Cosmic Crab Resort in Bocas del Toro

Absolutely amazing staff, location, food and you have to try the Cosmic Colors drink🌴!! Trust me you’ll thank me later;definitely reccomend.

The place is amazing, cabins are very nice and clean, dont forget you are in an Island,

Great food. Every time! You will love it here. We ordered Surf&Turf, fish chowder & fish cakes.The Bloody Mary is fantastic.I didn’t get pictures of the chowder & cakes but my husband loved them!We’ve eaten here several times & it’s always delicious.Joan is fantastic & so accommodating. Great service.

Great place on the water to relax have adult beverage and socialize. The drinks are prices OK but food prices are a little high. They also offer small rooms or cabins to rent some over the water.

We attended the restaurant for dinner and it was a lovely experience until it really wasnt. We were a large group from lots of different countries and we had a lovely conversation with the owner about that at the beginning. Even still, it was assumed that we would be paying together and the owner became extremely rude at the end of the meal when we were trying to sort out the bill (calculating the 7% tax and 10% tip at the table on pieces of paper). After spending about half an hour trying to pay, we were then told that we had underpaid. A further ten minutes showed that the owner had made an error in her calculations. For the full duration of trying to pay, the owner was muttering under her breath and being extremely unclear and unhelpful. The food was delicious and the service was exemplary.

I just stopped at the restaurant for a Sunday lunch. Food, drinks, service and the whole place was so amazing that it made me wish to return and stay as a guest . Definitely one of the best places on the archipelago.

We stayed here for a night and did’t arrive until sundown. Our cabin was quite warm and musty from the dampness and lack of AC until we arrived. The design is carried throughout in the furnishings inside. Waking up to the water views in the morning was magical.Three things I wish were attended to: A plumbing smell which could be combatted with air fresheners. Only give the towels once guests arrive (as they were musty from the warm damp room before arrival). Complimentary bug spray/cream since we got attacked by sandflies and one of us reacted very poorly a day later without knowing.The family that owns the property is lovely and keeps that pot of complimentary coffee nicely filled in the morning (a nice cup to enjoy with the views).

Quiet, clean, and beautiful. Plus, Joan is a great host.

Awesome location, food, and service. Ask for Josecarlos.

Expensive for what it is you need to go everywhere by water boat. Nice viewsThe room are really small - mermaid I think they are called and not modern at all it rained a lot an the floor was soaked.Restaurant is not great and it’s expensive. Staff is super nice.Wouldn’t go again tbh

Amazing location especially when searching for a laid back and relaxing time. The owners/ operators are extremely helpful in every way possible. When I showed up after hours they were very courteous.The restaurant located over the water always has a refreshing breeze. The food though is really out of the world, truly COSMIC! Absolutely some of the best soups I have ever had, including crab bisque and smoked Turkey stew. The grouper sautéed with butter 🧈 garlic 🧄 & herbs 🌿 was delicious.Whether staying a few nights or just stoping by for a beer I highly recommend the Cosmic Crab 🦀. One Love ❤️

Its a very nice place for sunset, we spent a wonderful evening and our children had a lot of fun. Drinks were good, the food too, but in the end we were charged a lot more for plate upgrades we had not asked for as well as tax and service not being included without saying so. We really enjoyed but in the end felt caught in a trap...

We stayed here for 3 nights, heres my elaborate review.Good: Nice bungalows, although a bit outdated. For the low price it is worth the money. Location is great; near bocas town ($1 boat taxi to town, takes 1 minute and they go all day and night). Quiet place near all the parties and tours. Do not walk arount barefoot because of all the small crabs (which are not agressive though). The bungalows are nicely decorated, giving it a real islandy-vibe.Bad: The place could use some renovating. Our shower wasnt working well, we had to shower for a long time to get the shampoo out of our hair. It turned out that the shower head was the issue, which was replaced on the last day. It would have been nice if the owners had told us straight away. The A/C unit makes A LOT of noise, so turn it on before going to sleep and then turn it off - then its fine. There could be more chilling areas (more hammocks for example). The owners seemed friendly but we quickly noticed that they are only interested if they can earn more money off of you. If they cant, they end the conversation quickly. They help with organising tours but do not give any tips on events or parties, they dont seem to know what is going on in town. We did our laundry here for $10 but it came back smelling and still dirty (my white socks were still brown from the sand), so better do this in town somewhere. We booked through Expedia which included breakfast, but they told us this was not their policy and it was Expedias fault for saying so. She seemed really upset by this and told us they would give us their most basic breakfast because they were losing money off this. The breakfast was actually pretty good in the end, but the way they communicated this with us made it sound really unfriendly and bitter. Because of our experience with the owners we had no lunch or diner here, but went elsewhere.

