Palmar Beach Lodge

We are just wrapping up eight wonderful days at the lovely Palmar Resort celebrating our wedding anniversary. The grounds are lush and lovely, and very well kept. It is about a 10-15 minute walk from the Red Frog Beach shortcut boat dock to the resort. The pathway is primarily sand, which may not be the best for rolling luggage, but if you call ahead, you can have someone assist you by taking your luggage in a wheelbarrow. When you reach the resort itself, you will be greeted with a view of the absolutely magnificent, white sand beach. Check-in is a breeze; the staff at Palmar is exceedingly accommodating and friendly. We stayed in Capuchin, a second story villa. It is private and quiet. The room was well equipped for our week’s stay, with a comfortable bed and hot water with good pressure in the shower. Housekeeping services were provided daily with good quality linens and bath towels. While you can take a water taxi (US$8 one way) to Bocas town for dining, know that the resort restaurant is very good, with a varied menu accommodating carnivore, vegan, and vegetarian diets. The staff is very helpful setting up tours and excursions. We particularly liked the day trip to Isla Escudo de Veraguas, and the two hour night time bioluminescence tour. At the beach, there are plenty of lounge chairs and nightly activities. The bar area has board games. We would come back to Palmar in a heartbeat.

Amazing experience. Our family of 6 adults stayed here for a week. We stayed in the hostel cabin Cacao. It has individual beds each with their own fan, light, blackout/privacy curtains, and a window. It has a big bathroom with two showers, sinks, and toilets. The AC was cold and appreciated! It is extensive to get there from Texas and we experienced some hiccups: our flight in Atlanta was delayed and we had little time to make our connection, our flight in Panama City to Bocas Del Toro was delayed and then we had to turn back to let some ppl off, once on Red Frog Beach the ppl in front of us took our scheduled wheelbarrow men so we had to drag our suitcases to the front desk, and upon check in our credit card didn’t work (fixed w a phone call). The cabin was clean, large, and a new experience! The employees are the pearls of the vacation. Everyone was kind and helpful. The beach itself is the kind of beach to spend all day playing in the waves. The waves can be smooth and then there are three in a row that can be ridden to the shore. There are no shells to cut your feet, no itchy seaweed, nor jellyfish like at the other hotel. There is an active lifeguard who will blow his whistle if he sees something! The food is upscale and delicious! The waitstaff are very kind and efficient. Breakfast starts at 8 but there is help yourself hot coffee at the bar. I was surprised at the police being there. Not doing anything but making their presence known. We met numerous solo women from Germany. We had a lot of cash we left in our room and not a penny was missing. We felt safe. Try and get an excursion. We went on a jungle hike, offshore fishing, swimming with the bioluminescence plankton, and a day trip to Zapatilla. Use the Palmar dock. If you use the other hotel’s dock during the day, they charge $5 each person/each way. The other hotel has a little store that sells a few drinks and snacks. Make sure to count your change! The Palmer has wonderful massages available. We had them during a rainstorm. It was magical!! There is a long walk to Polo beach. The walk is enjoyable but Polo beach isn’t that great. There is a very strong current and sharp shells. I’d recommend bringing strong flashlights. You’ll need one at night. It’s pitch black and the stars are bright and plentiful. We looked forward to a walk every night to the other hotel. It’s about 20 minutes and fun to look for nocturnal creatures. Your phone’s flashlight won’t be enough. I hope this helps somebody plan your trip. Expect a hiccup and then let it goooo.