Updated: Dec. 26, 2018
If you want to stay in a remote & beautiful location, Punta Burica is a good choice.
The further out you go, the more remote it becomes. For instance, currently, only the 1st 2 lodging options below offer electricity and internet.
From closest to Puerto Armuelles to furthest, they are:
If you go out to one of these hotels, don't forget your passport. The guards at the PTP (ie., Petroterminal) will most likely ask to see it before allowing you to pass through the PTP. You must go thru the PTP to get out onto Punta Burica.
To learn about your transportation options as well as driving directions from Puerto Armuelles out to Punta Burica, please scroll down to the description of Mono Feliz.
Also, 3 hotels, Burica Surf, Hooked On Panama, and Reel Panama, offer a pick up service from David, or other closer places such as Paso Canaos or Puerto Armuelles.
Learn about accommodations in Puerto Armuelles here
Reel Panama is a fishing lodge/hotel. It seems like a fine beachfront place, but more basic than luxurious. Last year, we visited but did not stay the night. We did enjoy playing a few games of foosball there. We also met the owner, Joseph, and he seemed friendly. We had an enjoyable chat together.
It Offers
Later that same day, we did have a strange experience with the owner on our way back home. (We had gone out for the day to visit our friends at Burica Surf and Mono Feliz, see below). We were having a great time driving on the beach when our tire blew.
Luckily we realized that we were by Reel Panama. We limped there. We spotted Joseph and asked to borrow a wrench and a flashlight. We had a spare but the crowbar/wrench was missing. He seemed very different from the man we talked to in the morning. Something was "off" about him. He somewhat reluctantly agreed to lend us the tools, but he never returned with them, and we never saw him again. Thankfully, his one and only neighbor was both home and very helpful. Within a half hour, we had changed our tire and were on our way home to Puerto Armuelles. We had a fun day on Punta Burica, despite our tire incident.
Room Rates
Room (w/breakfast): $ 75
There are 6 basic rooms.
Fishing Charter Info
You can request a fishing expedition on Joseph's boat. He has Grady White (Cruiser) originally built in 1995, and restored in 2015. Powered by 115HP Evinrude engine, with a maximum cruising speed of 25 knots. It can carry 4 people.
Daily Fishing Charter Rate: $ 150
Concierge Service in Panama City: $ 495
Includes transportation from the International Airport to your hotel, then transportation from your hotel to the Airport the next morning. Airfare from Panama City to David, and transportation from David to the Reel Panama Lodge. After your charter, transportation back to David, airfare to Panama City, transportation to your hotel, and transportation to the International Airport
Note: Room and fishing rates and information are what appear on Reel Panama's website. Contact them to verify cost and availability.
Contact
There are 2 sites with more information on the hotel as well as the ability to book a room: Booking.com and Fishingbooker.com. At the time of this writing, each of those sites has one review each on Reel Panama.
Hooked on Panama is a very pleasant place to hang out. It is comfortable and is on a beautiful beach.
It is near Limones village, about 17 kilometers south of Puerto Armuelles.
It takes about 30 to 50 minutes to drive from Puerto Armuelles to Hooked on Panama. It depends upon the condition of the road and how fast you drive.
(For details, see directions below.)
It Offers
Contact info
Cabin Rental Rates
Fishing Charters: Available upon request.
Request one by emailing [email protected]
Looking for Property?
We are available to give a tour of our property. We are also happy to share our experiences and advice. We have lived and invested in the Puerto Armuelles area for the last 10 years.
Go to our contact us page to set up a time, or to ask a question.
Burica Surf is also on a beautiful beach. You can both paddle board and surf from this location. They rent boards for $20 a day, they also offer package deals.
It takes about 50 minutes to 1.5 hours to drive from Puerto Armuelles to Burica Surf. It depends upon the condition of the road and how fast you drive. (For details, see directions below)
It Offers
I write about our visit to Burica Surf, and include more details, photos, and a video.
Room & Food Rates
Unless you are bringing your own food, you will want to pay for meals. There are no stores nearby and the only other nearby place to eat is Mono Feliz.
Keep in mind, there is no electricity or internet yet at Burica Surf.
Burica Surf is the newest entry to the list of places to stay on Punta Burica.
Contact info
Visit their website to book your stay.
