Isla Palenque

Style

Palm-shaded casitas

Setting

Pacific-island wilderness

On a private island off Panama’s Pacific coast, Isla Palenque is an eco-conscious escape centred on just nine peaceful, beach-bound, jungle-shaded suites. Playa Palenque’s powder-soft sands are pristine, backed by acres of rainforest to explore on a hike or observe from your hammock. Swim or snorkel its crystal waters, kayak through mangroves, go whale watching (late-August to October) or reel in catfish and snapper on an idyllic fishing trip – and feast on your catch that same day. Or remain on-resort for rum teachings (and tastings, of course), tropical dance classes or a Panamanian cookery course at the blissful, everything-local-by-default Las Rocas restaurant.

Facilities

Rooms

Eight suites and one private villa.

Checkout

11am. Earliest check-in, 2pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability.

More Details

Full-board rates include three meals a day, soft drinks and snacks.

Also

A buyout – where you and up to 29 friends have the island exclusively to yourselves – is an option.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

At the Hotel

Pool, restaurant, bar, hammock lounge, paddleboards and kayaks to borrow. In rooms: iPad (in casitas), free WiFi, yoga mat, block and meditation cushion, binoculars and field guides, cafetière, kettle, free tea and coffee, refillable water bottles, minibar, organic bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

With its beachfront location, inviting infinity pool and sociable layout, the exclusive Villa Estate on Playa Primera is the golden ticket for groups or large families. For couples or smaller families, Playa Palenque’s casitas are equally pleasing – contemporarily furnished with indoor/outdoor ensuites and made-for-lounging gardens that offer utter peace and privacy.

Poolside

Set back from Playa Palenque, the palm-fringed freshwater pool has stepped entry and a handful of made-for-two cabanas on one side of the deck and a hammock-strewn thatch-roofed lounge, open to the sea breeze. There’s a lifeguard on duty and you can dip from 7am until 10pm. Wooden steps give access to the infinity pool at the Beachfront Villa Estate which – at living-room level – offers sea views over Playa Primera and cascades into a smaller pool on the lower deck, edged by an open-sided rancho lounge.

Spa

There’s no spa at Isla Palenque but you can enjoy a massage or facial using local, organic spa products in the privacy of your own garden.

Packing Tips

Isla Palenque is an island idyll you’ll want to waft around barefoot – so pack floaty kurtas, kaftans and sarongs; this really is a swimwear-all-day kind of stay.

Also

Laundry service is available at extra cost. This sandy-pathed, remote property isn’t wheelchair-accessible.

Children

Very welcome. Extra beds and cots can be added to casitas, or book the Beachfront Villa Estate if travelling with a larger group.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

At Las Rocas, tables where the sunset view is unimpinged hold obvious appeal. For a truly romantic dinner for two, the hotel can set up a table and chairs under a thatched shelter on Playa Palenque and attend you there.

Dress Code

In keeping with the home-from-home feel, there’s no need to dress for dinner – although a loose-fitting shirt for Mr Smith and a dress and chunky jewellery for Mrs Smith won’t look out of place either.

Hotel Restaurant

Looking onto Playa Palenque, Las Rocas is an open-sided rancho, where wooden tables and chairs sit beneath a vaulted thatched ceiling strung with woven pendant lampshades. The menu is packed with refined Panamanian dishes, alongside more familiar plates such as homemade pasta and burgers. Try tamal de olla (a Panamanian take on tamales cooked in a casserole), tacos piled high with fresh seafood, and ceviche prepared with the catch of the day. The menu changes to make the most of seasonal Panamanian produce and features fruit, veg and herbs from the island’s organic kitchen garden.

Hotel Bar

Make sure you’re at the bar in time for sundowners; the eye-catching ceiling lights in Las Rocas bar change colour in sync with the setting sun. As you’d expect from a drinking den that offers mixology classes, cocktails are the focus here and you can order your drink by mood and let Benny and his staff do the rest.

Last Orders

Breakfast is served 7.30–10am; lunch between 12 noon and 2pm; dinner, from 7pm until 9pm, which is also when the bar closes.

Room Service

The menu mirrors what's available from Las Rocas, but during busy times may be scaled back, as resources allow.

Planes

Tocumen International Airport is the nearest hub in Panama City. From there it’s a 50-minute connecting flight to Enrique Malek Airport in David. The hotel can arrange onward transfers by road (60 minutes; extra cost) and boat (15 minutes).

Trains

No rail services operate in this region of Panama.

Automobiles

Wheels are best left behind for a stay on this private island where barefoot-over-sand is the preferred mode of transport and any driving can be done for you.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

All suites come with yoga equipment, so discover a platform among the coconut palms or head early to Playa Primera for sun salutations at dawn. Take a guided hike with an expert in either the island’s history or wildlife. Trek through the jungle up to a bluff above the beach to witness the Punta Ballena blowhole at work on the rocks below. Harvest island fruit and veg fresh from the jungle and try fishing the old-fashioned way on a guided foraging trip – the haul from which chef will craft into supper. Go rock hiking to learn about the island’s tide pools, try a spot of rock fishing or head out on a boat to learn game fishing in these abundant waters. Island hopping comes in many guises – either on a boat tour, complete with snorkeling and a picnic, or from the water by paddleboard or kayak. Further afield, mainland tours offer a chance to explore coffee country and highland villages. More sedate pursuits include pastry workshops with chef and mixology classes. Then there are the seasonal delights of whale watching between late August and October when, from Playa Palenque, you can see humpbacks and their calves breaching.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .