Gamboa Apartment Toucan y Studio Ñeque

We had a clean, comfortable apartment and a lovely patio. Agoutis wandered past pretty often, and every now and then a toucan showed up too. The people were really friendly and helpful.

The terrace was a lovely place to sit, and parking right outside was easy. Inside, the apartment was spacious and clean, with comfortable beds and a kitchen stocked with utensils in good condition. That came in handy because there aren’t restaurants nearby. Shop for groceries before arriving, though there is a small supermarket close by with some decent fresh produce. The pizzeria listed on Google nearby doesn’t actually exist. There are plenty of trails around Gamboa. On Pipeline Trail, you can park where the paved road ends and walk to the paid park. You’ll see just as much as going through the tollbooth, unless you want to pay $30 to see three hummingbirds and a river view, or $10 directly to a warden on the main trail, which doesn’t add anything interesting. Try Chunga Trail instead. It’s free, wild, and fairly short, with more wildlife and an Indiana Jones kind of feel. A boat trip to Monkey Island is also a must, absolutely magnificent.

The owner was away while we were there, so a caretaker was on site. They didn’t speak English, but we worked things out together with Google Translate. The apartment has a big, very comfortable bed, good air conditioning, and a tidy kitchen with everything we needed. They also leave a few basics like salt, pepper, sugar, and coffee. It’s in a residential neighborhood, but sitting in the garden feels like being surrounded by nature, with birds including a toucan and butterflies. There’s a bakery on the street behind it on weekends, and a small supermarket with a restaurant next door is an easy walk away.

Gamboa and the surrounding area are beautiful, especially if you’re into nature. The accommodation itself didn’t live up to its idyllic description. The garden looks out onto houses and gets no sun. We didn’t see any toucans, just agoutis, which seemed to have been fed and certainly ate there. The apartment felt worn and haphazardly furnished. The couch was barely usable because you slide forward, and there were only two small plates despite the place being set up for four. No hairdryer, kettle, or proper glasses, and the knives were completely blunt. Worst of all, the bed and towels were dirty, with stains on the towels that looked like blood. That was the limit for us. The Wi-Fi did work, though we had to unplug it once a day to get it going again. The price is absolutely not justified, and we can’t recommend staying here. The owner or landlord wasn’t there, and employees handled the welcome. They didn’t seem to consider that they were dealing with tourists. Language wasn’t an issue for us, but it was for others, including an American checking in at the same time who didn’t speak Spanish. The woman spoke loudly and quickly, as if the goal was to explain things, collect the money, and leave. That’s not much of a welcome.