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Offering a waterfront pool and a panoramic terrasse over the archipelago of Bocas del Toro. El Caribeo is situated on Isla San Cristobal - 10 min boat ride from Bocas Town. Lodges with seaview, private bathroom, hot water and private terrace. Guests can enjoy a meal or a drink at the on-site restaurant & bar. A number of activities are proposed such as snorkeling, kayak, SuP, jungle trail...
We stayed here for 3 nights. We had a lovely stay from start to end. This is a small boutique hotel, currently there are three rooms.Â
We had beforehand arranged a watertaxi from Bocas town via what's app and pickup was easy.Â
We had breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel all very tasty. Breakfast is pancakes with fresh fruit and a smoothie, you can add extra ham, egg and bred if you want. For lunch Camille gives you a few options to choose from. Dinner is the day special, which was great, each evening, we had lasagne, pork loin with mash and last night mahi mahi.Â
The room was very clean and cleaned every day. The whole place is very well kept. Great balcony with lovely view over the garden and water with a chair and hammock to relax in.
You can see hummingbirds, butterflies, slots and lizards in the garden.Â
We spent our days relaxing at the pool, using the kayak one day. They will help you book tours if you want. There are also some activities you can do on the island.Â
Food and drink prices are reasonable
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a wonderful time at El Caribeo, exactly what was promised at booking.com and better. With attention to detail we were taken care of and could fully enjoy ourselves. I recommend the garden tour, it is really impressive and interesting to learn about all the fruits and plants on the property and you get to taste them all! Make sure you are happy with staying on the property, since getting to the main island of Bocas del Torro will cost you about 25$ one way. But for our purpose of relaxing after an adventurous diving experience on the pacific side of Panama, it was perfect!
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Date of stay: December 2022
Location
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Service
Room Tip:Â Both cabanas are wonderful!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I had such a great time here this week. Roman, Camille and team create a chilled and welcoming place to stay. The food is GREAT, the pace is whatever you want and the view is terrific. It’s an easy water taxi to Bocas - and SUCH a better place to stay than the town. They only have capacity for 6 guests at a time and that made it unique. The people we met were terrific.
We recommend you bring insect repellent and anti-itch cream - but that is true for the whole Bocas region, not just this accommodation.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We just finished a stay at this hidden gem, and our only regret was not stayiong longer. El Caribeo and the Owners Romano, Clement and Camille provide an experience that strikes the perfect balance between staying with dear friends and a luxury eco-resort. A ten minute boat ride (easily arranged for you by the staff) from the busy and noisy Bocas Town, El Caribeo is a waterfront paradise on secluded Isla Cristobol. This is a place to relax, unwind and put yourselves in the hands of your hosts who live onsite and rent only two small cabanas two those wishing to share their little corner of paradise. Let Camille cook all your meals, she is a fabulous chef and the food is amazing! Your hosts will share a drink and some very entertaining and informative conversation with you while you enjoy appetizers by the pool, after which you will be served your entrees and dessert at a table on the covered deck overlooking the Caribbean Sea. After dinner play some darts and enjoy a drink while listening to some great music from Roman's eclectic collection. Make sure to let your hosts arrange a tour of their gardens, the source of ingredients for your meals, infused soaps and oils and even some local spirits. Clement and Roman took us for an outing by boat to a nearby bay to view dolphins, which is not to be missed, and later we were invited back on the boat for an impromptu night time look at the bioluminescent creatures that inhabit the bay just off the dock. Another day, simply stepping off the private dock gave us access to a wonderful snorkeling reef full of sea life just steps from our little cabana. We just can't say enough about El Caribeo. Keep in mind, this property is off grid and very eco-friendly. Don't plan on bringing your hairdryer and curling iron, but do plan on having an experience that you will remember for a lifetime, and making some wonderful new friends as well.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What an awesome retreat, outside the hustle and bustle of bocas town. A very intimate place with (currently) only two accomodations. The hosts are super friendly and do everything to make the stay perfect. we loved being on this great property, wandering around observing the nature, go snorkelling etc. Food is excellent, with ingredients from the garden. Thanks again for an awesome weekend escape!
