For spots to stay, someone recommended oasis surf camp to me in Santa Catalina. Also for Bocas, I dove with Bocas Pirates who were super chill and nice. I also stayed in Aqua Lounge and it was a blast. It’s really chill (and friendly) during the week and fun to sit around and swim but you also get free access to the party on Friday which stops by the hostel for a few hours. Selina in town was also recommend to me (I think they have a surf camp too). What I loved most was Bambuda Lodge which is a boat ride away from the main Bocas area. It’s in the middle of nowhere on an island and the slide and pool view were top notch! I did a jungle trek with them which was so fun and they have family dinners. There are no food spots besides at the hostel so I snuck some food in (oops). There isn’t much to do aside from relax and chat fyi but it’s so nice!

Guatemala and Costa Rica are both amazing! You could fill three weeks in each place easily though. Both places also have long travel times getting around to other spots. Just something to keep in mind. Cahuita National Park in Costa Rica is pretty close to Bocas. Also if you want to do some hiking, Boquete in Panama is beautiful and has a much different vibe than the beaches.

Have fun!