Owners are really nice, service was great, bartenders are really friendly and nice. Food was fast and excellent, came here multiple times for dinner and a few for breakfast and was more than happy with everything I ate.

Great place to eat when your looking for a chill fancy meal! The ambiance is Devine. They have an option of passion fruit butter for their lobster that is rare and a must! The owner Mr. Crabtree and his family built and run this operation with love and care. The staff are attentive also to needs and speak excellent English. A must if your in the Bocas area!

Excellent host, great food. Best location to eat in Carenero Island.

A really beautiful place! The owners have built the resort with heart and soul. With much attention to detail. The staff is also very attentive. In the immediate vicinity, however, the lively nightlife is unmistakable until the early morning hours. People who are looking for this kind of entertainment are right here.

Wonderful bacon omelette with extra fruit sans toast. Good coffee. Sitting and talking with Joan was nice, too.

We had a great time at the Cosmic Crab.Its just a 2 minutes boat ride from the main town, very easy to have a boat and just 1$.Its a very nice an quiet place since you cant ear the loud music comming from the main town.The host Joan was awesome and told us many things we had to do on Bocas.Recommand to everyone.

For full disclosure, I did not go to the cosmic crab to eat off the menu. However I went to the cosmic crab resort because of their American Thanksgiving dinner. And am I ever glad I did. The Crabtree family greeted me as well as treated me like a long-lost however new friend and I received them like family.The setting for the dinner was an unbelievable tropical experience decorated beautifully and the food was over the top. I can hardly wait to go back and order off the menu ,as the dinner should indicate the quality of the menu. Next time I come back to Boca Del Toro Ill be sure to stay there for my vacation

This island is swamped with sand fleas. It almost messed up our whole trip. Couldn’t stop itching for weeks. It looked like I had chicken pox. Literally had to go to a pharmacy while on vacation for meds and ointment. The owner does have things to put on your body but this was overall torture for us.

When we arrived the Lady so was nice. Everything looked nice, we walked around and the gardens have been let go it need a good touch up.The rooms need a mosquito net over them. We were bitten quite a lot.

Amazing views across from main island so was very quiet. The cabins are clean rustic giving you the secluded feeling without being isolated. Watch for falling coconuts

Cute place, great bartender, not so well maintained. I wouldnt recommend swimming there - lots of rubbish and jagged concrete. Staff is very nice.

I been going to cosmic crab since 2008 I love that place and I definitely love the owners and crew, my girls Joan the owner is a wonderful person and so is the husband, God bless them both, I looking forward to go back sometime next month and spend sometime with them I hope they still there

Not much to do, I would think there would be a tv or music at the bar at least Friday,Sat and Sun. Maybe as the pandemic gets better things will improve.

Our stay was amazing the owners are very welcoming and kinda the place is in good condition me and my family had a wonderful time here we would recommend coming to stay here

Not great, high prices for food. Also $1.50 for small bottles of water. The owners were volatile at times, sometimes super nice and sometimes very condescending & sarcastic. Cabins are ok.

Unique and colorful. Plus, lionfish is on the daily menu. Situated over the water. We had a really nice time.

We did not stay but water taxi from Bocas $2 pp one way to restaurant for dinner. Beautiful setting so breezy and cooling and beautiful sunset. I wanted the Lionfish as this place only one serving such a dish. Had a whole fish, outstanding. So tender and tasty. We also had the fried snapper, pompano (a bit overcookedconch fitters and lobster balls (so chocked filled with lobster meat). The owner Jan was very helpful in her recommendations and we also had one of her newly concocted coconut lemongrass cocktail (delicious). I love my passion fruit jalapeño margarita! The key lime pie was better than any we had tasted (even in Florida!). We had to wait a while for our food, but was having a wonderful time with our drinks, visiting so a lovely evening in all. Will come back for more!

If you like bed bugs (legs are full of bites), noisy water taxi, run down bungalows, very bad smells, stained and old sheets. This place is for you. Very bad experience at this place.

Well we’ve been sitting here for an hour and a half. Finally got our soup and it was luke warm at best. Still awaiting our meal, but so far very disappointing.

