Bocas del Toro · 2027
*
Panama · 6-day poison frog photography tour
Bocas del Toro Poison Frog Photography Tour 2027
PhotoLior field
The tour
One frog, many colors, a different island every morning and afternoon.
Bocas del Toro is home to the strawberry poison frog, Oophaga pumilio, which looks different from one island to the next. Each day we take the boat to one island in the morning to search for its local morph, and visit a second island in the afternoon.
Between frogs there is general wildlife and birding on every island. The last afternoon is free for editing, or for an optional snorkel.
We stay all five nights at one base lodge, so there is no packing and moving. Groups are capped at six photographers.
15+
Strawberry poison frog * Red morph * Blue morph * Bronze morph * Green-yellow morph * Red-eyed tree frog * Sloths * Strawberry poison frog * Red morph * Blue morph
The route
Island hopping from one base
Two islands a day by boat, back to the same lodge every night.
9°15′N 82°09′W · Bocas del Toro
Day 1
Bocas del Toro
Arrival and briefing
Days 2 to 4
Island mornings
A local morph each morning
Days 2 to 4
Island afternoons
A second island each day
Day 4
Last afternoon
Editing or optional snorkel
Day 6
Departure
At your own pace
Itinerary
Bocas del Toro itinerary, day by day
Day 1
Arrival in Bocas del Toro
Arrive at your own pace. A transfer from Costa Rica is available at extra cost. Check in at the base lodge and a welcome briefing in the evening.
Days 2 to 3
Island days
A morning boat trip to one island to search for its local Oophaga pumilio morph, then an afternoon on a second island for more frogs, wildlife and birds.
Day 4
Last island morning
One final morning island visit, then an optional snorkel or free time to edit.
Day 5
Island day
[Lior: confirm day 5 plan]
Day 6
Departure
Breakfast at the lodge, then leave at your own pace.
From
$2,300
per photographer
Dates
Mar 29 to Apr 3, 2027
Duration
6 days, 5 nights
Group
Max 6 photographers
Deposit
$550
Reserve with a $550 deposit
Ask Lior on WhatsApp
Starts and ends in Bocas del Toro, Panama.
06
Days in the archipelago
What you'll photograph
What you'll photograph
The strawberry poison frog in its island colors, plus the wildlife around it.
Their toxins come from the mites and ants they eat
Oophaga pumilio changes color from island to island in Bocas del Toro. Each morning targets a different local morph.
Strawberry poison frog
Green-yellow morph
Isla Colón
Red morph
Oophaga pumilio
Blue morph
Oophaga pumilio
Bronze morph
Oophaga pumilio
When to go
Best time to visit Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro has two drier windows, January to April and late August to October. Late March and early April fall inside the first one, which helps with the daily boat trips between islands.
Drier months: Jan to Apr, late Aug to Oct
Our 2027 departures
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Drier weather in the archipelago
Wetter months
Transition months
Drier windows, Jan to Mar and Sep to Oct
Piquiri River · 2026
Sony 100-400mm GM
In the field
How we photograph poison frogs
An adult strawberry poison frog is about 2 cm long, so this is macro work at ground level. We photograph each frog where it lives, on leaf litter, roots and logs, and keep handling to zero.
Bright skin on a dark forest floor is hard to expose. A diffused flash, a macro lens and a low angle give clean, accurate color, so each island's morph looks the way it does in the field.
What Lior shoots with
Main lens
90-105mm macro
Fills the frame with a 2 cm frog from a comfortable distance.
Flash
Flash with a large diffuser
Even light on glossy skin under the canopy.
Support
Knee pads or a ground sheet
For long sessions at frog level.
Dates and price
2027 departures, price and what is included
$2,300 per photographer, with a $550 deposit to hold your seat.
*
$550
Holds your seat
Mar 29 to Apr 3, 2027
6 days, 5 nights · Bocas del Toro, Panama
$2,300
$550 deposit
Reserve
Included
5 nights lodging at one base
All meals
Photography guide
Daily boat transport
Not included
Flights or transfers
Travel insurance
Alcoholic beverages
Gratuities
Personal expenses
Optional snorkeling on day 4
Is it for you
Six photographers, at most
Small boat groups, with time for everyone at every frog.
One base, no packing
All five nights at the same lodge, with the islands a boat ride away.
Two islands a day
Mornings and afternoons on different islands for more morphs.
“
Everything he told us we might see, we saw. This is our second trip with Lior.
Glenn O
* Your guide
Lior Berman
FAQs
Bocas del Toro tour questions
Anything else? Message Lior directly.
Fastest answer
Ask Lior on WhatsApp
Where does the tour start and end?
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In Bocas del Toro, Panama. Arrive at your own pace on day 1 and leave at your own pace on day 6. A transfer from Costa Rica is available at extra cost.
How many photographers are on the trip?
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Six at most.
What is included in the price?
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5 nights at one base lodge, all meals, your photography guide and daily boat transport. Flights or transfers, travel insurance, alcohol, gratuities, personal expenses and the optional snorkel are not included.
How do the deposit and payment work?
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A $550 deposit holds your seat. Message me on WhatsApp for the payment schedule.
Which frogs will we see?
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The focus is the strawberry poison frog, Oophaga pumilio, in the color morphs of different islands.
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*
2027
Mar to Apr
One departure. Six seats.
Mar 29 to Apr 3, 2027. From $2,300, with a $550 deposit to hold your seat.
Reserve your seat
Ask Lior on WhatsApp
