Given so many wonderful places in the world to travel to and enjoy we rarely go back to he same place. Tranquilo Bay is the only resort we have ever decided to visit again and are so glad we did. Our first visit was 3.5 years ago with our 3 boys. This trip was with one of the boys. Given that the place is close to perfect, we were thrilled to see that very little has changed. Tranquilo Bay is a very special place. It feels like you are visiting your favorite relatives who you haven't seen in a long time and have the most incredible house that you can enjoy without having to share it with anyone else. It offers luxury in the middle of nowhere with so much to see and do or nothing to do whichever your preference.

My husband and I spent seven heavenly days and nights at Tranquilo Bay 16-23 April. I must say, it was absolutely one of our most memorable vacations ever!
I began corresponding with Renee in May 2010. She was so kind and patient in her e-mails . I had alot of questions for her and she was so helpful .I think she knew immediately by my explanation of the type of travel we enjoyed that we would be a good fit for Tranquilo Bay.
As soon as we confirmed our reservation, Renee sent us a questionnaire about the types of food we preferred. I am a very picky eater (Renee will confirm this!!). I was allowed to express our likes and dislikes. One can also report if on a special diet, has a gluten intolerence, etc.
We flew from Buffalo to JFK. On Saturday, we flew Taca JFK to San Jose, Costa Rica, and then on to Panama City Tocumen. A private transfer is provided by Tranquilo Bay to Panama/Albrook, We then flew to Bocas Del Toro and were transferred by boat to the resort.
In Bocas, we were greeted by Jim,Renee's husband. One of the resident guide, Natalias was with us. The boat ride was wonderful!
Our luggage was taken to our cabana. We were greeted by Renee, Jay, (one of the owners), Ramon(the other resident botanists/guide), Tres, Botey (Renee and Jim's children), and Luna and Foola, the resident dogs!! We felt instantly welcomed. Renee led us to our breath-takingly beautiful cabana, where we prepped to go for our first dinner.
The grounds here are amazing. I cannot imagine owning all this beautiful property. I cannot imagine the upkeep. The staff here is wonderful and friendly. They work hard. You can tell this is one big happy family.
When walking the resort, one cannot imagine the work, knowledge, and planning Jim and Jay had to build this place. I cannot imagine anyone being this knowledgeable. The ingenuity is amazing. It is all eco-friendly. One can tell how environmentally friendly everyone here is.
The guides, Natalia and Ramon, are the kindest,most genuinely kind peoiple one could ever meet. They are such experts in their field. Their experience is so widespead. Tranquilo is lucky to have them and vice-versa. We were fortunate, through their amazing eyes, to see monkeys, sloths, lizards, all types of birds, frogs,all types of flora, and marine life as well.
The food here is to DIE for!! We have travelled extensively and I have NEVER eaten so well! As picky as I am, meals are catered to you and your likes. I did try things I never had before and they were all wonderful. Renee plans the menu and everything is perfect. Hats off to the wonderful chef !Do try everything!
The cabana was well appointed with a coffee maker, snacks,linens,a mini-clock, celing fans, and A/C,which we really didn't use. It is so peacefu lhere! The view of the Zapatilla Cayes is amazing!! You will need bug spray. You are in the jungle!!
Our excursions were done mostly on property. We kayaked to the upside-down jellyfish lagoon where we snorkelled, kayaked to the national park where we hiked, walked the amazing trails at the resort, and kayaking 6-plus miles to the further Zapatilla Caye with Ramon. Jay met us there later with wonderful food and drink! It was a beautiful experience. The snorkelling at the property is so beautiful. the martine life is plentiful and the reef is so healthy. Upon arrival, Jim told me that I wouldn't need to scuba dive, He was right.
Evenings were spent at theFGreat House for amazing appetizers, cocktails, and great conversations. These people here are the friendliest, nicest people. We both could not believe ANYONE could be so nice!!
If you are looking to be entertained ,television, radio,or a party time, this is not the place for you. If you want to experience nature at its very best with oneness you could only imagine, this is where it is at! I hate to tell everyone how wonderful this place is because I want it all to myself!! But, with something this special going on with these wonderful people, how could I keep this secret to myself!!
Thank you, everyone at Tranquilo Bay. I will be contacting you soon, Renee, to book for 2012!
Jeanne

There is no question that Tranquilo Bay was the highlight of our trip to Panama. My husband and I have visited several upscale ecolodges in Central American and this one was the best.
Tranquilo Bay is a fairly new ecolodge about one half hour by boat from the town of Bocas del Toro built by two wonderful men from Texas who live there with their families. Accommodations are in beautiful cabins, simple but perfectly appointed with great bathroom facilities. Meals, which were delicious, were in the main lodge and were eaten family style with the owners, the guides and the other guests. We spent our days hiking, birding (and we are not birders), snorkeling (one day with jelly fish) and kayaking. The personal attention we were given from both the resident field biologists as well as the owners was unparalleled.
I cannot recommend this place enough and want to thank Jim, Jay, Rene, Ramon and Natalia for a wonderful stay.

Judy
Scarsdale, New York

Tranquil Bay is 45 minutes by boat from Bocas del Toro town on Isla Colon. The lodge is located on 110 acres stretching up from the dock located on Bastimentos National Marine Park through mangroves to vistas in a tropical forest on Bastimentos Island.

We chose the Garden Cabana, a moderate walk from the lodge, providing us with private comfort. The room amenities included coffee service which allowed us our afternoon tea and morning coffee while we took in the nature and wildlife viewing on our spacious deck.

The main lodge is where all meals are served in a comfortable family style environment. The package is all inclusive and the meals were delicious. There is a bar and comfortable seating area where we discussed the day sightings with other guests ranging from iridescent blue morph butterflies to white faced monkeys. The staff and owners were very accommodating and service oriented.

Located on the convergence of 3 eco systems of coral reef, mangrove and rain forest, there is a large selection of eco adventure excursions. Tours start where the others end. They are exclusive and private with biologist guides. The dock serves as a launching hub for nature hikes, mangrove and coral snorkeling, fishing, surfing, kayaking to simply relaxing and lounging. The cooler is full of refreshments. There are excursions that most visitors never imagine available and we were truly amazed from our mangrove snorkeling experience by jumping in the ocean right from the dock. A must do!

If you want simple elegance, where you don’t have to think of anything other than your next excursion or meal, this is the place to be. Serenity!