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Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Be aware you need to get a boat to El Caribeo, try to get it via them, they have a very nice guy...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very nice accomodation with great hosts, good cocktails, great pool, big garden and great food. The host built the whole thing by themselves, which is very impressing. We stayed at the big bungalow and it was simply perfect. If you want to relax and calm down this is the place to be. Food is not cheap but very good! I can totally recommend this place and would love to stay there again pretty soon! On the balcony of the bungalow we had very small mosquitoes, especially during the early morning hours (most of you might still sleep then) and in the evenings. So make sure to bring a long sleeve/trousers or a Sarong and enough repellent. They do use coils as well, which help. But this was really the only negative point. On the other hand, you are close to the jungle, so it is what it is.
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
An excellent boutique hotel on a beautiful location. Roman one of the owners pampered us with delicious dinners! The service was excellent and beyond expectations. Roman made our stay very pleasant and helped us with ordering a day trip to other islands.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This little peace of heaven is a truly hidden gem. The Frech owners built El Caribeo from scratch and you can feel they are in it with all their heart. One of the most relaxing and memorable stays ever.
In preparation of our stay Clement was super quick on email and whatsapp to ensure a smooth arrival and stay.
Our extraordinary experience started in Panama Airport already, when we were in touch with Romain who would pick us up in Bocas Town, to update him on the flight delay and to receive his photo for easy recognition. We met at the airport and went to the boat that would take us to El Caribeo on San Cristobal Island in about 15-20minutes.
The bungalow we have booked is located next to the main house, to keep your privacy. Size wise absolutely comfortable with efficient storage facility for clothes and personal belongings. El Caribeo has a pool and social area with lounge furniture and restaurant style - set up in front of the house to relax during the day and to have your meals there.
We highly advise to opt for dinner and / or lunch to let Camille spoil you with her cooking skills. Breakfast with delicious coffee, fruits, eggs and pancakes is already included to start the day right. Filtered water is available at all times.
An additional plus of this eco lodge are the animals, which we felt in love with. The fluffy, lazy cat Moumou, playful female dog Pampa and attentive Mr. Django - all three different and adorable characters. Sorry for not mentioning the chicken’s name, but this one was rather shy and didn’t spend much time with us.
There was no need to pre-plan any tours as Romain and Clement can arrange everything on the spot. Our water taxi Marco was on time every day and provided safe and flexible day trips to the neighboring islands. Without any travel, you can take the garden tour followed by degustation of the fresh fruits. During the 90minute walk, Roman or Clement will explain to you the different fruits, herbs and trees that grown on their land. Once climbed the little hill behind the house, a stunning view over the jungle is offered.
We really didn’t want to leave this place, the island life is a wonderful one, and we recommend everyone traveling to Bocas del Toro to check availability with El Caribeo and to stay as long as possible.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent 6 days at El Caribeo to celebrate our 35th Wedding Anniversary, and it was perfect… small, quaint, close to nature, and very luxurious eco-resort. Our three (3) young French hosts were excellent…. friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and wonderful chefs. They served us a spectacular lobster dinner for our anniversary, and other nights included seared tuna, steak, and lasagne among other treats. We were spoiled with very personalized attention as the only guests (staying in one of their two bungalows, as they were renovating the other bungalow). Activities included going to Dolphin bay (to see dolphins), kayaking around the island (where there were sloths), visiting a beach, and a special tour of the Ngobe people to show us the medicinal use of the island plants and the Ngobe culture. And in all activities, we were awed by the spectacular views of the ocean and the distant mountain range of Boquete. We will be back.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Awesome experience at El Caribeo ! From the landscape which is a real paradise to the hosts Camille and Clement who are lovely people sharing their experience and make you feel at home. We really appreciated the different tours proposed as well as the food that was awesome. Not mentioning the place itself which is very quiet, clean and beautiful... Do not hesitate one second, it is a must go !
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Date of stay: August 2019
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â Best view, quiet, clean, great tours, awesome hosts
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Bocatorito area.
PRICE RANGE
$139 - $164 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
PanamaBocas del Toro ProvinceIsla San CristobalBocatorito
NUMBER OF ROOMS
2
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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