Pros:1. Location is stunningly beautiful. Cabins are well-maintained and pleasing to the eye.2. Rooms inside are clean, spacious, nicely decorated and with air conditioning.Cons:1. No hot water in the room.2. The on-site restaurant is terrible. I got the fish wrapped in a banana leaf. It was overcooked, tough, stringy, dry and tasteless. Even the rice was terrible. You’d think being located on the water, they would have perfected cooking seafood.3. The restaurant was out of about 50% of the menu. No ceviche (how is that even possible when the water right under us is teeming with fish?and no chicken. That left us with very few options for dinner.4. The owner talks waaay too much. After almost a day of traveling to get to the location, all we wanted to do was get to our room, shower, and rest. Instead, she got way into the rules and other minutiae, like how well water works and takes time to replenish and so we have to be mindful of our water usage, blah blah blah. She presumed we had never traveled to Lain America and didn’t know that, for example, toilet paper can’t be thrown into the toilet. I felt like I was being lectured by my 1st grade teacher.5. Sand flies. Also called “no-see-ums,” even a liberal application of DEET won’t protect you. My feet and lower legs were devoured within minutes. It’s said that they can’t bite through clothes. Untrue. The owner warned us of the flies and said that only coconut oil wards them off. Do we travel with coconut oil? No. Did she have any available for the guests? No. This also meant that you couldn’t be on the sand or walk anywhere without being attacked by these bugs. I understand this isn’t the owner’s fault, but if you have visions of lying on the beach and enjoying cocktails next to the ocean, this isn’t the place.6. There is a nightclub located across the way from Cosmic Crab that has music playing at an unbelievably loud volume, ALL NIGHT. Between scratching my sand fly bites and trying to sleep with music booming (it’s really good music btwuntil 3:30am, I didn’t sleep a wink.7. Breakfast was included in the rate we booked, but the owner told us this was a mistake and didn’t compensate us.Needless to say, we jumped straight into a taxi boat the next morning, zipping away as far as we could, and as quickly as we could, from the Cosmic Crab.You might think I sound like a spoiled westerner with unreasonable expectations. I have lived in the Amazon, in the Andes highlands, and I welcome the break from the comforts of home that a cold shower or no AC can give you. But when you’re paying US prices and a place has glowing reviews, yes, expectations grow. The Cosmic Crab does not live up to expectations. Run, don’t stay here.

We were in Bocas Del Toro for one night and I feel as though we made the wrong choice staying here. The natural setting of the hotel is lovely, but the experience of staying here felt more like being a student at a summer camp than a guest in a hotel. The owner felt overbearing. Not good vibes. The restaurant is also a lovely setting over the water but, unfortunately, more than half of what we ordered wasn’t available. Out of many ingredients for food and cocktails. Also, Expedia says that breakfast is included but when we arrived we found that it is in fact not included. Would return to this part of Panama for sure, but would choose to stay elsewhere.Oh, and two more things. No hot water (at alland is situated very near some noisy neighbors or a club who played super loud music until 330am. Our two daughters, 4 and 5 couldn’t sleep. Nor could we.

Excellent location with a beautiful breeze and scenery. The owners are very sweet and attentive. The food was delicious and made to order. We will definitely be making a visit when we come back!

Ive been here a couple of times and normally the food is good and service is decent. This time the food was mediocre and the service ranks in the worst Ive ever experienced. It literally took 45 minutes to just get the bill, then another 20 minutes to actually pay. Every other person had incorrect orders, and several items just never showed up at all. They have completely lost their charm.

Amazing place. The service is great, people here is so kind. The food is amazing. We had meet the owner. Mrs Johnny. We came Sunday and Monday and I prefer monday. There was no one else So the place was so quite. No music no sound at all! The view is really good. The room is OK.

Went to a fish restaurant and ate a burger... it was fantastic. Also the red snapper filet was really good. Friendly staff and nice location. 10/10 would go again.

Excellent Experience! We went twice in 3 days!We were recommended this place by several people who now reside in Bocas. We had already had lunch earlier in the day, so we decided to go over for a drink. The drinks were great, the staff wonderful, and the app so delicious that we ended up staying for dinner. We enjoyed it so much that we ended up going back and spending our entire last day there. It’s a beautiful setting with lounge chairs at the end of the deck. The restaurant is on a covered deck in the ocean, like many restaurants on Carneros. It only costs a dollar to get there by boat from downtown Bocas. The food and drinks our amazing. There is nothing we didn’t like and I think we tried all the appetizer and several main dishes. The drinks were perfect and we had the best desert drinks ever. My drink had an entire choc covered banana in it and my husband had a brownie in his. The deserts were delicious too. The Staff is friendly, Juni, Mary and Edwin, and the owner, Joan, showed us some of the cottages that she rents out and we really hope to stay there next time we visit. Don’t be in a rush and soak in the natural beauty of the setting. If you leave the restaurant and go left there is a half mile trail along the water where you can see some beautiful homes. I suggest sticking around for the sunset! Beautiful!

