Climate and average weather in Bocas del Toro
In Bocas del Toro, the weather is muggy, hot, wet, and mostly cloudy and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near hot levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around November.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Bocas del Toro typically varies from 24°C to 29°C, and is rarely below 23°C or above 30°C. September is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Bocas del Toro for warm-weather activities is from early December to late April.
- Hottest
- Sep
- 29°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 24°
- Wettest
- Nov
- 362 mm
- Driest
- Mar
- 118 mm
- Rain / yr
- 2680 mm
- 284 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.5–12.5 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 0 m
- 9.3°N
- Clearest
- Feb
- 53% cloud
Bocas del Toro is human settlement in Panama.
- Founded
- 1903
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Bocas del Toro weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early December to late April.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Bocas del Toro, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Bocas del Toro stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is September, with an average high of 29°C and low of 25°C; the coolest is January, with an average low of 24°C and high of 27°C.
Days typically run about 3°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Avg low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 24 |
| Feb | 27 | 24 |
| Mar | 28 | 24 |
| Apr | 28 | 25 |
| May | 29 | 25 |
| Jun | 29 | 25 |
| Jul | 28 | 25 |
| Aug | 29 | 25 |
| Sep | 29 | 25 |
| Oct | 28 | 25 |
| Nov | 28 | 25 |
| Dec | 27 | 24 |
How hot and cold Bocas del Toro really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Bocas del Toro feels like about 33°C (around May 29). About 107 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in May.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 30 |
| Air high (°C) | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
| Air low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 27 | 24 | 24 |
| Feb | 29 | 27 | 24 | 24 |
| Mar | 30 | 28 | 24 | 24 |
| Apr | 31 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| May | 33 | 29 | 25 | 25 |
| Jun | 33 | 29 | 25 | 25 |
| Jul | 32 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| Aug | 32 | 29 | 25 | 25 |
| Sep | 32 | 29 | 25 | 25 |
| Oct | 32 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| Nov | 30 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| Dec | 30 | 27 | 24 | 24 |
Average hourly temperature in Bocas del Toro
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on September afternoons, near 29°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 24°C.
Bocas del Toro weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27° / 24° | 181 | 18.8 | 11.5 | 5.3 |
| Feb | 27° / 24° | 128 | 17 | 11.7 | 5.3 |
| Mar | 28° / 24° | 118 | 18.3 | 11.9 | 5.2 |
| Apr | 28° / 25° | 122 | 19.4 | 12.2 | 4.4 |
| May | 29° / 25° | 264 | 25.6 | 12.4 | 3.4 |
| Jun | 29° / 25° | 249 | 27.9 | 12.5 | 3.0 |
| Jul | 28° / 25° | 291 | 28.6 | 12.5 | 3.1 |
| Aug | 29° / 25° | 231 | 27.6 | 12.3 | 3.2 |
| Sep | 29° / 25° | 178 | 26.1 | 12.1 | 3.3 |
| Oct | 28° / 25° | 271 | 27.5 | 11.8 | 3.3 |
| Nov | 28° / 25° | 362 | 25.3 | 11.6 | 3.9 |
| Dec | 27° / 24° | 285 | 21.7 | 11.5 | 4.7 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Bocas del Toro gets about 2680 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 6.8 months, from around May 9 to Nov 30, peaking in June at about 94% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jan 26.
