Popa Paradise Beach Resort – “A Luxury Hotel in Bocas del Toro, Panama”

Popa Paradise Beach Resort is a 16-room luxury hotel located in the Bocas del Toro, Panama. Popa Paradise Beach Resort was conceived to provide guests with “barefoot luxury”. The resort has strive to create, with minimal disturbance of the natural environment, a resort that showcases the natural beauty of the Bocas Islands. Set within a relaxed and friendly ambiance that reflects the local culture, Popa Paradise is an oasis. Popa Paradise Beach Resort is the most exclusive of the Bocas del Toro hotels.

Popa Paradise specializes in barefoot luxury. Put simply, this means we foster a relaxed Caribbean atmosphere, where the service is still personal and professional. We offer high-end accommodations, delicious food, luxurious facilities, and attention-to detail that luxury travelers are accustomed to. The staff is trained to anticipate the needs and wants of our guests and enjoy revealing their hidden corner of the Caribbean. Popa Paradise is a gem amongst hotels in Panama.

Popa Paradise Beach Resort has a sister hotel  Bocas Paradise Hotel on Isla Colon in Bocas Town.

General Information

Popa Paradise Beach Resort offers an exquisite location, fronted by a white-sand beach and crystal-clear waters, backed by lush, tropical rainforest, accommodates various styles of accommodations offering high end amenities.  This unique setting enhances your experience of the immense beauty of the Caribbean coast of Panama like no other.

Accommodations range from ten individual casitas, with satellite television, air-conditioning, and private balconies to a group of five attached cottages, with simple fresh decorations and private bathrooms, perfect for small groups or moderate budget travelers.  For the high end traveler, we offer a two-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse, with a full-service kitchen, wrap-around balcony, and living-room and dining area.  On the first floor are two individual executive suites with kitchenettes.  If it weren’t for the sound of the waves lapping onto the beach, you may feel right at home.

If the enchantment of island life is not enough, the resort offers a range of activities for  guests from massage and spa services to kayaks for exploring the deserted beaches that neighbor our property, to snorkel gear for discovering the reefs that lie just off our shore.   They also offer unique private boat tours to places like the Zapatillas Cays and Dolphin Bay, as well as many other “secret” Bocas del Toro attractions.

The Clubhouse & Pool

Being a hotel in Panama Popa Paradise Resort wanted to offer Panamanian style architecture with the modern convenience of your home.

The centerpiece of the resort is the 5,000 square foot clubhouse. With its red tile roof and high ceilings, plastered walls, and dark native hardwoods it is a perfect blend of modern convenience and traditional Panamanian style architecture. The entire clubhouse is outfitted out with high speed WI-FI internet access.

The building houses the comfortable reception area, gift shop with locally-made Ngobe jewelry and clothing, activities room with pool table, 56 inch flat screen HDTV with satellite and DVD library, and ping pong table.

Popa Paradise Resort also has a separate attached spa for manicures, pedicures or massage that opens to a beautiful view across a grassy valley to the rainforest beyond.  Next to the spa is the business center, with internet access and facilities for international phone calls.

In addition there is a beautiful modern kitchen and dining area, plus a bar. The great room in the center of the building has a relaxed airy atmosphere with comfy chairs and couches with a decor that features native artifacts and pottery. The clubhouse has cool tile floors and large folding hardwood and glass doors custom made locally that open during the day to allow the cool ocean breezes to flow through the building. There are large, wide covered porches with more relaxing furniture that extend all along the front which provides a great shaded viewpoint of the pool and ocean.

A series of pathways lead through the lawns to the large pool and separate kid’s splash pool that have been lovingly designed and constructed by Kelly and Amy Johnson, the owners of the famous Maui pool building company Pono Pools. The pool features a 100% mirror edge with swim up bar, shaded palapa and a waterfall feature to laze under. Surrounded by mature coconut palms, the half circle design faces out to the ocean and allows you to swim to the edge and look out to the blue Caribbean water beyond.

