Heliconia B&B
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Avg. $70 /night, 2/17 - 2/18
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About
#1 of 1 small hotel in Malena
Location
4.2
Rooms
4.5
Value
4.6
Cleanliness
4.8
Service
4.8
Sleep Quality
4.6
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Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Dutch
Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Free breakfast
Restaurant
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Non-smoking hotel
Room features
Air conditioning
Safe
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Location
Carretera Principal Palmilla, Malena Panama
Getting there
1 Restaurant
within 5 miles
1 Attraction
within 5 miles
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 85
- 18
- 2
- 2
- 0
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Detailed Reviews
We stayed at Hotel Heliconia for three nights in conjunction with a 3 day Cerro Hoya hike and a 1 day Coiba trip withTanager Ecotours. Tanager Evotord and Hotel Heliconia are run by two Dutch biologists, Case and Loes (pronounced Case and Loose). These trips leave early and they provide a scrumptious breakfast (with homemade yogurt and bread!) beforehand. Hotel Heliconia is clean and comfortable and a good value. Kees and Loes treat everyone as family and the best part of our stay was sitting around the dinner table chatting with Kees and Loes and their other hotel guests.
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip 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.
Response from Kees Groenendijk, Owner at Heliconia B&B
Responded Mar 27, 2023
Hi Carl, Thank yuo for the review. We hope to see you back one day.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
It was a unique experience to stay with Kees and Loes.
From the first day I felt at home and part of Heliconia.
The host and hostess are super hospitable and cordial.
The small-scale accommodation is very pleasant, and the local people also contribute greatly to this.
The Heliconia estate of 9 hectares, built over 17 years, offers a great diversity of plants and an enormous number of birds.
The fully covered terrace is the central part, where it is fantastic to enjoy the peace, the birds and the delicious food.
In addition to the other trips, the multi-day excursion to Coiba was unforgettable. Kees is not only an unsurpassed expert, but his enthusiasm as an avid bird watcher is always on.
In the immediate area it was wonderful to walk along the quiet beaches, eat at cozy local restaurants and visit Melissa's inspiring studio.
I warmly encourage interested parties to experience Heliconia and especially Coiba!
Henk Mooij, Papendrecht-Netherlands.
From the first day I felt at home and part of Heliconia.
The host and hostess are super hospitable and cordial.
The small-scale accommodation is very pleasant, and the local people also contribute greatly to this.
The Heliconia estate of 9 hectares, built over 17 years, offers a great diversity of plants and an enormous number of birds.
The fully covered terrace is the central part, where it is fantastic to enjoy the peace, the birds and the delicious food.
In addition to the other trips, the multi-day excursion to Coiba was unforgettable. Kees is not only an unsurpassed expert, but his enthusiasm as an avid bird watcher is always on.
In the immediate area it was wonderful to walk along the quiet beaches, eat at cozy local restaurants and visit Melissa's inspiring studio.
I warmly encourage interested parties to experience Heliconia and especially Coiba!
Henk Mooij, Papendrecht-Netherlands.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Traveled with friends
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
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.
Great 2 night stay at the b&b, superb day hike to cerro hoya and 2 night coiba camping trip. Loes was super informative and helpful in advance with all my questions including planning our onward travels.Â
The Coiba trip was a highlight due to the fantastic snorkeling mixed in with some walks. The tent was comfortable and food very good and healthy. Kees was very interesting to talk to and informative. I was a bit nervous about the whole thing but needn't have been. It was great fun to snorkel with sharks, turtles, eels etc and we also enjoyed bird watching and gentle walks
The Coiba trip was a highlight due to the fantastic snorkeling mixed in with some walks. The tent was comfortable and food very good and healthy. Kees was very interesting to talk to and informative. I was a bit nervous about the whole thing but needn't have been. It was great fun to snorkel with sharks, turtles, eels etc and we also enjoyed bird watching and gentle walks
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip 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.
Response from Kees Groenendijk, Owner at Heliconia B&B
Responded 4 weeks ago
Hello 685inky66, Thank you for your review. We enjoyed having you as guests and we hope you have a wonderful time in Panama.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed at Heliconia on the night before our 3-day tour to Coiba Island. The B&B is nicely located on the edge of a small nature reserve with plenty of walking trails where you can see lots of birds, bats, and agoutis. We loved watching the hummingbirds feeding on all the flowers and the resident vultures were entertaining as well. The hosts, Kees and Loes, were wonderful and welcoming and showed us around the place. Our room was clean and comfortable with hot water and AC. The Wifi internet worked well but there was no TV. Our dinner and breakfast were both excellent and lovingly prepared. Overall we had a very nice stay and would definitely recommend it to other travelers.
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Date of stay: April 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.

Located on the lesser known side of the Azuero Peninsula we found this wonderful hotel, run by kind and very knowledgeable Dutch biologists Loes & Kees. The rooms are a perfect mix of informal and comfortable. The meals were excellent and they can cater to any type of diet. Tanager Tourism is part of this hotel runs extraordinary ecotours in the area (amongst others to the island of Coiba).
When you are there make sure to visit and support the turtle project on nearby Malena beach and you might be able to release some turtle hatchlings!
When you are there make sure to visit and support the turtle project on nearby Malena beach and you might be able to release some turtle hatchlings!
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
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.
