The Private Island Paradise of Bocas del Toro

The Galapagos of the Caribbean

In short: Nayara Bocas del Toro is an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on its own private island in Panama's Bocas del Toro archipelago, where coral reef, mangrove forest, and lowland rainforest intersect. Overwater villas, IBUKU treehouses, a century-old Balinese restaurant, and the world's first aerial beach sit a 30-minute private boat ride from Bocas Town, itself about an hour's flight from Panama City.

In the heart of Bocas del Toro, the archipelago dubbed the "Galapagos of the Caribbean," Nayara Bocas del Toro sits where land and sea converge. The islands intersect three distinct ecosystems, coral reefs, mangrove forest, and tropical lowland rainforest, and the biodiversity that earned the archipelago its nickname surrounds the resort on every side.

Below the surface, tropical fish of every hue populate the reefs, and each dip reveals a complex ecosystem working around every corner. Ashore, some of the largest rainforests in Central America shelter the wildlife that draws travelers here in the first place. And on Isla Frangipani, we've built a private island of treehouses and overwater villas that places you in the middle of all of it.

Isla Frangipani: where reef, mangrove, and rainforest meet.

Sunrise Over Sea

First light from the deck: plunge pool, coffee, and the fish below.

As the first light of dawn filters through the curtains of your overwater villa, you wake to the soft lapping of the Caribbean below. Out on the deck, a plunge pool and a freshly brewed coffee start the morning, with fish visible just beneath the surface. Then a stir in the water: a school of eagle rays gliding into view, circling under the villa where the glass pane in the bedroom floor catches them mid-turn.

Later, a paddleboard traces the island's coastline, and a pod of dolphins arrives to investigate, darting beneath the board before continuing their morning rounds. That is an ordinary start to a day here. The archipelago's waters hold dolphins, turtles, rays, and the starfish that gave Starfish Bay its name, and most mornings put at least one of them in front of you.

Answering the Call to Adventure

Sea kayaking, snorkeling, paddleboarding, sailing, surfing, and diving, all from the island.

For nature at its own pace, join a bioluminescence tour under the cover of night, set sail for Monkey Island and Starfish Bay, or head to Red Frog Beach and the bat caves. A private boat captain can take you further still, into calm waters and quiet inlets, to see Bocas del Toro the way the locals see it.

For an adrenaline rush, ride the waves at Isla Carenero, a surf break renowned among enthusiasts, or dive shipwrecks and reefs across the dozens of sites that make Bocas a destination for divers of all levels. On shore, explore the main islands by e-bike or ATV, or head out on a fishing excursion into these rich waters.

The full range is in our catalog of experiences, and to balance any day of adventure, the spa menu runs from massages to treatments best enjoyed with the ocean breeze moving through the villa.

"The entry to the water is like entering a swimming pool, only the ocean is your pool. It seemed so real only moments ago, but this is something different, something special."

Dan Behm, on Kupu Kupu Beach

The Elephant House and the Coral Café

The Elephant House: a 100-year-old Balinese structure, transported halfway around the world.

Ingredients for every meal are drawn from the islands, the sea, and the surroundings, and the kitchen crafts a new dinner menu every night of the week: hand-selected meats, seafood pulled directly from these waters, and fresh organic produce, elevated by technique refined around the world.

The setting matches the plate. The Elephant House is a century-old Balinese structure transported halfway around the world, where lobster and a chilled white wine meet moonlight on the water and stingrays gliding past. For something more casual, the poolside Coral Café serves leisurely breakfasts and lunches in the sun, and room service covers every meal and drink for evenings you'd rather keep the villa to yourselves.

The world has noticed. Nayara Bocas del Toro has been named one of AFAR's Best New Hotels in the World, one of Town & Country's Best Beach Hotels of the World, and one of Forbes' Best All-Inclusive Resorts.

Twilight in the Trees

Sunset from fifty feet: the treehouses fuse Balinese and Panamanian design.

The other way to sleep on this island is among the treetops. Built from locally harvested bamboo and hardwoods recovered from the depths of the Panama Canal, the treehouses stand fifty feet above the forest floor, with sweeping views over forest, mangroves, and ocean. As twilight comes down, you watch the sky change color beyond the canopy, then return to a bed fifty feet up with 24-hour room service below.

Read: The Treehouse of Your Dreams ↗

Getting to Nayara Bocas del Toro

Bocas Town, named one of Condé Nast Traveler's 50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in the World.

Bocas del Toro has captivated Panama and travelers from across Latin America and the world, and Condé Nast Traveler's May 2023 issue named Bocas Town one of "The 50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in the World." It is also remarkably reachable: about an hour's flight from Panama City puts you on the waterfront.

From there, a 30-minute private boat ride carries you through the archipelago's nine main islands, your personal boat captain pointing out the life these protected waters hold, until Isla Frangipani comes into view. Once you step onto the island, everything is within walking, swimming, or kayaking distance, including the property's singular marvel: Kupu Kupu Beach.

The Creation of the World's First Aerial Beach

White Caribbean sand, palm trees, a tiki bar, and open water below.

To capture how Kupu Kupu Beach came to be, here is the story from one of the project's visionaries, Dan Behm:

"Imagine walking down a ten-foot-wide wooden boardwalk lined with palm trees and tropical flowers. Soon a beach and tiki bar come into view. You step directly from the boardwalk onto the beach and feel the sand between your toes. You start to explore, and you're caught by surprise as you realize that this is no ordinary beach. Straight ahead are tiled steps with railings leading from the beach into the ocean. Under the water isn't more sand, but rather a platform.

The island did not have a beach. That is one of the first things I noticed. The water surrounding the island is warm, crystal clear, and inviting. But no beach. A man-made beach built on the shoreline was not an option. It would disrupt the mangrove and ocean floor. In Europe, they are experimenting with floating beaches, but the price was prohibitive and the maintenance a non-starter. The only option, it seemed, was to build a beach on stilts over the water. Surely someone had done it before, we thought. But as we researched, we found that no, this was something new. And thus began our journey."

Before designing, we asked our audience what a real beach on stilts would have to deliver. Their answer became the spec: real white Caribbean sand and a natural way into the water; large palm trees, but not in pots; drainage so the sand dries after rain; room and stability for twenty to thirty people; the correct elevation for daily and seasonal tides; deep water below with no obstructions for swimming; and a proper bar and grill on the sand. It took our architects and engineers over a year, and the result is unlike anything else on Earth.

Ninety feet of beach, the Tipsy Bar, and a boardwalk wide enough for the food truck.

Kupu Kupu Beach runs approximately ninety feet long by twenty feet wide. The Tipsy Bar, under a curving wood-shake roof, seats eight; beach chairs accommodate twenty more, with four umbrella tables at one end and a ten-foot boardwalk running the beach's full length. Four large palm trees appear to grow straight out of the sand; they are actually planted in tanks below the surface, monitored and nurtured to stay healthy. Beneath it all, a gently sloped surface with ninety separate drains, covered in a geotextile that passes rainwater but not sand, keeps the beach dry without disturbing the environment below.

The water entry was the largest challenge: no ladders, nothing to climb. Tiled stairs lead to a platform submerged in the water, so entering the sea feels like walking into a swimming pool, with a mid-level platform where you can sit, hang your feet in the water, and set down masks and fins between swims.

It's a vision of what life can be, and we look forward to sharing it with you. To start planning, reach out at guestexperience@nayarabocasdeltoro.com, call (800) 637-9095, or reach the resort directly at +507 833 8362.

Explore the Full Bocas Series

The private island Condé Nast Traveler readers named #1 in Central America, from the seabed up. Six chapters.

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