Island Plantation

You come here for the jungle and the beach, not the city lifestyle or convenience. It’s a trek to get to this spot halfway down Playa Bluff, but it sits right on an amazing beach, surrounded by jungle. You hear birds and monkeys along with the powerful shorebreak on Playa Bluff. The property was designed and built with a vision. Things aren’t perfect, and it’s not a Hyatt or Four Seasons, but that’s part of the point. The jungle and rain take over buildings, cars, and everything else, yet they also connect you to something real. It was a great experience all around, with great service. Highly recommend.

Juan, one of the owners, made a big difference to our stay. From the time we booked, he arranged taxis from the port, helped plan island-hopping tours, and checked in on WhatsApp when we were stuck in town late one evening to make sure we got back safely. It felt clear that he really cares about his guests. The housekeeping team kept our room spotless and refreshed it while we were out without disturbing us. We also loved meeting Luca, their energetic, lovable puppy. Say hi when you visit! We stayed in the Overlooking Beach King Suite, and the upgrade was worth it: spacious, comfortable, and well placed to enjoy the view. The property is on a quiet, beautiful beach surrounded by greenery, and feels peaceful as soon as you arrive. The pool is relaxing and the rooms are clean. BomBom Café is right in front of the hotel and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food is good and reasonably priced, though there isn’t much choice compared with restaurants in town, especially for seafood or variety. The drinks were the best I had during my Panama trip, and worth stopping for on their own. They’re a complete bomb. Island Plantation is a gem, with a beautiful setting, quiet beach, great service, wonderful people, and a warm, welcoming feel. We enjoyed every moment and would happily come back.

The gardens and pool area are beautiful, the rooms are lovely and full of character, and the location is amazing. The staff are first class and made the trip memorable, especially Moses, Alfred, and Javier at the restaurant. Moses really stood out. Juan Carlos also did an excellent job making sure everything went well. We’ll definitely be back.

The beach bar and restaurant serves breakfast through dinner, just steps from the breaking surf. Our pool was right outside the room door, and looked fairly new, with natural jungle landscaping around it. The manager, Juan Carlos, was very attentive to anything we needed. We spent four nights at Island Plantation on Colon Island. It was one of the best hotel experiences we’ve had anywhere. The rooms were large and impeccably clean, with a very comfortable bed. Island Plantation felt like as nice a resort as you’ll find in Panama, at half the price of a luxury resort. The people were the nicest too.