Why Condé Nast Traveler Named Nayara Bocas del Toro #1

The overwater dream, closer to home

The same overwater dream as the Maldives, but closer, richer, and more alive.

For decades, the overwater bungalow belonged to the Maldives, Bora Bora, and Tahiti. But 20-hour flights, jet lag, and heavy carbon footprints turned the fantasy into a contradiction, and once there, the beauty often narrows into repetition: a beach holiday of sand and sea. Bocas is different. Coral gardens glow beneath your deck, mangroves stretch into the sea, and tropical rainforest meets reef. That biodiversity is why we are known as the Galapagos of the Caribbean, and it has just been recognized.

Nayara Bocas del Toro has been named the number one resort in Central America in the Conde Nast Traveler 2025 Readers' Choice Awards. The recognition signals a shift: today's traveler no longer measures luxury in miles flown. From the U.S., the travel time to Panama averages one-third that of the Maldives, which means less stress, fewer connections, and more sunsets that actually belong to you. The future of overwater luxury now belongs to a private island in Panama, built entirely for romance and entirely off-grid. And it floats on the Caribbean, not the Indian Ocean.

A place that evolved without losing itself

This year, more than 757,000 travelers took part in the 38th annual Readers' Choice Awards, one of the most trusted recognitions in global travel. It is not just a ranking. It is a reflection of how travelers see the future of luxury: authentic, sustainable, and firmly rooted in Panama.

Not long ago, Bocas del Toro was known mainly to backpackers and surfers chasing empty breaks, remote and mostly unplugged. Then something rare happened: it began to evolve without losing itself. Forbes called it "about to become the coolest place on Earth," a statement not about hype but transformation. Over the past five years, Panama has quietly invested in infrastructure that supports low-impact tourism: upgraded air connections from Panama City, a modernized hospital on Isla Colon, fiber-optic connectivity, and a planned airport expansion designed for sustainable traffic rather than mass tourism. A separate Conde Nast Traveler feature called it "a place evolving at its own pace." Unlike islands that surrendered to overdevelopment, Bocas merges exclusivity with ecology.

Overwater villas built for privacy

Proximity turns honeymoons from logistical marathons into effortless escapes, and anniversaries into long weekends rather than week-long expeditions. It gives the gift of time, which may be the most valuable currency of romance.

Bocas is proudly adults-only, and that choice shapes everything. The villas are not just overwater. They are private sanctuaries designed for couples, each with a plunge pool, a wrap-around deck, and a ladder descending straight into the Caribbean. Romance here is not staged. It is built into the architecture, the landscape, and the rhythm of the resort.

A new standard for all-inclusive

The term all-inclusive often conjures buffets, wristbands, and overcrowded beaches. A new era is emerging, built on elevated experience rather than uniformity. The Zoe Report frames the shift: as a luxury experience, it is best described as all-encompassing rather than all-inclusive.

You will not find lines. You will find a private island where comfort, cuisine, and connection coexist without compromise, so couples can focus on each other, not logistics. Every meal is fine dining, every drink is hand-crafted, and the kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkel gear are not checked out. They are simply waiting at your villa.

Treehouses in the rainforest canopy

While the overwater villas bring you to the sea, our luxury treehouses, suspended 50 feet up, carry you into the forest. Conceived by the design studio IBUKU, each was crafted from hardwood salvaged from the bottom of the Panama Canal, a material that lends both strength and a tie to Panama's history.

Wellness rises with the new Calibri Treehouse Spa: couples' massages in the canopy, yoga where light filters through the leaves, and rituals built on native cacao, volcanic mud, and tropical botanicals. The Maldives, Bora Bora, and Tahiti will always inspire, but they are oceans away. Bocas offers the same dream, closer, richer, and designed entirely for romance.

Being named the number one resort in Central America confirms what we have always believed: romance, sustainability, and immersion belong together.