Popa Paradise Resort  hotel’s pool is open to day guests at a day fee of $10 per person before 12 noon and $5 per person after 12 noon. The pool is closed to day guests after 5pm.

Popa Paradise Bistro and Bar

The resort’s chef offers a healthy, balanced and mouth-watering menu inspired by local ingredients and influenced by Latin flavors. A complimentary breakfast buffet is provided everyday, with fresh fruit, home-made granola, fresh juices, and home-made breads. Each meal takes advantage of the proximity to the ocean and its incredible bounty as well as local farmers employing organic and sustainable practices. The resort’s chef can cater to a variety of dietary restrictions or food allergies.

In addition to eating off the menu, Popa Paradise Bistro offers a Chef’s Tasting. This four-course meal is paired with wines chosen by the Chef and utilizes the freshest of ingredients for a culinary journey of the senses. Popa Paradise Beach Resort also offers romantic private dinners, with personal waiter service in a location of the guests’ choice (on their casita veranda or candle-lit on the beach, for example).

The bar is accessible by the pool as a swim-up bar, or with comfortable bar tables and stools, hewn out of local trees and recycled wood on the land-side. The bartenders serve up exciting cocktails and fresh smoothies, with Caribbean familiarity and Latin flair. Add one of the resort’s special cocktails to your favorite drinks list! The resort also has a variety of wines on offer, chosen as accompaniments to the food served by the Bistro.

Accommodation and Resort Grounds

Amongst the many hotels in Panama, Popa Paradise Resort offers a variety of accommodations, making the small resort, the most diverse of the Bocas del Toro hotels.

Popa Paradise offers ten individual casitas, five attached lodge rooms, two luxury suites and the penthouse, all with ocean views.

The casitas are free-standing, individual suites with King or Queen size beds with a pull out twin bed, all offering full bathrooms with hot and cold water, air conditioning, television with satellite SKY TV service, DVD players, beautiful custom hardwood furniture and large shaded porches for enjoying the ocean view and breezes.

The Executive Suites are on the bottom floor of the resort’s beautiful house on the point. These rooms are larger and have small kitchenettes. The Executive Suites have a king bed in the room with a pull out twin bed and a futon. They also have wraparound porches with views of the ocean on two sides.

The Penthouse is located on the top floor of the house on the point. It has one main bedroom and a second small bedroom for children or one adult, a living room, two bathrooms and a full kitchen. There is a beautiful wrap-around balcony that looks out over the ocean on three sides.

The lodge rooms are the resort’s more economical accommodations. These rooms are facing the ocean and are just a short walk from the beach. They have a table with chairs and a bench outside the room – perfect for watching the beautiful sun rises here on Popa Island! All the lodge rooms have their own private bathroom and fan in the room. There is no AC or television in these rooms however we do have a big screen television in the Clubhouse for our guests.

This is all fronted by a private sandy beach that is protected from the ocean swells by two barrier coral reefs.  Popa Paradise Resort’s main beach is 1,100 feet of golden white sand and a small tree topped outcrop island at its northern end. This outcrop can be reached by a causeway and stairs that lead to a panoramic view of the surrounding islands and coastline, including a gazebo for guests’ enjoyment, weddings, yoga practice or private massages.

Resort grounds consist of approximately twenty-five acres of grassy rolling low hills interspersed with a mixture of giant mature hardwood trees and various types of palm trees. This provides a picturesque blend of shade and ocean views from all parts of the property. Beyond the outcrop island is a small sandy cove called “Lover’s Cove” for its beauty and seclusion. Further along the shore is another small sandy beach with access to a third long, sandy beach beyond.

Off the shore about 200 yards is a coral reef that is just a few feet below the surface at low tide. This barrier creates the calm waters on the beaches and makes swimming a safe activity for all guests. The reef itself is living coral that provides a habitat for dozens of species of marine life, including all manner of tropical fish and docile nurse sharks and eagle rays. The clear waters are perfect for snorkeling. Swim, kayak, snorkel or have one of the guides assist you when exploring this splendid underwater garden.

