Can I buy good clothes in Bocas Del Toro, Panama?

Buying good clothes in Bocas del Toro, Panama can be a bit of a challenge.  The only big clothing stores are in the town of Changinola, Bocas del Toro.  The quality and selection are limited and trying to find US standard sizes may be difficult.  

Buying good clothes in Bocas del Toro, Panama can be a bit of a challenge.  The only big clothing stores are in the town of Changinola, Bocas del Toro.  The quality and selection are limited and trying to find US standard sizes may be difficult.  

If you're in Bocas del Toro, Panama, the best place to buy American clothing is going to be in Panama City or via the internet.  After paying the price for something on Amazon for example, adding the shipping cost to the total price still gets you a fairly good deal.  It can be at your door in 1 to 2 weeks.

If you're in Bocas del Toro, Panama, the best place to buy American clothing is going to be in Panama City or via the internet.  After paying the price for something on Amazon for example, adding the shipping cost to the total price still gets you a fairly good deal.  It can be at your door in 1 to 2 weeks.

There are clothing stores in Bocas Del Toro but they tend to be expensive because they ship the clothes here, and there is not a wide variety. If you want to go shopping, you might want to go to David or to Panama City. If you are shopping for underwear and jeans, not that they will not have some here (they will), but it is not going to be a big selection and it is going to be more expensive because again, they have to be shipped.

A lot of the clothing for sale here in...

There are clothing stores in Bocas Del Toro but they tend to be expensive because they ship the clothes here, and there is not a wide variety. If you want to go shopping, you might want to go to David or to Panama City. If you are shopping for underwear and jeans, not that they will not have some here (they will), but it is not going to be a big selection and it is going to be more expensive because again, they have to be shipped.

A lot of the clothing for sale here in Bocas del Toro is geared for tourism. There is a clothing store here in Bocas that sells molas. Mola is a native cloth with embroidery made by Kuna Indians. They cut pieces of colorful cloth and they hand sew lines on the squares of cloth. You can make things out of them, like blankets, shirts or pillows. They are very brightly colored and they have very intricate designs like fish, parrots, and palm trees.

Bocas del Toro is not a high-end clothing area. The only clothing shopping in Bocas del Toro is for surf shorts and t-shirts. If you want to buy clothes, you have to go to David, which is four hours away by car. However, the best shopping is in Panama City. You have the modern mega malls there. Panama City is an hour away by plane.

My wife and I spend US $500 a year on clothes and that’s usually flip-flops, shorts and maybe some t-shirts. Between both of us, that’s...

Bocas del Toro is not a high-end clothing area. The only clothing shopping in Bocas del Toro is for surf shorts and t-shirts. If you want to buy clothes, you have to go to David, which is four hours away by car. However, the best shopping is in Panama City. You have the modern mega malls there. Panama City is an hour away by plane.

My wife and I spend US $500 a year on clothes and that’s usually flip-flops, shorts and maybe some t-shirts. Between both of us, that’s basically how much we spend. That’s fairly normal for people who live in Bocas del Toro. It’s an extremely casual place. 

 

(Young women enjoying Starfish Beach on Bocas del Toro, Panama, pictured.)