Response from Kees G, Owner at Heliconia B&B
Responded Apr 2, 2020
Hello saldasilva, Thank you for writing a review. We enjoyed having you as a guest. Visiting the turtle project is definitely recommended. The project is run by local people and they usually release hatchlings from August to January. The best chance to see and help release the little ones is from mid November to mid December. Every year the project releases some 25,000 hatchlings! Best regards,
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed with Kees and Loes just before the pandemic crashed down on us all and we look back very fondly on our three nights at the hotel and two nights on Coiba Island. All the positive reviews you'll read below are correct: Kees and Loes are wonderful hosts; Coiba Island is a rare gem and the snorkelling is outstanding, and two nights in cozy tents on a hilltop with magnificent sunrises, sunsets and moonrises and the most spectacular shower on the beach that you will ever have are memorable; yes, the road from Santiago is terrible but probably serves to give the west side of Azuero a remoteness it would not otherwise have. Kees took an entire day to take us on a bird-watching hike up Rio Playita in Cerro Hoya National Park. To top it all, K and L went out of their way to scramble and send up glasses we had left in their vehicle after leaving. Extremely kind! Thank you!
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Rooms
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.
Response from Kees G, Owner at Heliconia B&B
Responded Apr 2, 2020
Hello Ian M., Thank you for writing this review. We hope you made it safe and sound back home. Coiba and Cerro Hoya are special places indeed and as soon as we can, we will take people out there again. Best regards,
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We did the 3 day all-inclusive package with Loes and Kees. First night at Heliconia B&B and then 2 days camping on Coiba Island with several snorkelling outings, forest walks and a mangrove boat trip. The entire experience was fantastic. This was the best snorkelling we have ever done anywhere in the world! It was really great to be on a trip like this with a biologist, and he sent us underwater photos taken during the snorkelling, so that was an additional treat! The camping accommodations were "rustic" but the food was very good. The local boat crews were great. The bed and breakfast and dinner at Heliconia were also excellent. The couple also look after injured owls so we met some lovely little birds too. The only negatives we experienced were the pot hole filled road to get to Heliconia, and the very rough waters between the mainland and Coiba. Neither of these are the responsibility of Loes and Kees. The boats could maybe be improved by installing padded backs on the seats to make them more comfortable in rough seas. And the government has promised to repair the road this spring.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Cleanliness
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.
Response from Kees G, Owner at Heliconia B&B
Responded Apr 2, 2020
Hello NeilElain, Thank you for writing a review. Coiba is a special place indeed. In February and March the sea can be rough going in a nd out. We will have a look at your tip for padded back rests, it seems like a good idea. The repair of the road will start later than promised because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but hopefully it will be repaired by June 2021.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I'm a repeat customer, so obviously I like the place and owners. I almost didn't come due to concerns about Covid. But it hasn't been difficult - just follow a few rules. So glad I came. I haven't tried a Coiba tour but I've heard great things about them.
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Date of stay: February 2021
Cleanliness
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.
Response from Kees Groenendijk, Owner at Heliconia B&B
Responded Feb 25, 2021
Hello Jonroger, Thanks for passing by. Covid is definitely something to take into account, but it does not need to stop you from traveling. Our hotel is small and all rooms open to the outside and we serve meals on an outdoors veranda, so the chance of infection is very small. We also take all recommended measures to prevent transmission, such as the use of masks, frequent hand washing (we do that anyway in the hotel/restaurant business) and we disinfect rooms after use.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We took a Coiba trip with Loos and Kees, staying at their hotel Heliconia the night before we set off. The whole trip was brilliant. Great hosts, good food and amazing sights in Coiba. Loos took fabulous pictures of our snorkelling trips on his underwater camera which they gave us on departure. The Heliconia itself is comfortable, clean and a great way to start out before roughing it on Coiba island where the accommodation is v basic. Trip to Heliconia was easy from Panama City by public transport - bus to Santiago then smaller bus to Mariato, and it drops you right outside the hotel (the bus drivers know the place if you tell them the name).
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Date of stay: April 2014Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
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.
Response from Kees G, Owner at Heliconia B&B
Responded Jul 2, 2014
Hello London_Mongoose, Thanks for writing a review. We are happy that you enjoyed your trip to Coiba with us. The Panamanian parks services (ANAM) are currently refurbishing the cabins on Coiba, so hopefully the accomodation there will gradually improve during 2014 and 2015.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

This hotel/BB is about 1.5 hours south of Santiago in the beautiful western Azuero coastal area. Just south of Mariato. It is the best in the area and the people are very nice. It also has some ranchos if you prefer to be a little closer to nature.
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Date of stay: June 2010Trip type: Traveled solo
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
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.
Hi Gregory,
Yes, you can rent a boat and explore the south coast of the Azuero that way. There are very few paths, and the terrain is quite rough, but you might be able to organiize something between Restingue and Cambutal.
Spear fishing in the Coiba NP is strictly forbidden and fishing with rod and line is restricted to 7 pelagic species (yellowfin tuna, wahoo, sailfish, rooster fish, blue-finned jack, amberjack and sierra). You are not allowed to fish on or near reefs. A permit costs USD 50.
You can go spear fishing from Cebaco and along the west coast of the Azuero outside the Cerro Hoya NP.
Hello Manuel,
Please visit our website, hotelheliconiapanama to book a room. Please note that it is quite a long trip from Bocas del Toro to our place.
Best regards
PRICE RANGE
$77 - $77 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
PanamaVeraguas ProvinceMalena
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
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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Frequently Asked Questions about Heliconia B&B
Which popular attractions are close to Heliconia B&B?
Nearby attractions include La Loma del Mango (3.3 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Heliconia B&B?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Heliconia B&B?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast and an on-site restaurant during their stay.
Are pets allowed at Heliconia B&B?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Heliconia B&B?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Dutch.
Is Heliconia B&B accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.