At the rear of the property is the majestic primary rainforest that blankets the majority of Isla Popa with its huge hardwood trees towering into the forest canopy. The resort’s southern border is defined by a stream that runs into the ocean and the fresh water acts as a focus that draws diverse wildlife. There are an abundant series of pathways to explore the property and a jungle trail that leads into the primary rainforest.

Activities

Popa Paradise offers a wide selection of Caribbean vacation packages designed to allow guests to experience all facets of these beautiful, sparsely populated islands within Bocas del Toro. The resort can tailor your experience to your specific needs, or you can join in a planned activity. All of the off-site excursions are at an extra price and are weather dependent. We will make sure that you will cruise Panama in style.

Water Activities

Explore the undersea world

The snorkeling here is spectacular, with crystal clear waters that average 82 degrees year round. Snorkel gear is available free to guests and the fun starts right off the beach. Like a giant aquarium, clouds of colorful tropical fish inhabit the reefs. Lobster and crab populate the crevices. Larger pelagic fish patrol the slightly deeper water fronting the reef system. Don’t be surprised to see turtles, a big amberjack, harmless nurse sharks, or a playful dolphin cruise through! From beginner through advanced swimmers, snorkeling in the Caribbean reefs can keep you busy for weeks.

Kayak Safari

Popa Paradise Resort maintains a fleet of single and double kayaks and there are literally miles upon miles of calm waters to explore right from the resort’s shore. Sandy beaches, abundant coral heads, and tiny islands are all in waters less than 15 feet deep. Disappear for a half or full day and lose yourself in the beauty of it all in a kayak. The resort can even pack an ice chest with snacks, a lunch, and cold drinks for your kayak cruising pleasure. All this just steps from your cottage door.

Kayak Fishing

The resort has all the gear for kayak fishing, all you have to do is get the fish to eat! Great fishing starts right off the beach. There are too many species to name them all here, but our favorites are snapper, grouper, and barracuda. Nothing more fun than kayak fishing the outer reefs.

Guided Fishing

The resort has a shaded panga for guided Panama fishing trips. Bocas fishing ranges from reef fishing and trolling outside our offshore reef, to fly fishing the islands sandy shallows. Gumercindo, the resort’s local Ngobe Panama fishing guide and captain, grew up fishing these waters from a cayuco, a dugout canoe. He knows every hotspot for miles and loves to share his knowledge. When the resort’s send clients off with Gumey, they know you will eat well that night!

Surfing in Bocas del Toro

Bocas del Toro surfing is some of the best surfing in the world because it is the most diverse of the Panama islands offering a wide variety of surf spots from beach breaks to clean point breaks. Clear, warm waters and green tropical islands provide the canvas for days of shredding the best waves in the Caribbean Sea. For beginners, Popa Paradise can arrange a day of learning with skilled instructors. For advanced surfers, the boat captain will take you to un-crowded breaks and empty lineups where you can surf the channel between the many Bocas islands.

Land Activities

Popa Paradise offers a variety of on-island activities as well. The resort has a variety of board games and ball games, on offer for guests. They also have a pool table and ping-pong. The resort has a beach volleyball court, great for sunset games with the staff.
The resort’s  jungle trail, leads into primary rainforest, where you can see green tree frogs, sloths and birds, is a great activity to do as well. The resort provides the Wellington boots and Indio guide.

Popa Paradise Resort’s spa offers manicures, pedicures and massages by appointment.

Families

Popa Paradise Beach Resort is a perfect facility for anything from small family vacations to family reunions.  Babysitting is offered on-site, freeing up nights for romantic dinners, or days for snorkeling and excursions. We also have a variety of activities to keep children entertained, whether it be pool activities, or swimming in the gentle ocean, shelling, or exploring nature in the jungle trails, kids never seem to find an end to the fun here.

