Cayo Zapatilla.

Part of the protected Bastimentos Island National Marine Park, the Zapatilla Cays are two uninhabited, shoe-shaped islands off the coast of Bocas del Toro that offer a glimpse of the Caribbean in its natural state. Most day-trippers land on the larger southern island near the ranger station, where a quick fee grants access to pristine white-sand beaches, mangrove forests, and coconut palms. A short interpretive trail, "The Forest Behind the Reef," cuts through the interior jungle, but the main draw is the water. Shallow, clear turquoise lagoons and offshore coral gardens host parrotfish, nurse sharks, and nesting sea turtles. There are no resorts or restaurants here—just a raw, undeveloped landscape where the biggest challenge is dodging the local sand flies.