Panama Resorts

Many people on their first vacation to Panama want to stay at one of the many Panama resorts for their holiday. This is probably the best decision, when a country is not known to you. You know you will get a relaxing vacation, lots of activities, close to a beach for relaxing, swimming and other water fun in the sun. You know the price is all inclusive so there are no surprises. If you love Panama after your first trip, you will be back for more and want explore other venues and hotels in Panama, such as the San Blas Islands, Bocas del Toro or Boquete, to name a few. The following is just a short guide to some of the resorts in Panama.

The most popular resorts in Panama would have to be Intercontinental Playa Blanca, Gamboa Rainforest Resort, The Royal Decameron, and Playa Bonita. Why are they the most popular? Well, they offer everything that one has come to expect at a resort, everything is taken care of for you. They are excellent resorts, offering great food, activities, the beach, pools, spas and free drinks. Most of them are rated 4 star resorts, but to be truthful, they should be classified as 5 star resorts in Panama. We’ve written long reviews of these resorts on this site, but here we are adding some more resorts such as the Mango Beach Club Resort and the Playita Resort for you to consider when booking your vacation in Panama.

The Royal Decameron Beach Resort:

The Royal Decameron Beach Resort is on the beach, just 90 minute from Panama City. This is a popular resort destination in Panama for tourists and most especially first time visitors to Panama. Read more about the Royal Decameron Beach Resort in our article here on this site.

The Gamboa Rainforest Resort:

Interested in eco tourism, and want to visit your first rainforest? The Gamboa Rainforest Resort could be the best place for you to stay. Exploring the rainforest, swimming, spa treatments and many more activities are yours. Read more about the Gamboa Rainforest Resort here.

The Playa Blanca Resort:

Playa Blanca Resort, also about 90 minutes from Panama City will offer you ecological adventures and beach time on your travel to Panama. The Playa Blanca Resort has its own secluded beach and is another one of the luxury resorts that are popular for tourists. Lush tropical vegetation full of wildlife surrounds the resort Another perfect place to kick back and enjoy the beach, the pool and the natural surroundings.

Read more about the Play Blanca Resort on our website here.

The Intercontinental Playa Bonita Resort and Spa:

The Intercontinental Playa Bonita Resort and Spa on the beach. Just think sun, sand and surf. The sunrises and sunsets over the Pacific ocean are gorgeous. The resort is magnificent, with nicely decorated rooms. It’s a favourite resort for tourists from around the world.

Read more about the Intercontinental Playa Bonita Resort and Spa on our website here.

The Mango Beach Club:

The Mango Beach Club in Bocas Del Toro is definitely a romantic getaway. Rooms start at $79 US during the low season. Close to the town of Bocas del Toro, it is situated on a beach beside the ocean. There are 14 rooms and one suite in the Mango Beach Resort. All rooms come with air conditioners and there are kitchen supplies if you need them. Breakfast is included in the price of the room and internet is available. There is a pool close to the Playa Mango beach. There are hammocks available for those who want to truly kick back. Great food is available at the hotel restaurant. The staff is friendly and the service is good.

This resort is an excellent choice for people looking for a tranquil place while still having quick access to the town of Bocas del Toro. Activities include swimming, exploring and relaxing on pristine beaches or kayaking to the reefs.

The Playita Resort:

Not far from Boquete by a few hours drive, at Los Santos on the Azuero Peninsula you will find the Playita Resort. Owned by Lester, the service is wonderful and personal. This is a nature lover’s paradise, not for someone who wants to stay at the Marriot. The wildlife photography opportunities are amazing. The resort is beautiful, one and two bedroom units surround a central kitchen and outdoor dining area. Local foods, fresh fish and tropical fruits are plentiful on the menu, all prepared to order, fresh and delicious. Rooms come with air conditioning, and are well cared for. There is no hot water, no cell phone access. A room starts at $70 per night plus 10% tax. The beach is small, with white sand and protected. Mask, snorkel, fins can be rented. Fishing trips are arranged and if you catch something, they will clean and cook your big catch.

As you can see, there are many diverse resorts in Panama for you to choose from where you can experience the resort experience, nature, the beach and surf. Panama is the most wonderful country, the newest vacation destination, just waiting to be explored.

Luxury Resorts and Hotels in Panama

Panama is a country which is known for its natural splendor. Whether it is miles of pristine white, sandy beaches or stretches of lush green rain forest areas, there is nothing to beat the sheer variety on offer in this beautiful country. The natural beauty of the country brings in hordes of tourists and people who want to retire in Panama to this country each year. With millions of tourists thronging Panama, it is not surprising that you can find many luxury resorts and hotels in Panama.