Weddings

Popa Paradise is the destination in Bocas del Toro for a tropical, fantasy beach wedding.  Whether it is a barefoot beach wedding ceremony or a formal tux and tails event, the staff and facilities are more than happy to accommodate all your needs. The resort has an on-site wedding coordinator who can arrange all the details of your wedding.  Contact us for availability and begin planning your wedding package in paradise today!

Off-Site Excursions

Join us on one of our day trips around the area and explore the beautiful outer Panama islands that create the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Below are a few examples of the Panama travel trips we have been offering to guests. They can all be customized based upon your needs and desires and are priced accordingly. We provide a packed lunch, snacks and beverages for our guests and a guide. All of our day island trips are weather dependent.

The Zapatilla Cays

A part of the Bastimentos Marine National Park and just two miles off our beach lie the incomparable Zapatilla Cays. These are two deserted Panama islands each about a mile long, ringed by sandy beaches, virgin reefs, and some of the clearest water known to man. Imagine – hardly a soul in sight, wandering the shoreline in search of shells or following nature trails in the interior. Gently swaying palms provide shade for your lounge chair, ice chest, and personally prepared lunch and refreshment choices. Eat your heart out Robinson Crusoe; this is what the Popa Paradise experience is all about!

Bastimentos Island

Located a few miles to the north of the resort, Bastimentos is the largest island of the Bocas del Toro archipelago. It is sparsely populated, there are no roads, and primary rainforest descends to all shores. The shores facing Popa and the Caribbean Sea feature several miles of sandy beaches and rocky shoreline perfect for a picnic or sunset stroll. Tour Salt Creek, a native Ngobe Bugle village, and shop for native crafts, or we can arrange a trip through the jungle to Playa Larga beach where the shelling can be fabulous!

Dolphin Bay and Snorkeling

Get your cameras out, as we head over to Dolphin Bay, a playground and natural sanctuary for our underwater cousins. Keep an eye out for the dolphins as their natural curiosity and need for fresh air drive them to the surface for excellent photo opportunities. After a break for a picnic lunch on the boat, we head over to Crawl Key, to snorkel from the boat over pristine reef in calm waters.

Land & Sea Tour

This tour provides insight to Bocas del Toro below and above the waterline. First stop is the indigenous village of Popa Dos, known by its Guyami name Sandubidi. The Ngobe-Bugle villagers are our closest neighbors and their resident fisherman provide a majority of our food here at the resort. We tour the Ngobe-Bugle village, accompanied by the American Peace Corps Volunteer who lives there and can even take a hike up to a lookout on Isla Popa. A local women’s group provides jewelry and sometimes a cooked meal to showcase the local culture. After our visit, we head over to Crawl Cay to do some snorkeling, one of the highlights of any visit to Bocas del Toro.

Bocas Town

The gateway to the archipelago, Bocas Town is a funky Caribe town that has a unique blend of Creole, Panamanian, and international influences. We can arrange a shuttle to let you enjoy the warm friendly atmosphere of town, do some shopping, and perhaps grab a meal at one of the many fine waterfront restaurants. It’s a great town to watch people , meet fellow adventurers, and watch the boats go by. Popa Paradise Resort sister hotel, Bocas Paradise Hotel is built over the water and offers 30 rooms, an incredible restaurant, and a wonderful bar with some of the best views in Bocas. It sets the bar for Bocas accommodations!

Customized Tours

Snorkeling and beach combing at Playa Polo, checking out the hordes of starfish at Starfish Beach, birdwatching at Isla Pajaro (Bird Island), exploring bat caves at Isla Bastimentos, dancing to reggae in the Afro-Caribe town of Old Bank, or surfing at some of the best spots in the Carribean Sea. We have a number of exciting and incredible adventure tours to offer based on your desires. During your stay, you will have a chance to chat with Jermain, our resident tour guide, for customizable adventure tours.

Reserve this hotel: info@panamatravelgroup.com

+507-399-9830 (Panama)   |    1-786-539-4731 (USA)