Name: Punta Rica
Address: Bocas del Toro, Bastimentos, Punta Rica, Isla Bastimentos, Isla Bastimentos, Isla Bastimentos, 0101, Panama
Rating: 10

Smoking areas

Smoke-free property

Gift shop

Garden

Terrace

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General

Non-smoking rooms

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Diet menu (on request)

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Breakfast in the room

Bottled water

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Spanish

English

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Hiking

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Sun Deck

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No parking

Parking

Private beach

Next to the beach

Pool and beach

Diving

Cycling

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Beauty and wellness

Location

At the hotel

Bocas Del Toro

Punta Rica

Isla Bastimentos

I canr emphasis more about the previous review

On top what is amazing is that it so easy to go to and to book excursions from Punta Rica

In Bocas del Toro you just have to ask to go to Punta Rica and everybody knows where it is and it cost only a 3$ boat ride to get there

On top you can have much more details by searching Punta Rica Bastimentos

All the comments are right

Our stay at the Punta Rica Jungle Villa was fantastic. Elena, the manager took such good care of us and was really responsive via WhatsApp. She was warm and hospitable and the place was magical. She gave us great tips on things to do in the area, served us delicious breakfasts and dinners (her ceviche was outstanding and one night even made us a whole turkey dinner for Christmas!), and she made sure our accommodations were comfortable. We were lucky to be the only ones there during our 3 night stay, which made it feel like it was our own home. This is not the place to stay at if you are used to staying the Ritz. This is a beautifully decorated jungle vila that would appeal to people who love the outdoors and nature but appreciate a lovely place to stay. There is no sandy beach on the property but you could swim off the dock if you wanted to. We didn't spend our days there but went exploring. We were there over Christmas which made for some very loud celebrations from across the bay in Bastimento (music carries well across water). In the mornings, we were woken up by incredible bird calls and the occasional dog barking. You arrive at small dock by water taxi, then you walk up a jungle-laden path to the lodge which is surrounded by dense, beautiful foliage (this is not the place to stay if you have any walking issues — it wasn’t tough at all for us, but you do walk uphill for 2-3 minutes to get to the Villa.) You feel as though you are living in the tree house because of all the balconies, hammocks and huge open windows. We had zero issues with mosquitos and at night we sat around with our three kids (16, 20 & 23) and played Scrabble; during the day we had our adventures of scuba diving, snorkeling and trekking to find the famous Polo Beach. On our way, we took a wrong turn and ended up trekking through inches of mud which now, of course, makes for a good story. Advice: If you go to Polo Beach, just follow the beach path! We were happy when we actually found the beach and got to meet the elusive Polo who loaned us his machete so we could eat a coconut. On the way back we stopped at ate at the Red Frog Beach resort. We loved our time at Punta Rica and would highly recommend it. We loved our time at Punta Rica and would highly recommend it.

Rustic Luxury

Lush jungle filled with numerous birds, butterflies and the occasional visiting night monkeys surrounds the comfortable villa. Kick back in a hammock and you'll quickly forget wherever you're visiting from. Truly amazing is the food and hospitality at Punta Ricas. Elena is an incredible host. Her meals were gourmet and her company fantastic. It's hard to describe the geography of Bocas del Toro - only know that if you stay at Punta Ricas you'll enjoy boat trips between the islands and beaches as you'll be in a private setting on a hilltop. Elena arranged incredible tours for us at La Loma, Starfish Beach, Cayo Zapatilla and more. The plant, marine and wildlife in Bocas del Toro are amazing. Local guides like Salsa ( a boat driver) and Kelly (at LaLoma) are incredible. Our three children ages 13, 11, and 9 loved their experience and can't wait to visit again. It's a truly special place.

A Super Cool Stay

Our family of four just spent 4 very cool days at Punta Rica Jungle Villa in Bocas.  If you are reading this review, then you must already be thinking seriously about two major decisions for a vacation: Going to Panama and Spending Time in Bocas del Toro.  If so, then you should also know that overall Panama is still developing its tourism infrastructure (not yet at Costa Rica standards) and that Bocas del Toro as a region is fragmented, somewhat isolated, most of the beaches are not safe for swimming (tourists drown every year in the riptides), and biting insects are everywhere.  I would consider Bocas an adventure destination and NOT a beach vacation.  
And so, if you know all this and still want to go, then I would highly recommend Punta Rica Jungle Villa, which is really like a B&B in the jungle. Our hosts Elena and Collette could not have been nicer, greeting us with hugs on arrival and made us feel like guest in their home.  The eco-lodge is beautiful with large comfortable rooms (for a jungle villa!), and the food (included) was simply outstanding.  But it is an eco-lodge and relies on solar power.  After 24 hours of clouds/rain, we ran out of electricity for about 12 hours (not a big deal, really, but a little inconvenient). While there are sketchy businesses offering tours all over the main island in Bocas Town, you do not need to investigate this at all.  Elena works closely with two boat captains who will take you anywhere in the archipelago you want to and will customize each day to your interests and schedule at the same price as the tour companies that pack you onto boats like sardines.  The weather changes by the minute, and you have to live in the moment.  The villa has a dock but was not swimmable when we were there due to intermittent heavy rain causing murky water, and you do need to take a boat everywhere, ranging from a 10 minute ride to the main island to 45 minutes to Zapatilla Cays, beautiful undeveloped islands off the coast of Bastimentos.  
Do your research in advance because not everything you read about Bocas on the tourism websites is accurate, so know what you are getting into.  That said, our 15 and 12 year old, who have traveled all over the world, really enjoyed the experience and rated the trip very highly.  We saw other hotels/resorts all over the area on multiple islands, but I cannot honestly say we would not have chosen any of them over Punta Rica.  It was a truly memorable experience.

Off-the-Grid Adventure at a Lovely Villa

We've just come back from our stay in Bocas and could have not chosen a better place! ... The hostesses Elena and Naima are so wonderful they anticipate anything you need to feel at home. They even went our of their way to accommodate our ten months old baby! Looooooved Punta Ricas! 

Wonderful stay! The best staff! 

We spent four nights in October and couldn't have enjoyed it more.  The room is precisely what you think of when you envision a jungle villa with beautiful views over the forest and bay.  Isolated but a quick boat ride from everything.  The food was fantastic and the service superb, welcoming and friendly.  We spent our days snorkeling from the private dock, kayaking across the bay to the "private" beach and reef at Hospital Point, walking across the island to Red Frog and a boat tour to the Marine National Park.

Punta Rica

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