Most of the luxury resorts in Panama are located along the coast. Almost all of them offer spectacular views of the ocean. Moreover, the lure of the sun and a variety of water sports is another factor that drives tourists to these sea side resorts and hotels. It is for this reason that most of Panama luxury resorts are located along the waterfront facing the scenic view of the blue Pacific Ocean.

Apart from the beaches, vast stretches of rain forest are another major attraction in Panama. In fact, it must be among the few places which offer this unique combination of attractions. You can find many luxury resorts in Panama within these rain forests too. They offer a romantic getaway, which you will cherish for your lifetime. One good example for one such getaway is the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, located in the Soberania National Park Rainforest. With the Panama Canal and the Chagres River nearby, this resort is ideally located to discover some of the most beautiful places in Panama.

Another one of the well known luxury resorts in Panama is the Playa Bonita Resort and Spa. Nestling amidst sun, sand and surf, you can soak in beautiful views of the sunset and sunrise from the elegantly decorated rooms of this magnificent resort. The views of Pacific Ocean from this resort are what make it a favorite with tourists arriving from around the world.

The Playa Blanca Resort with its own private beach is another one of the luxury resorts that is very popular here. The lush tropical vegetation that surrounds the resort is something that is to be seen to be believed. The exotic gardens and the impressive architecture, make it a perfect place to drive away all blues, relax and soak up the sun.

With Panama slowly becoming a popular tourist destination, it is always recommended that you book your accommodation well in advance. Most of the Panama luxury resorts offer online booking facilities which you can use to book. A simple online search can put you in touch with booking at most of the luxury resorts and hotels in Panama. Check out other articles on this site to read about all of the resorts and hotels in Panama.

Photos Courtesy of Instituto Panameno de Turismo

Other Beach Hotels in Panama

San Blas Islands Resorts, Hostels, Hotels and Home Stays

I have already told you about one of the most beautiful places in Panama, a series of islands called the San Blas Islands and some of the beach hotels in this wonderful place that should be a holiday destination for you if you are trying to either escape the winter blahs or society in general. I was going to follow up here with more hotels and accommodations in the San Blas Islands because this group of 378 islands is really fantastic for a tropical island escape. Think of: desert island in the tropics.

If it’s your first time visiting Panama, you can include a visit to the San Blas Islands as well as staying in Panama City to really get an all round experience of the country. There are several companies online that offer such packages, such as a company known as Latin Destinations. This company offers six such packages ranging in price from $1,190 to $2,000 US. Their various packages include the following:

• Caribbean Flavour of Panama
• Native Cultures of Panama
• San Blas Islands – Panama Rainforest
• Jungle, Islands and Beaches of Panama
• Panama Culture and Beach
• The Best of Panama

These vacation packages include your round trip international flights, all airport transfers, daily breakfasts, hotels and hotel taxes. I’ve probably managed to pique your curiosity by now because if you read my last article on San Blas Islands hotels, you might be thinking they could possibly be your next holiday destination, your honeymoon destination or an actual escape from the stress that modern day living has been giving you lately.

The Caribbean Flavour of Panama offers you two nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort (explore the rainforest at this resort), 2 nights in Bocas del Toro Archipelago, 2 nights in the San Blas Islands with full board and tour and three nights in Panama City for a total of 9 days vacation. There are differe nt choices of hotels for you to stay in and you can vary the number of nights in each place.

The Native Cultures of Panama package is a great introduction to the native cultures of Panama including the Kuna Indians, the indigenous people of Panama. Your 10 day vacation includes four nights where you can choose from 14 different hotels in Panama City, two nights in Chiriqui - Boqueta, two nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, a two night trip to San Blas Islands including tours, and breakfasts at all the hotels.

Another interesting package you might consider would be their Jungle, Islands and Beaches of Panama for nine or more nights including: four nights in Panama City, two nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, three nights in Playa Blanca, and two nights in the San Blas Islands with your accommodation, food and tours included.

Another package offered by the Latin Destinations Company is their Panama Culture and Beach package. This vacation package to Panama will cost you $1,189 US for an eight night stay and includes two nights in the San Blas Islands, food, lodging and tours, three nights in Panama City and three nights in Playa Bonita.

The other package they offer to Panama is called The Best of Panama. This is a 13 night package with three nights in Playa Blanca, three nights in Bocas del Toro, two nights in Panama City, two nights in the San Blas Islands and three nights in Playa Bonita. The price for this package which includes breakfast at all the hotels is $1,969 US. This is a great deal!

The benefits of these packages include the possibility of experiencing much more than you could if you just booked an all inclusive package at one of the beach hotels in Panama. You’ve got the combination of great price and value here. Better still, is the fact you can choose from a selection of hotels in Panama City, Chiriqui – Boquete and Bocas del Toro and you can choose how many nights you want to stay in each place. In other words, these packages are totally customizable.

Like I have said in my previous posting, if you want to go and visit the San Blas Islands, book through a travel agent that specializes in tourism to the San Blas islands and Panama. They can arrange your vacations and show you tour packages you might be interested in.

I also promised that I would give your some more hotel information about other beach hotels in San Blas Islands Panama. You must remember that you will not find the same standards as some luxury hotel in North America or Europe. If you want a “Best Western”, you are headed to the wrong place. You won’t find a McDonalds here either. Try one of the other beach hotels in Panama such as Playa Bonita Resort, Playa Blanca or the Decameron Resort if you are not ready for a tropical island escape.

These islands are gove rned by the Kuna Indians. They own these accommodations which are completely eco tourism at its best. Some of the hotels, lodgings and accommodations do not have 24 hour electricity and hot running water available. However, they are a beautiful escape to a tropical island and you will experience nature, beautiful unspoiled beaches, eat delicious fresh sea food and live “close to nature”. You will have your own bathroom and some of these beach hotels in San Blas Panama are lovely, rustic, primitive and you’ll get the best sunsets of your life. There is snorkelling, sw imming, fishing, sun sets over the Caribbean like you’ve never experienced, your own hammock, meeting the Kuna people and discovering their culture and way of life. This is eco tourism at its best. Completely, literally, unspoiled.

Dad Ibe Lodge

The Dad Ibe Lodge has three cabins for its guests, no air conditioning, marvellous views from your verandah which sits over the sea, a private bathroom, and hammocks. Stress? What stress can you possibly remember as you lie in your own hammock facing the sea, one eye barely open during siesta time ? Y o u don’t need air conditioning because you have the soft, cool wind blowing in from the sea. At this lodge in San Blas, you can go fishing with the Kuna, snorkelling and visit the Mangroves. The menu includes fresh sea food such as king crab, lobster, fresh fish, local food and drinks. Prices for th e cabins range in price from $128 for one person to a high of $341 US for a triple, not including ta xe s and include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also included in the price are transportation to and from the island from the Achutupo Airstrip, tours to a Kuna village, tours to the Kuna Yala Rainforest and river, and trips to Ogobwili Island for swimming and snorkelling.

Yandup Island Lodge

For about $80 to $90 US for a double (low season – high season), you can stay at Yandup Island Lodge. They have eight Kuna style cabins, five of them over the water and two on the beach. The cabins over the water have private bathrooms. The beach front cabins have outside bathrooms. Your fresh seafood meals will depend on the catch of the day. The owners of the hotel provide you with tours to a Kuna village, snorkelling or whatever you would like. There is great snorkelling on the island or the owners will take you to other islands. There is no hot water and the electricity from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Other places to stay in San Blas Islands

Accommodations in the San Blas Islands can cost anywhere from $20 to several hundred dollars a night. For this price you will get your meals, transportation to the islands and excursion tours. You can find backpacking hostels and home stays, such as Robinson’s, Eulogio’s Place, Franklin ’s or Nixia’s on the islands as well, depending on your budget needs.

The deserted white sand beaches, the great snorkelling and swimming, the tropical flora and fauna, the mangroves and the culture of the Kuna people await you in the San Blas Islands. What are you waiting for? Start planning your tropical paradise escape now. These are just some of the wonderful things that await you when you search for beach hotels in Panama and find yourself headed to one of the San Blas Islands instead.

All Inclusive Resorts in Panama

For travel to Panama, there are two companies in Canada which offer all inclusive resort package deals to Panama. All inclusive packages to Panama are a great way to travel to Panama for the first time because you because for one low price which covers the flight to Panama, your hotel for one week and food and drink. Some activities are also included in these all inclusive deals at resorts in Panama.

The first travel company with package deals to Panama is Nolitours. Nolitours is a Canadian company that offers quality affordable packages to many other countries besides Panama, including Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico and other countries in Central and South America. Nolitours has a rating system for the hotels they use to help their clients choose the vacation package to Panama that is right for you and your budget. They also add the flexibility of offering golf packages if you are an avid golfer, enabling you have to the perfect golf vacation in Panama at one of these resorts.

