My husband and I stayed 4 nights at La Loma in late December as part of our honeymoon. We both absolutely LOVED the place and our stay and did not want to leave. I think what really makes the place is the people and staff. Henry and Margaret were away and we were hosted by their friends, Karen and Steve who are absolutely wonderful hosts and people. The locals who work there are friendly and helpful and extremely warm and personable. There is such attention to detail in everything. The cabin was beautiful with a panoramic view of the ocean, surrounded by jungle, wildlife and flowers. They brought coffee, tea, and homemade muffins up to our room when we woke up in the morning. The food was incredible, a home cooked meal 3 times daily made with items grown on their land. we especially enjoyed getting to know the other guests there who were all interesting people from around the world. it was very small, there were 7 of us during our stay which was perfect enough to get to know everyone individually. The tours were also great, we did snorkeling, zip lining, toured the chocolate farm and helped make chocolate! and visited a nearby beach. We would have been perfectly happy to not set foot off their property however as it is amazing and so relaxing. The island and surrounding area is beautiful. We got to visit a local school and meet indigenous children which was another highlight. I am so happy to support a place that does so much for the local community. It did rain a lot but we did not mind as it was warm and still so beautiful! I cannot wait to visit again!

Our family of four (2 kids aged 11 and 8) decided to go to Panama over Thanksgiving this year after having gone to Costa Rica 15 years ago before it got too touristy. We booked this placed on a whim and didn't really know too much about what to expect
From the start, our experience was superior. Henry (the owner) was diligent in responding to emails for information and gave lots of helpful information prior to our trip. Upon arrival, we were met by boat in Bocas Del Toro and were whisked to Isla Bastamientos to what looked like a random dock in a mangrove forest. After exiting the boat, we were transported into another world. We were met by Henry and Margaret and their adorable son Lucha. They were hospitable and friendly. We were given a nice snack and taken up to our Rancho up at the top of the property.

The rancho was clean, simple but very stylish. The beds (1 queen and 2 twins) were super comfortable and we slept like rocks (although bring earplugs because the noise of the jungle-parrots, monkeys, birds can be loud). The rancho had ample space for our luggage, a delightful open air shower, two hammocks and a small table for eating an early morning snack. The property is vast and we often sent our kids out to just explore. There are red eyed tree frogs, toucans, monkeys, and all sorts of other wildlife, flora and fauna on the property. It felt very safe to let our kids explore there as there are not dangerous snakes, etc. The worst thing they have there is an ant that stings, but we didn't feel like there were any mosquitos..only no see ums. The only suggestion that I would give for the rancho(and these are being super picky) is that it would be nice to have 4 chairs in the rancho we stayed in so we could all have a place to sit while we ate muffins. Also, it would be nice to provide some shampoo/conditioner to guests as only soap is provided.

Every morning at 7am, a steaming thermos of yummy Panamanian coffee and organic muffins was delivered to us, which we devoured before heading down to breakfast. All of the meals at La Loma were superior. They were super healthy, organic, and most of the ingredients from the meals come from the property. I would have to say that the food at La Loma rivals any 4-5* restaurant in a major US city. We did not have one bad meal at La Loma. We were well nourished and also got snacks when we needed. I know other reviewers have mentioned some confusion with regards to the prices of cocktails/juices. I felt like this was pretty clearly marked on the blackboard in the kitchen. All of the meals at La Loma take place in the main lodge (which is an open air house that is attached to the owners property). We ate meals communally with all of the other guests and met fascinating people from all over the world. The main lodge was a great communal place to gather, hang out in the hammock, play cards, and just visit with others. We really felt it was a great bonding time for our family to have no tv, internet. We spent a lot of our spare moments relaxing, reading and just soaking it all in.

While at La Loma, we went on a couple of tours. Zapatillas Island. This was an all day excursion that had lots of snorkeling and time at Zapatillas. Zapatillas is like a castaway island that is deserted and fun to wonder around. We were given a packed yummy lunch and it was a great day away from the property. Snorkeling was fine, but probably not the best we've ever done. The chocolate farm tour was fascinating and Henry detailed the history of the property and the development of the chocolate farm. We even got to try cacao and it was very interesting to understand the culture. Our family also spent a morning volunteering at the Bahia Honda preschool where Henry & Margaret's son attends. Bahia Honda is the community where the indigenous people of Isla Bastamientos live. The preschool is a new addition to the community and was a great experience for us and our kids. We had brought down some supplies for the preschool, and our kids really enjoyed giving a demonstration to the preschool kids, playing with them on the playground and helping out. Finally, my husband and son did the bat cave tour. They loved this and said this was a highlight of the trip. My son ending up swimming into the cave at the end and thought this was a true Indiana Jones adventure!

I could go on and on about how wonderful La Loma is. We hope to go back as a family and it definitely was THE highlight of our trip to Panama. Definitely a must do!

We spent two days at La Loma and had an amazing time. The food is world class. It's definitely a one of a kind experience and Henry and Margaret go out of their way to make sure everyone enjoys their stay.

Even though we were visited La Loma almost a year ago, the memories of our fantastic stay are still clear. We had such a wonderful time exploring the wonders of Bastimentos, which were made all the more special by the hospitality and warmth of Henry and Margaret and their staff. I can't wait to go back. They say a pictures are worth a thousand words, so see the attached photos for my La Loma essay....