Nayara Bocas del Toro
Panama
Reviews
This resort did not disappoint. We stayed in one of the tree houses - so comfy and unusual. The food and service were impeccable (shout out to our new friend Jovanna!). The day trip with Estevan to local islands was another highlight. The resort even arranged for a private tour guide of the Unesco section of Panama City and the Canal. We were pleasantly surprised by Panama and its beauty, kind people, safety, and so many options for sightseeing.
Our stay at Nayara Bocas del Toro was truly unforgettable, an 11 out of 10. From the moment we arrived, the team created a warm, personalized experience that made this birthday trip incredibly special. Mauri was exceptional from the very beginning. She coordinated our spa treatments prior to arrival and personally greeted us at the boat dock, setting the tone for a wonderful stay. Alexander assisted with check-in, escorted us to our overwater villa, and made us feel immediately welcomed and at home. Jonathan was our main support throughout the stay and was absolutely phenomenal. He consistently went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable, relaxed, and feeling special every single day. The accommodations themselves were breathtaking. The rooms were beautiful, the bed was exceptionally comfortable, and the overwater villa was peaceful, relaxing, and absolutely stunning. The private overwater pool was gorgeous, and the ocean below was crystal clear and wonderfully refreshing. We could see fish, starfish, and even stingrays right outside our villa, which made the experience feel truly surreal and connected to nature. It was the perfect setting for a magical birthday celebration, with every detail reflecting care, serenity, and exceptional hospitality. Dining at Coral Café was outstanding thanks to an incredible team. The meals throughout the resort were spectacular, with delicious Panamanian influences that made every dish feel both authentic and refined. Jovanna took the time to get to know us and made fantastic recommendations that we truly enjoyed. Fiona, Michael, Manuel, Yamira, and Carlos also provided excellent service, a special shout-out to Carlos for crafting the most delicious coconut, mango, and banana specialty shakes for our afternoon snacks and dinner drinks. Andrea, our primary dinner server, was delightful, warm, attentive, and soo welcoming. Gilberto, who served us on our first night, also provided wonderful service and helped start our culinary experience on a high note. Daniella was also a delight and coordinated exceptional room service throughout our stay. Each delivery was prompt, beautifully presented, and made relaxing in our villa even more enjoyable. Ruby, the activities expert, was phenomenal. She guided us on both the sloth observation and cocoa tours and made each experience extra meaningful. Her warmth, knowledge, and personable nature truly made the excursions unforgettable, she is a star. We enjoyed four spa treatments during our stay, each one deeply relaxing and restorative. Our first treatment took place in the beautiful Treehouse Spa, a serene and unique setting, while the remaining three were performed in our villa and on our private deck, an absolutely magical experience enhanced by the gentle ocean breezes and peaceful sounds of the water. Andres, Rosanna, and Hillary were exceptional therapists who made us feel completely comfortable and cared for, leaving us refreshed, relaxed, and renewed after every session. A helpful tip for future guests: the resort thoughtfully provides bug spray (both natural and with DEET), which is very useful since the mangrove setting does have tiny no-see-ums. No need to pack your own. Thank you to the entire Nayara Bocas del Toro, for giving us the best birthday stay we could have imagined. This resort is truly magical.
My husband and I were at the resort Feb 22 - 27th. The property is truly beautiful. This is a quiet resort, nothing like all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. I think the maximum occupancy is about 50 people. I noticed in the restaurants table configurations thoughtfully changed with the change in arriving parties. When we arrived all the tables were set for couples, later in the week there were four top tables prepared to welcome larger groups. The staff knows you by name at the end of day 1. The staff is top notch, accommodating, helpful, thoughtful, polite, I simply can't say enough about the staff. The food was unique, innovative, reflective of the culture and well portioned. Everything tasted wonderful We did experience a hiccup with room service with our food arriving cold and we did not receive what we ordered. The spa is wonderful with so many treatments to choose from. We did find, there was a little too much solitude, not enough to do at the resort. There are day trips to take but if you have bad weather days, as we did, going to beaches, hikes, and so on we're not on the agenda in rain. Other than the spa or a 2pm planned event that lasts about an hour, there was nothing to do. We often found ourselves feeling a little bored and watching the clock waiting for dinner to start at 7pm. We definitely feel more activities are needed. Overall, the property, service, and food is excellent.
The rooms are beautiful - we stayed in an overwater villa. The excursion to zapatilla island with Esteban was the highlight of the trip. Note that the hotel only offers free transfers to the main island twice per day, otherwise all water taxis are $60 each way. There is active construction occurring which we were not told about that causes very loud banging at the beach. The food was hit or miss. The wine program needs a major overhaul for a hotel of this caliber.
