We stayed at the Hotel Heliconia over the holiday break at the end of 2012, and it was an amazing, intimate and very welcoming experience.

Firstly, we were supposed to stay for 3 days, but due to rain in Bocas, when we called the owners Loes and Kees, they were happy to accommodate us starting a couple days early. They were very helpful in providing detailed directions on how to get there, and Loes was kind enough to cook us a brilliant hot dinner late on Christmas eve.

Loes and Kees, the owners have an incredible ability to connect with their guests, put them at ease, and treat them almost as part of the family - we spent many hours on their verandah chatting with them over glasses of wine. And the food .....we are vegetarian, and Loes made gourmet meals for us everyday.

The property is really nice ...an oasis of reforestation, and Kees was happy to walk us through it and chat in detail about his plans and vision for restoring biodiversity in the Azuero peninsula. The place is also about 20 min walk from the beachside village of Malena - we did a day excursion there to visit a local waterfall, spent some time on the beach and had lunch there. The highlight of the trip was watching baby turtles hatch and make their way into the sea - Loes and Kees work with the local turtle conservation group which does a phenomenal job every night.

Kees was also an amazing guide - he took us birdwatching in Cerro Hoya national park, and we had a nice bonus with a trip to a private pond at a local rancher's. The highlight of the trip was also the 2 day trip that Kees organized to Isla Coiba - plenty of snorkeling, amazing rainforest hikes, beach time, and of course many happy hours watching the brilliant bay.

Overall, I can't recommend this place highly enough - its like a home away from home, with the added benefit of time with friendly and conversational owners, and a level of customization and personalization that is just extraordinary. They will treat you like intelligent, curious adults and you'll have a fantastic time. Do not go here expecting fake service, 24-hour pools and TV with a 100 channels - this is a very different place, and you'll realize what you miss everywhere else!

We spent two delightful nights at the Hotel Heliconia at the end of July. The Dutch biologist owners Loes and Kees are wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable hosts who willingly share stories of their adventures living in Panama and Africa along with helpful suggestions for beautiful places to explore along the Western Azuero Peninsula. Their impressive reforestation of their own beautiful acreage should be an inspiration for anyone interested in conservation and restoration of overgrazed lands.
Located in an isolated part of the Azuero Peninsula, about 1 1/2 hours from Santiago, this was a perfect spot to explore the beautiful coastal area of the Western Azuero. The inn is right on the road with four spotlessly clean and comfortable air-conditioned rooms, modern private baths that unfortunately, do not have hot water, very comfortable furnishings, a back portal with hammocks for lazing and reading, beautiful gardens and hummingbirds galore! The breakfasts on the lovely large front portal is a European smorgasbord of fresh fruits, cereals, yogurts, fresh jams and breads and great coffee.
We would highly recommend the delicious optional-for-a-small-fee dinners prepared by Loes and Kees. They are fantastic cooks, utilizing fresh local seafoods, vegetables and fruits to create their own Dutch Indonesion-Panamanian fusion cuisine. From the first course soup to dessert, both dinners were exciting blends of flavors and fragrant scents, beautifully plated and enhanced by the excellent company of Loes and Kees. They truly made us feel as if we were special friends invited a dinner party on their beautiful portal surrounded by a chorus of singing frogs in the tropical night.
The only small issues we had were that it is located very close to the road and there are noisy trucks grinding by and bouncing around on a metal bridge close by and even though it is in a very hot part of Panama,the lack of hot water in the baths were surprising for such a new and well-constructed inn.
We would gladly stay there again.

They are a very nice couple. The B&B is about an hour drive from Santiago. If you go, the roads are pretty messed up. Paved but large pot holes all the way there so best to cab or have a 4x4. Cab will be expensive tho. We stayed 2 nights. A short drive will get you to a nice pacific ocean view. Our first night there was some ritualistic chanting going on across the street but only lasted about an hour. No hot water during our stay, no A/C. It's hot in that province. ceiling fans tho. Nothing really close by for attractions. Its a fairly decent Panamanian restaurant close by. For 2 dinners we paid only $6.80. It was a bit noisy due to traffic and being on the main road. It felt safe there. No TV tho. It's a continental breakfast. Not really much to do nearby. The birds were nice. Its a nice place to go if you don't mind no A/C and no hot water and no room entertainment. I think the price is a bit steep for the offerings. I'm a bargain hunter. It's a good place to be if you enjoy reading and maybe for a student to study. If you enjoy action this one isn't for you. They may be able to set you up with some horseback riding but other than that not much there. Good looking clean room. A great place for rest. Be sure to take some snack if you're a nighttime snacker. Maybe take some fruit and if you like bottled water take your own. The small store nearby doesn't sell bottled water. Great conversation with the owners. Really nice people.

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Heliconia during a visit to Veraguas, Panama in March, and we couldn't have been more pleased with the experience. The hotel is easy to find, just outside of town, and surrounded by the lush greenery that makes Panama such a special place. It's just a short drive from some of the most beautiful beaches on the planet, too! The owners are biologists, and so our meals were not only delicious (utilizing many of the local fruits, seafood, etc.), but also very interesting since they would share their knowledge about the local flora and fauna.

The breakfast is included and featured locally grown fruits - many grew right there on the property - meats and cheeses, cereal, yoghurt, etc. We would recommend having dinner there, too. There is an extra charge for that, but it is well worth it for the quality of the meal and the experience of watching nightime creep into the surrounding rainforest while enjoying the great food, wine, and companionship!

The hotel itself is spotlessly clean, and each room has an outdoor hammock and sitting area overlooking the forest in the back. In the morning, we were gently awakened by the song of a wren, and then had a leisurely cup of coffee while being treated to the antics of several species of hummingbirds! They made us feel welcome at the Hotel Heliconia, and we look forward to our next visit!