We love Mono Feliz. It is simply a good place to "be". However, it is not for everyone. It is very rustic. You sleep in thatched open-air sleeping accommodations (see photo). There is no internet, phone, or fans. Only the kitchen/dining area has electricity (solar powered).
A very relaxing, completely off the grid place to spend a few days
It Offers
There is some pretty good surf off the nearby island as well. My husband wrote about surfing on Isla Burica.
John (Juancho) and Luzmila have been living here so long the monkeys have developed a habit of stopping by. They always have bananas available to feed the visiting monkeys with. We once spent a blissful time with a rescued baby monkey at Mono Feliz. You can see a short video of that visit to Mono Feliz.
Cabin & Cabin Rates
Rates include swimming pool use, shower, toilet & drinking water.
Food
Contact Info
Replies from FB can vary in speed. Calling may be a better option. Although Mono Feliz has no cell phone service, all phone calls are relayed to Mono Feliz within 24 hours.
Don't be afraid just to show up. Mono Feliz has never turned anyone away. They will always accommodate unexpected visitors.
All the hotels on Punta Burica are accessed from the route described below. The road ends at Mono Feliz. There is no road to Tigre Salviaje. You must go by foot, horse, or boat once the road end to get to Tigre Salviaje. Keep in mind, Burica Surf, Hooked on Panama and Reel Panama will pick you up in David or Puerto Armuelles, if you request it in advance.
Distance & Duration
You get can directions, and a sense of distance and time, to Punta Burica by reading the directions to Mono Feliz, below. (Also Mono Feliz's Facebook page also gives directions via a Google map app.)
Mono Feliz is 30 km from Puerto Armuelles. How long it will take you to get to Mono Feliz depends upon what mode of transport you use.
By Boat
You can also take a boat to any of these 5 places. A boat ride would be much faster. You can use your own boat or arrange with a local fisherman to drop you off and pick you up.
The tricky part is the pick up. You must feel confident that the fisherman will remember to pick you up. Of course, you can also take the bus back. There are bus stops in Bella Vista and Limones. We have walked from Mono Feliz to Bella Vista. It is a pleasant hike.
By Bus
By Car
You can take this route in a regular, non-4WD, car in dry season, but you need a 4WD car in the wet season.
As one of the comments below mentions, you may also need a high clearance 4WD vehicle. Since that comment was made, the road has been greatly improved. But you never know when it will degrade again - especially in the rainy season.
Via roads, not the beach:
You have arrived in Bella Vista!
Car Route - on Beach
Only take this route in a 4 wheel drive vehicle. And you must also time your trip so you are driving on the beach during low tide.
You can pick up a tide chart at Pescamar store in downtown Puerto Armuelles (see photo) or look at this online tide chart.
I recommend getting a hard copy of the tide chart. You may not have access to the internet once you leave Puerto Armuelles.
We love going the beach route. It is smoother, cooler, lots of birds to look at, and just plain fun! It is especially fun if you are one riding in back of the pick up truck.
Dave and his wife, Vielka, own and operate Tigre Salvaje. Tigre Salvaje, like Mono Feliz, has no Internet access at the hotel. The accommodations are less rustic though.
(I'm not sure how many people know it by the name Tigre Salvaje. Most people refer to it as "Dave's Place")
Tigre Salvaje's primary mission is wildlife education and preservation. They welcome visitors and volunteers, but that is not their primary mission.
Rates:
For volunteers (helping with the turtles):
For non-volunteers:
You cannot drive a car to Tigre Salvaje. The road ends at Mono Feliz.
Tigre Salvaje is about a 40-minute walk from Mono Feliz.
You can walk on the beach, on a trail along the edge of the jungle, or go back and forth between the two
For directions to get to Mono Feliz, scroll up.
Also, in Bella Vista, you may be able to get a horseback ride to Tigre Salvaje. Once you reach Bella Vista, go on the dirt road (per the directions to Mono Feliz, above), you will see a sign on the right about horses (caballos, in Spanish) to Tigre Salvaje. I did not inquire there. However, you might be able to rustle up a horse to take you and your luggage to Tigre Salvaje. Ask when you call or email them.
More Info
Dave at Tigre Salvaje actively tries to preserve the turtle population.
He would welcome your volunteer help.
There is some controversy over his approach. Here is a thread on Lonely Planet if you want to get a feel for it. lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2084498