November is the wettest month by volume, with 362 mm over about 25 wet days; March is the driest, with 118 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 61 | 61 | 59 | 65 | 83 | 92 | 93 | 89 | 87 | 88 | 83 | 71 |
| Rain days | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 22 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 19 |
| Feb | 61 | 17 |
| Mar | 59 | 18 |
| Apr | 65 | 19 |
| May | 83 | 26 |
| Jun | 92 | 28 |
| Jul | 93 | 29 |
| Aug | 89 | 28 |
| Sep | 87 | 26 |
| Oct | 88 | 28 |
| Nov | 83 | 25 |
| Dec | 71 | 22 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Bocas del Toro collects about 2680 mm of rain across 284 wet days — roughly 223 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. November is the wettest month with 362 mm, while March is the driest at just 118 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 35% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 181 | 128 | 118 | 122 | 264 | 249 | 291 | 231 | 178 | 271 | 362 | 285 |
| Rain days | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 22 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 181 | 19 |
| Feb | 128 | 17 |
| Mar | 118 | 18 |
| Apr | 122 | 19 |
| May | 264 | 26 |
| Jun | 249 | 28 |
| Jul | 291 | 29 |
| Aug | 231 | 28 |
| Sep | 178 | 26 |
| Oct | 271 | 28 |
| Nov | 362 | 25 |
| Dec | 285 | 22 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Bocas del Toro, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around November 27 and lasts for 4.8 months, ending around April 22. The clearest month is February, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 65% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around April 23 and lasts for 7.2 months, ending around November 26. The cloudiest month is June, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 94% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 60 | 65 | 58 | 35 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 44 |
| Cloudier (%) | 40 | 35 | 42 | 65 | 91 | 94 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 81 | 56 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 40 |
| Feb | 65 | 35 |
| Mar | 58 | 42 |
| Apr | 35 | 65 |
| May | 9 | 91 |
| Jun | 6 | 94 |
| Jul | 6 | 94 |
| Aug | 6 | 94 |
| Sep | 7 | 93 |
| Oct | 8 | 92 |
| Nov | 19 | 81 |
| Dec | 44 | 56 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around May 21, brings about 12 h 30 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 11 h 30 min — a swing of roughly 1 hour.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.5 | 11.7 | 11.9 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.3 | 12.1 | 11.8 | 11.6 | 11.5 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:53 | 6:53 | 6:41 | 6:23 | 6:12 | 6:13 | 6:20 | 6:24 | 6:22 | 6:20 | 6:27 | 6:41 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:24 | 6:34 | 6:37 | 6:35 | 6:38 | 6:45 | 6:49 | 6:42 | 6:25 | 6:08 | 6:01 | 6:09 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.5 | 6:53 | 6:24 |
| Feb | 11.7 | 6:53 | 6:34 |
| Mar | 11.9 | 6:41 | 6:37 |
| Apr | 12.2 | 6:23 | 6:35 |
| May | 12.4 | 6:12 | 6:38 |
| Jun | 12.5 | 6:13 | 6:45 |
| Jul | 12.5 | 6:20 | 6:49 |
| Aug | 12.3 | 6:24 | 6:42 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 6:22 | 6:25 |
| Oct | 11.8 | 6:20 | 6:08 |
| Nov | 11.6 | 6:27 | 6:01 |
| Dec | 11.5 | 6:41 | 6:09 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Bocas del Toro averages about 4 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 0 and 11 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 4.8 months, from around Nov 27 to Apr 20. The sunniest month is January, with roughly 10 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is May, down near 1 sunny days — about 94% fewer than the January peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 10 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Mixed |
| Feb | 9 | Mixed |
| Mar | 9 | Mixed |
| Apr | 4 | Gloomy |
| May | 1 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 0 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 0 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 1 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 0 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 1 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 2 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 7 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
Bocas del Toro is humid all year round — on a typical day the air feels at least humid, and there is no real dry season to wait for.