Very enjoyable experience. The cocktails were well made and we had the lobster bisque that was good as well. They have a ladder so you can take a dip in the middle of the dining room. The views are good.

Great Location just far enough away from the noise (but just close enough to sit outside and enjoy). WE LOVE EDWIN!!! Of our 3 weeks of travel, Edwin was the best bartender we had the pleasure of spending our time with. We Highly recommend you spending some of your time with Edwin as well. Also, if your there, find Antuan. He has a flyer on the wall for his tour to Zapatilla. Do it. The Fish is Amazing! Cosmic Crab, We Love You and the vibes! We shall see you again soon.

Best seafood hands down. Atmosphere and vibe are awesome. They also have nice, clean, and air conditioned cabins. Crabs are also entertaining everywhere

Wow....very nice location and extensive menu. Enjoyed stuffed hibiscus flowers, king crab legs, lion fish, and the signature drink. Great service. Will be back!

Great food. Good service. Lighting adds to the ambience of this place. Situated on the waters edge, it offers beautiful views.

We went to the Cosmic Crab for dinner while in Bocas Del Toro. The atmosphere at the restaurant is very pleasant on the water with many fish, urchins and star fish all around. The service was great and the food was great. The prices were reasonable. I had the Lion Fish just to try it and it was awesome. My wife had the lobster cake which was also great. The only down side is that we were there at 5PM and there were tons of little biting bugs. I suggest going there before 4PM or after 7PM to avoid the bugs. I would go back and would recommend it.

The place was clean, the included breakfast was nice, atmosphere was amazing, hot shower, A/C was pretty good in cabin alittle old and slow, good food, great drinks, good sercive but the bartender was good for the most part. He seemed alittle overworked the day I went he seemed to understand english decently in morning but not the evening. Yes it was the same person. Typical panama things the water went out for about 20 minutes in the middle of the day but was repaired very quick. Our shower head in the room was broke upon arrival but we told the owner a very interesting and friendly lady and it was fixed promptly. Water pressure would change randomly but we had hot water for the most part which was a nice. Very close to main island. I only had a few minor complaints. Our room which had 5 beds had no door handle on the main door other than the dead lock to open it from the inside and it wouldnt stay closed unless locked. So if one person was inside the had to have the key to lock it also you cant just go in and out you have to have someone from the inside lock it or turn the key urself. 2 keys or a doorknob would have been more convienent also the shower door had no handle and liked to swing open so no privacy unless you proped it closed. But that was a 5 person room maybe others were better in that regard. I enjoyed my stay despite the minor unconvinces which hardly bothered but were slightly annoying at times. I would also recommend the coconut oil it kept away the few bugs at the dinning area. Would recommen. Also if your American (which I amjust remember its not America its Panama and not everything works the way you think it should. Its a great and beautiful place.

Prices for drinks on the bar board are not true. Very beautiful place and friendly owners. They try to help you around. Rest of the staff are ok. Blue crabs walking around the beach are pretty

Very nice place. Ambience is different than the rest of the hotels in isla Colón. More relaxed and peaceful, although it can be an inconvenience to have to go town for snacks or food or whatever. So plan accordingly.The rooms have a nice vintage style to them. Beds could be a little bit better.Real problem is no WiFi in the cabins.

It okRooms small cleanService okRestaurant only had one waitress, so had to go order myself, which was a downfall.But Bocas on whole appears not to be a customer service placeBoat taxi was fun but not when raining, so kinda forced to stay back there.

This place is definitely one of the most beautiful around Bocas del Toro with a lot of personality of the owners.The place provides a perfect sunset view and is more relaxed and romantic than the main island. Nevertheless its easily reachable via water taxi within a minute from the main dock of Bocas. Food from adjacent restaurant (Cosmic Crab Cafeis great, a nice breakfast and kayaks come for free with your cabin. The cabins of various categories and prices from very basic to upscale come with AC, a small terrace, rocking chairs and a nice breakfast. Either over the water or in the beautiful tropical garden backyard (the only one available on the island of this kind as far as I know).When it comes to value for money, the garden cabins are definitely the best to be found around Bocas. The over-the-water pier-cabins provide stunning views for reasonable money but unfortunately let you hear every noise above the water, especially the main-island disco music during late hours...Anyhow in my opinion still the very best place to find around. We came for two days, felt in love with the place and stayed over a week...We enjoyed the place as a couple, but the owners are kid- and pet-friendly as well.