many beaches that look very similar, but are completely deserted, especially because we vacation a great deal on small sailboats, so we go to several deserted beaches. This reminded me of the quality of that type of beach. Beautiful, warm water, sandy beach, but again, just overrun with people and the occasional jellyfish.

This is a WOW - Beach! You will be lonely there and the waves will be high. You can enjoy your day there. I recommend to go there by bike. It is a nice 30 minutes ride from the town.

It's a really impressive beach, but you must be very careful with the waves and currents, they're quite strong.

I truly enjoyed my stay here but especially because of a sweet and wonderful host named Melissa. She went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and comfortable for our stay. She provided me with aloe vera as there was no store near by to help with my sun burnt skin. My friend Ken loved this place just as much. Also, Carlos who took care of the grounds was super helpful and kind. We’ll definitely be returning and sending our friends and family here. Ps. the restaurant just a stones throw away had the best bbq pulled pork sandwich and fish! Pps. Respect the water and killer waves. That’s why only 4 stars. Not a friendly swim. I swam in the pool which was kept at a perfect temp and was fairly free of debris.

Not good for swimming but for a little refreshment and nice empty beaches

Beautiful beach even when the waves are crashing the shoreline. The raw power of the sea makes you feel small. There are rips here, so you must be careful when entering the water. Definitely not recommended when the wind is blowing. The day we visited, the waves were 10ft (3m) plus in height. Nope, we didn't swim, just took in the beauty of nature. Beach was very clean. Some restaurants in the area like Oasis but check their times as they vary. It's a rough road, and a taxi will take up to 30 mins to get there. Price as of Jan 2023 is $15 for the cab each way. Can be biked, and there are many on this route. Well worth the trip to see this beach ⛱️

This isnt a calm beach where you can go for a dip. These waves will drag you around. But if you like that and are careful enough then you will like it. Good thing is theres a lot of shade for you to sit or lay. and relax. Theres one restaurant i didnt get to go but it is futher up the coast. 5/5 would go again. IG harry_quinn_

Basically beautiful beach and comfi shadow situation, but (currently) you can’t really go into the water because the massive waves are live threatening.. bathing is not really possible

Really beautiful beach with huge waves, not so good for swimming. We went there for a drink and lunch. The beach was big and perfect to relax in the shadows of the plams.

Do not take buses to or from here. They are not reliable. Locals say they rarely and randomly appear. Taxis $5 each are more dependable. Popular place for bodyboarding. Not really for safe swimming but walkable. Swim up the trail at la piscina.

Crazy waves,only few people,paradise:-)

attractive beach but with gig waves not nice for swimming. You can reach it by bicycle as well

A delightful and informative afternoon! I wish I wrote down the name of our guide because she was amazing. Note their hours!! You need to arrive on time for their tours and they are not every day. Please consult the website. Also, they had us sign in (it is a government site) and tell them our passport numbers so have those handy! (not your passports, but the numbers). With that said, my daughter is a scientist (chemistry major at Chapel Hill in the states) and if there is a Smithsonian research center anywhere nearby, we really try to go. We even boated to some that were very far away in other countries, as it is so helpful to see real scientists in real settings doing real work to inspire future generations. Science is not always glamorous, but it is so rewarding and important for the future of our planet! We saw several experiments in process, learned about other ongoing historical work (lots of artifacts to still unpack!) learned the history of this particular site, saw the housing buildings, discussed process and safety and diving and collaboration and so much more. We boated there (we rented our own boat) and after a brief bit of confusion (gosh, I need to learn to speak better Spanish) we were walked to the front to sign in (see above) and then the tour began. Post-tour they let us walk to the nearby store and then come back to our boat; it is difficult for us to get groceries since we are so far out from any stores (staying at a remote overwater bungalow). Thank you again to our tour guide (sorry I forgot your name!) Your tour was inspiring!

(Translated by Google) It's a shame but we can't give a good grade when they tell you that the visiting hours are from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., we get there at 2:45 p.m. and they wait for us for 45 minutes in the sun and then tell you that it is not possible to do it because the visiting hours have already ended. We were very excited and we were very disappointed. (Original) És una llàstima però no podem posar bona nota quan et diuen que l'horari de visites és de 14:30 a 15:30, arribem allí a les 14'45 i ens tenen 45 minuts al sol esperant per a després dir-te que no és possible fer-la perquè ja s'ha acabat l'horari de visites. Ens feia molta il·lusió i ens hem quedat molt decebuts.

(Translated by Google) Very nice place... (Original) Lugar muy agradable...

👍👍👍👍👍👍

Very remote. Next door is a recreation park with pool music beautiful surroundings. A great object and the builder continues to be a lot of inspiration and success

Although the Castle showed on Google Maps to be open, when we arrived. It was closed up. We cycled down to a recreation area with an outside pool, the security man on the gate didn't know if we could enter just for drinks and had to speak to someone on the deck of an overlooking house. Only then were we admitted. After bout 20 minutes we left and cycled back to the gatehouse/Castle. Some of the building were of metal construction filled with whole plastic bottles. Not very impressive. Rather gimmicky.

A very nice and fun place, with a serious background. Be a prisoner, sentenced for crimes against the nature. Very comfortable rooms, a bar, a long slide to the pool. The castle is for rent as well, for up to 8 people. It has a bar in the roof with a jungle view. The project is initiated by Robert Bezeau, who will guide you through the property and explain the project the you, even if you're not staying. There's a lot more to the project than just being a hotel. You can actively participate on reducing the amount of plastic thrown into the ocean.

Three stars because the hotel is good but I paid $12 to wash my clothes and all the white clothes are now ruined...I try to ask for a solution and they just don't assume it's their fault , result: I lost twelve dollars and all my white clothes are destroyed and it's my fault haha

This place is designed to aware people of the environmental damage we do to nature by consuming plastic in general. I think places like this one are the ones that makes the difference in the world and we need to support this kind of places. The idea Robert (the owner) has is to create a better world for the future generations not only of humans but all life forms in general.

I just stayed in the hostel close by and somehow it's more known as plastic bottle village so adding the review here too. Lovely owners and a beautiful place. Everything is clean and there is a awesome kitchen equipped with all you need. It's still new and from what I heard it's still in the starting shoes :) The pool with bar is awesome and invites for party. Some Coffee and a watertank to refill own bottles would be great (they did it a few times at the bar for me for free though :). It's a bit outside the town but taxi is 3 to 5 Dollar and they offer a shuttle for free every now and then. The local bus goes from 6am to 8pm ish and is a dollar (Drago).

Some frames with plastic bottles in wire cages. Why?

It is not really a village. Just a rather small castle. Moreover, I totally diasgree on their idea/goal to make you feel guilty and be out "in prison for crimes against nature". Many people always dispose their waste in the correct bins. To me the issue is at regulators who allow plastic export and big companies who dump it instead of recycle or burn it. I literally saw trucks being dumped in rivers in third world countries. That's where steps should be made, not giving individual consumers the feeling that they are doing so bad by drinking a bottle of coca cola and throwing it in the (recycling) bin.