The stickiest month is January, when it feels muggy, oppressive or miserable about 99% of the time. Even in January, the mildest month, the air is dry or comfortable only 0% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 52 | 56 | 44 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 27 |
| Oppressive (%) | 47 | 42 | 55 | 75 | 71 | 74 | 94 | 92 | 85 | 86 | 90 | 73 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 26 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | 52 | 47 | 0 |
| Feb | 1 | 56 | 42 | 1 |
| Mar | 1 | 44 | 55 | 1 |
| Apr | 0 | 20 | 75 | 5 |
| May | 0 | 2 | 71 | 27 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 | 74 | 26 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 94 | 6 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 92 | 8 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 | 85 | 15 |
| Oct | 0 | 1 | 86 | 13 |
| Nov | 0 | 8 | 90 | 3 |
| Dec | 0 | 27 | 73 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Bocas del Toro is typically calm, near 8 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 4.7 months, from around Nov 8 to Mar 29. The windiest month is January, averaging about 11 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Jul 23 to Nov 7, with September the calmest month at about 5 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 10 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | calm |
| Feb | 10 | calm |
| Mar | 9 | calm |
| Apr | 7 | calm |
| May | 6 | calm |
| Jun | 7 | calm |
| Jul | 8 | calm |
| Aug | 7 | calm |
| Sep | 5 | calm |
| Oct | 6 | calm |
| Nov | 9 | calm |
| Dec | 10 | calm |
Best time to visit Bocas del Toro
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Bocas del Toro throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid April, Bocas del Toro is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Bocas del Toro for general outdoor tourist activities is from early December to mid April, with a peak score in the last week of January.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
| Rating | fair | fair | fair | fair | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.3 | fair |
| Feb | 5.3 | fair |
| Mar | 5.2 | fair |
| Apr | 4.4 | fair |
| May | 3.4 | poor |
| Jun | 3.0 | poor |
| Jul | 3.1 | poor |
| Aug | 3.2 | poor |
| Sep | 3.3 | poor |
| Oct | 3.3 | poor |
| Nov | 3.9 | fair |
| Dec | 4.7 | fair |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Bocas del Toro for hot-weather activities is from early December to early May, with a peak score in the third week of March.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Bocas del Toro, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
Bocas del Toro packs about the same all year — highs hold near 29°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection.
In September, Bocas del Toro sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 26 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Bocas del Toro
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 13 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in January near 27°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 27 | Warm |
| Mar | 28 | Warm |
| Apr | 28 | Tropical |
| May | 29 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 28 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index (midday) in Bocas del Toro by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bocas del Toro peaks around March 19 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 10 (extreme).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 13 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 10 | Very high |
Average hourly UV index in Bocas del Toro
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in March the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Feb | 8 | 6 |
| Mar | 8 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| May | 8 | 6.5 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 8 | 6 |
| Aug | 8 | 6 |
| Sep | 8 | 6 |
| Oct | 8 | 6 |
| Nov | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Dec | 7 | 5 |
Air quality in Bocas del Toro by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Bocas del Toro is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 11 | Good |
| Apr | 15 | Moderate |
| May | 16 | Moderate |
| Jun | 16 | Moderate |
| Jul | 17 | Moderate |
| Aug | 15 | Moderate |
| Sep | 12 | Moderate |
| Oct | 11 | Good |
| Nov | 9 | Good |
| Dec | 8 | Good |
Growing season
Bocas del Toro is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Bocas del Toro banks about 5,984 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around September.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 476 | 432 | 490 | 494 | 528 | 512 | 520 | 524 | 513 | 521 | 486 | 488 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 476 |
| Feb | 432 |
| Mar | 490 |
| Apr | 494 |
| May | 528 |
| Jun | 512 |
| Jul | 520 |
| Aug | 524 |
| Sep | 513 |
| Oct | 521 |
| Nov | 486 |
| Dec | 488 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Bocas del Toro receives about 4.5 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.7 and 5.5 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 3.8 months, from around Jan 18 to May 14. The brightest month is March, averaging about 5.4 kWh/m² (bright).
The dimmest month is November, down near 3.7 kWh/m² — roughly 31% less than the March peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.0 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.5 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.0 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.4 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.3 | Bright |
| May | 4.5 | Bright |
| Jun | 4.3 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.2 | Bright |
| Aug | 4.5 | Bright |
| Sep | 4.6 | Bright |
| Oct | 4.2 | Bright |
| Nov | 3.7 | Moderate |
| Dec | 4.0 | Moderate |
Where is Bocas del Toro?
Bocas del Toro sits at 9.3°N, 82.2°W, 0 m above sea level, in Panama. The nearest listed city is Changuinola, 32 km away.
Topography around Bocas del Toro
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Bocas del Toro.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Bocas del Toro has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 44 m around an average of 2 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 106 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,431 m.
The land around Bocas del Toro is covered by water (82%) within 3 km, water (76%) and trees (20%) within 16 km, and trees (52%) and water (45%) within 80 km.
Panama travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 110 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 45% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $19,790
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.5 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 11.7
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 13.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 491
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Bocas del Toro (9.3403°, -82.242°, elevation 0 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).