Our stay was for one week. Absolutely delightful. The room is spacious, with an attached bathroom.....both were spotless and well decorated. We chose to eat there and the food was outstanding. The innkeepers are excellent hosts, being both friendly and informative. Without hesitation....would definitely go out of our way to recommend Casa Del Encanto to anyone visiting Panama.

My husband and I have visited twice. If you love the outdoors, Altos del Maria is the place for you. There's less people than El Valle since there's not as much to do in terms of restaurants and shopping but nice hiking trails and miradors [viewing points]. A great place to relax and enjoy the fresh air and tranquility away from Panama city.

Jim, Marianne and Polly (their adorable dog) are lovely hosts. Very friendly, accommodating and very importantly, Marianne is a great cook! There's nowhere to eat near Casa Del Encanto (which is higher up in the mountain) except Mary's Cafe so we ate dinners in the Casa. Her cooking was delicious and varied as she made sure not to serve the same dinner twice over our separate visits. I'm a huge fan of her desserts especially, we had homemade ice cream, tiramisu. The price of a dinner is very reasonable given the quality.

As Encanto doesn't serve lunch, I would recommend bringing your own sandwich fillings which can be stored in the common fridge for guests. There are minimarts nearby but not much choice for sandwich fillings. With a packed lunch you can drive around, find the perfect random spot with the perfect view for a picnic lunch.

You could also eat in Mary's Cafe for lunch which has okayish food (a lot of fried food, the crust on my apple pie was undercooked but I hear the sancocho is good) and has a great view. My personal take is that when you're in Altos, picnicking after a walk seems the best way to enjoy the midday meal.

For those not used to the tropics, be prepared to have geckos or insects in your room and bathroom. They generally don't bother you but it might shock you to see huge ants around near your toilet bowl at night, having a drink. And that click, click sound is that of the gecko nearby.

Try heading further up the mountain, the Santiago area, early in the morning before 7am. It's such an experience - very cold, very misty, very windy. It's very isolated there and the vegetation is much wilde. It seems almost like a scene out of Jurassic Park sans dinosaurs.

Casa Del Encanto is definitely a place we would return to, in fact, we have!

Too bad we didn't learn about Casa Del Encanto until our trip to Panama was already planned. I made a quick change in itenerary but was able to squeeze in only one night there. That is our only regret. My husband and I were traveling in Panama with another couple, long time friends, doing our second trip to the country in just over one year.
That day we had driven from Boquette so we were road weary by the time we reached Cas Del Encanto. After receiving Marrianne and Jim's warm welcome we were shown to our spacious rooms. The rooms were first class- the best appointed we had seen in any bed and breakfast in Panama. The tastefully decorated and airy bedroom with a comfortable sitting area, space for our luggage and to lay out our things was most welcome. Off the bedroom was a luxurious bathroom with a big bathtub and shower and a large vanity big enough for my husband and myself to share! Off the living room was a deck where we could watch the pretty yellow social flycatchers chase insects in the fading evening sun.
After a glass of wine and a delicious evening meal prepared by Marrianne we were ready to retire to the most comfortable bed attractively decked with quality linens.
Next morning we awakened to cool mountain air and birdsong. Jim and Marianne had coffee ready and a well prepared breakfast of fruit,bacon, and eggs.
We could have stayed much longer in this little mountain paradise, but alas, had to continue our drive to Panama City to prepare to catch our flight home the next day. However, next year, when the snow is blowing in Indiana and Ohio we plan to be back for a longer stay!

We stayed only two days of our Panamanian vacation at Casa del Encanto and wish it would have been longer. The rooms were extrordinary - the bed was the most comfortable I have ever slept in. The bath and shower encouraged one to linger, however my husband and I were anxious to get out and explore the beauty surrounding the B&B.

The B&B sits on a well landscaped piece of property where lush vegetation fills the hillside. Numerous flowers, edible plants, leafy green foliage are everywhere you look. Beautiful rock walk ways wind through the property and allow you safe passage along the waterway that flows across and through the property.

Our hosts - Marianne and Jim - were very pleasant and accomodating (especially for someone with gastronomical challenges). We had already asked if we could stay for dinner for two nights and were delighted to be included in the birthday celebration they hosted for one of their friends. This was a wonderful way to be introduced to the whole Altos del Maria area as each of the couples attending shared their experiences about moving and living in the area.

Marianne's meals were healthy, enjoyable and a little adventurous. It was delightful to be introduced to some of the local fruits and vegetables. We were even given a large bunch of bananas to take with us when we left! There was no way to leave hungry unless you chose not to eat anything at all.

This is a delightful B&B to visit and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to seek a peaceful place to visit in the Sora area.