If you’ve been following us on social media recently, then you know that we spent a wonderful week exploring Panama! We spent our first 4 days on Isla Bastimentos and our second 4 days in Panama City.
When we arrived in Panama City, we took an Uber from the international airport over to the domestic airport, where we took a tiny plane over to the Caribbean coast where Bocas del Toro is located.
Upon arriving there, we were greeted by one of the friendly staff from Al Natural, and taken to their Bocas del Toro office to catch the boat from Bocas town to Isla Bastimentos. The boat took about 45 minutes to get there.
We pulled up to a beautiful stretch of white sand beach, where we were greeted by Juan, who showed us around and took us to our room.
We walked a small path through the jungle before we arrived at our private bungalow. We had a king-sized bed, plus 2 other smaller beds for lounging, a big balcony with a hammock and beach chair looking out at the turquoise water, a small table and chairs that were perfect for reading, and a large bathroom.
There is no internet or cell service at Al Natural (you have to walk 8 minutes down the beach to get a connection), and we immediately felt more relaxed than we had felt in months upon arriving.
Shortly after we arrived, we made our way to the main area of Al Natural for drinks and dinner. We drank margaritas while getting to know the owner, Michel, and learning a bit more about Al Natural and how it came to be what it is today.
Although Michel is originally from Belgium, he has lived in Panama for nearly 20 years and was able to tell us lots about the culture and history in Panama, specifically on Isla Bastimentos.
Before we knew it, we were getting served a 3-course dinner made by the in-house chef. It was unreal! We were at Al Natural for 4 nights, and each night the food was a little bit different. We had an appetizer, a main that consisted of fresh seafood, and a fruit dessert. We drank wine and got to know the other people that were staying at Al Natural, and it felt like we were a part of a big family.
One of the many amazing meals we ate at Al Natural!
After our main course and before dessert, we were greeted by a family of 4 monkeys who came for their own dessert – bananas! Unfortunately we weren’t able to get any great photos of them, but they were adorable and super gentle with everyone at the resort. They reminded us of a bit of Ewoks / Furbies!
We fell asleep in the bungalow to the sounds of the ocean and the jungle. It was the best we’ve both slept in months!
We awoke the next morning to the sun shining and the ocean greeting us. We had breakfast in the common area (a choice of eggs or pancakes, coffee, fruit, and freshly baked bread with assorted jams). Many of the guests at Al Natural headed out for the various tours that are offered at the resort, but we decided to spend the day reading and lounging ocean-side.
By midday we were ready for a swim in the ocean and another meal! We headed back to the main area for lunch. Each day we were at Al Natural, lunch was a little bit different. We had things like pasta (GF for Amanda!), a variety of salads, fried plantains and fish sticks, and more. All of it always served with freshly squeezed juice and freshly baked bread!
Following lunch, we took a beach walk to take in the beautiful view surrounding Al Natural, swam in the ocean some more, napped, read and lounged more. Al Natural is the perfect place to spend an entire day doing nothing and not feel even a little bit guilty about it!
One of the things that we loved about Al Natural was how we didn’t have to leave the resort to get great snorkeling or swimming. Of course, you can take snorkeling or dive trips to nearby areas, but you can also use the snorkeling equipment at Al Natural to explore the water that’s right off the resort. You also have all day access to their kayaks and paddle boards, and you can walk about an hour down the beach to check out some of the different smaller beaches and see the ways that the locals in the area live. Regardless of what you choose to do, you’ll get beautiful views and nice time.
After a couple of months of working a lot, we opted to relax, relax, relax and not take any of the trips. We loved having our own personal balcony to relax in privacy on and a beautiful place to swim just feet from our bungalow.
The sun would usually set a bit after our afternoon coffee / snack break, and we found this was the perfect time for a beach walk (there aren’t too many mosquitos and it cools off a little bit), to do a yoga practice on the balcony, or to play games in the loft above the main area.
After 4 nights at Al Natural, we had napped and slept more than we have in months, fuelled up on Vitamin D, and we left feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and recharged.
Although Bocas town is nice, we loved that we were able to get the beautiful views, amazing food, and a quiet, peaceful stay by traveling just a little bit outside of the small town. If you are looking for a relaxing time in Bocas del Toro, Isla Bastimenos is the place and we would highly recommend Al Natural. We can’t wait to return again someday!
If you’re interested in learning more about Al Natural, or perhaps booking a stay there, please check them out here.
Thank you so much to Michel and the staff at Al Natural Resort for having us! We loved every minute of our staff. Although part of our stay was sponsored, all opinions are our own. 🙂