Nolitours offers travel deals to Panama to such resorts as the Royal Decameron Beach Resort Golf Spa and Casino. They rate this resort as a 4 star resort in Panama. All three buffet meals, unlimited house win, domestic beer, international brand drinks, gym, tennis, volleyball, soccer, billiards, scuba lessons in the pool, kayaks, pedal boats windsurfing, sailing and nightly entertainment. For an extra charge, bicycling, snorkelling, excursions, fishing and jet skis are available. For golf lovers, there is a world class golf course. Rooms for the golfers among us are across the street from the main resort, surrounded by the golf course. A golfer couldn’t as for more! There is also a casino and a spa available at the Decameron resort.

Where is the Royal Decameron Beach Resort? It’s a beach front property, 90 minute drive from Panama City, a 45 minute drive from the Anton Valley. What’s also wonderful is that Nolitours will allow you to try out another of their other Panama hotels. You can stay for 5 days at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort, and then spend two other nights at either the eco Gamboa Rainforest Resort or the Radisson Decapolis in Panama City. Think of the advantages of this - you can visit both the beach and the city of Panama or experience eco tourism. If you find you like one of the other hotels better, on your next trip, you can stay in Panama at the hotel you prefer.

Prices for these packages vary from $999 to $1,759, depending on when you travel, if you have an ocean front suite or stay for a one week or two week package. Nolitours website can be seen at Nolitours.com.

The other travel company that offers travel to Panama packages is SunWing.ca. They offer more Panama hotel resort packages than Nolitours. Again, with their all inclusive deals to Panama includes your flight, your hotel, your food and beverages. They also allow you to try a couple of nights at a second hotel. SunWing also offers a fly now pay later opportunity called FlysunwingPayLater where you don’t have to pay for six months or you can pay equal payments from $26 per month. Sounds like fun and an easy way to afford a vacation in Panama.

SunWing’s cheapest all inclusive package is one week at the Playa Blanca Resort, located on the beach, 90 minutes from Panama City, just minutes away from ecological adventures if you are looking for a little bit of eco tourism and beach experience in your travel to Panama vacation.

SunWing also offers all inclusive deals where you can experience two different hotels in a one week vacation, such as the Playa Blanca for five nights and Crown Plaza Panama Hotel for two nights. You can rest and relax at the Playa Blanca Resort on the beach and then spend a couple of days exploring the excitement and shopping of Panama City. This particular all inclusive package price starts at $905 for the week in Panama. You can find out more information on their website at SunWing.ca or drop into your neighbourhood travel agency.

I can’t think of a better way to start exploring this new vacation destination to Panama than an all inclusive resort package – because the price is a bargain for one week, flight hotel and food. I’ll be looking around for more companies that offer all inclusive travel packages to Panama. But for now, for your use and research you now have a couple of companies which offer great prices for all inclusive resorts in Panama.

Photo courtesy Sunwing Travel

Your Vacation in Panama | Panama Republic Tourism

Not quite yet a “hot” tourist destination, Panama, the word which means “an abundance of butterflies and fish”, is slowly becoming an alternate choice for tourists seeking the sun for their winter vacations. This fact is resulting in an increase in Panama tourism. I started this blog on Panama because of my love of the Panama Republic. I love Panama City, its ambiance and excitement and the beaches so close to Panama City. And Panama’s location, between two oceans adds to the excitement. You can see the sun rise in the morning over one ocean and see the sun set on another.

Who knows why it took so long for tourists to start discovering Panama? Maybe it was because of the history, or that it was a bit farther than the other typical holiday destinations of the Caribbean islands or the mystique that is Panama. But tourists are just beginning to flock to Panama on their winter retreats from cold nasty weather.

Travel to Panama can be motivated by a number of reasons. Some people want to take a Panama Canal cruise, to discover and experience what is considered by many, the eighth wonder of the world. Truly an engineering marvel, the Panama Canal, constructed in the 20th century by the Americans, is a sight to experience and you can find any number of companies conducting Panama Canal cruises including Princess Cruises. If you are looking for a hotel that is close to the Panama Canal, you could try the Country Inn & Suites Amador. I heard of one guy who had travelled to Panama, just to see the Panama Canal because he considered it to be the one great adventure he had to have in his life. Everybody has their reasons to travel to Panama.

Another reason tourists are choosing Panama travel is that Panama offers wonderful beaches and virgin rainforests to explore. Hiking through the rainforests, observing nature where it is most unspoiled is an adventure many tourists to Panama are seeking. One luxury resort in Panama which makes it possible is the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. This all inclusive resort in Panama offers ecological tours to explore the rainforest, or you can board a tram to experience an aerial tour of the rainforest. Gamboa Rainforest Resort also offers fishing tours and is close to the Panama Canal. With many tourists seeking alternative eco-tourism, Panama offers another alternative.

Other tourism to Panama are those that want to visit the city of Panama, perhaps to visit the historic area of the city, known as El Cangrejo to go to the museums, see the old churches and cathedrals and architecture. Panama City itself is a blend of the old and the new, an urban center that is bustling with excitement, business, nightlife, the Latin- Caribbean lifestyle. Currently growing with many new building projects, the skyline is a jewel against the sky at night, overlooking the Gulf of Panama to the Pacific Ocean. Panama City offers fantastic shopping opportunities, great architecture, restaurants, bars and casinos. It is truly an exciting tourist destination and so close to the beach where there are many Panama city beach hotels, both in the city, close to the Panama Canal and near the white sandy beaches, unfettered by masses of tourists. Did you know that within a couple of hours, you can swim in two different oceans in Panama? Choosing from any of the vast number of hotels in Panama is easy because there are so many available to stay in from the small hostels like La Casa de Carmen to the high rise buildings in the city to the beach resorts such as the Royal Decameron Beach Resort or the Playa Blanca Beach Resort which is an hour and 15 minutes away from the city of Panama. So Panama offers a lot, blending both the old and the new, the urban lifestyle and the resort-like atmosphere.

It’s easy to travel to Panama. You can either book a Panama Canal cruise from many destinations, or fly there in only four to five hours from any number of states in the U.S., such as Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Newark, New York, Los Angeles, and Orlando. From Canada, you can fly either from Toronto or Montreal. Tour operators such as Sunwing.ca or Nolitours offer all inclusive vacations to Panama at a number of different resorts.

Tourists are looking for new destinations that are safe to travel to. Panama travel is increasing, offering unspoiled beaches, lush vegetation, friendly hospitable people, a rich cultural heritage, a tropical climate, wildlife and oceans to explore. Panama is a vacationer’s paradise, still somewhat relatively unknown and unexplored.

Gamboa Rainforest Resort in Panama

Rainforest Hotels and Resorts in Panama

For the more adventurous among us who want to experience eco tourism and the verdant rainforests of Panana and are looking for a luxury resort in Panama, I highly recommend the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. This 5 star luxury resort in Panama is right in the center of the Panamanian rain forest situated on the Panama Canal.

Situated in the Soberania National Park, the Gamboa Rainforest Resort is actually a half hour away from Panama City on the Pacific Coast side of Panama. Located on the shores of Gatun Lake and the Chagres River, the source of water for the Panama Canal. These are a part of Panama’s most valuable assets. It is also about a half hour from the Colon Free Zone.

The Gamboa Rainforest Resort which was built in 2000, has been created with the eco tourist and adventure seeking traveller in mind. It has been built to provide adventurous and educational experiences to its visitors. Exploring a rainforest is often a difficult task and here at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort they have made it all easier for guest to explore because the Gamboa Rainforest Resort is right in the center of it all – the attractions and tours are right at your doorstep.

This 5 star luxury resort in Panana has large modern hotel rooms with all the modern conveniences of a five star hotel resort in Panama City. The amenities of all the hotel rooms include satellite TV, mini bar, electronic safety deposit box, Crystal showers, hair dryers, make up mirror, iron and ironing board, coffee and coffee maker, fire protection systems, monogrammed robes and balconies with a view to the Chagres River. How wonderful it is to sit on your balcony to watch as the sun rises or sets, the sounds of the rainforest, the beauty of wild nature surrounding you and the of the opening or closing of another day in the rainforest.

For those also in search of beauty, relaxation and pampering, guests the visit the Gamboa Spa which is known worldwide. Every service you require is available, from massages, to skin care, facials, manicures and pedicures and many other services. After a long hike in the rainforest, I liked to go for a half hour massage at the spa to soothe my muscles.

For those that love sport fishing, fishing enthusiasts will find some of the greatest fresh water fishing in the world at the Chagres River and Gatun Lake. The Gamboa Rainforest Resort offers the services of their expert guides to catch some of the huge Peacock Bass in the waters.

A few minutes drive away from the resort, for the avid golfer, there is the Summit Gold Course. This is a World Class championship golf course of 18 Hole, par 72, 6,626 yards built by Gregori International designed by Jeffrey Myers.

Other facilities available at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort are wonderfulo freeform natural water pool, a fitness center, tennis courts which are lighted at night for those who want to play tennis at night, kayaks which are free for guests to use, jogging and cycling trails.

So if you have already experienced a Panama City beach hotel and wish to go back to Panama for another type of adventure in the country, the Gamboa Rainforest Resort will provide so much more to explore for those who want to experience eco tourism and the rainforests of Panama. Panama is a multifaceted country and is able to provide all types of vacation for all the different needs of tourists seeking the sun, the beach, the wilderness and adventure.