Konsenda Bocas del Toro

The Ecolodge itself is Immersed in a beautiful setting in the jungle at the edge of the Caribbean Sea on Popa Island, which is the best choice of the Bocas del Toro archipelago, if you want to escape the crowds. Our stay here featured daytime adventures and nights filled with jungle sounds, the glow of fireflies and amazing starry skies on clear nights. Hummingbird feeders were kept full with five species of hummingbird regularly visiting them along with a few Bananaquits. Bananas were strung up in a tree and attracted birds such as Toucans, Aracaris, Oropendolas and Tanagers. A three-toed Sloth was also spotted around the lodging area occasionally. During our seven night stay we explored the surrounding area alone by foot and kayak and took advantage of several free guided trips that were offered as part of our stay. Our favorites were the birdwatching tour which included birding in the garden and surrounding trails and a boat ride up a nearby creek and a Night Walk Tour where we saw all sorts of amazing nocturnal creatures, both big and small. We also participated in a few “specialized” paid tours which were amazing. We saw several different color morphs of the Strawberry poison-dart frog on nearby islands on the Poison Frog Tour, actively participated in, and engaged with a nearby local community, to collect coconuts and extract the coconut oil on the Coconut Oil Extraction Tour, with proceeds going directly to the local community. Along with the Coconut Tour our favorite was the Bird tour to the Punta Rabalo Marsh and the Cloud Forest on the adjacent mainland with a local guide specifically hired for this tour who was very knowledgeable on the local flora and fauna of the area and a great birding guide. Three meals a day were provide by the friendly staff which were always delicious and they even did a decent job of accommodating our vegan diet. The accommodations themselves are rustic but they were clean and included all of all of the basic necessities.

The cabin we stayed in had its own toilet and shower but could’ve benefited from more privacy from the nearby pathway, but the biggest issue we had was due to an unplanned need for the owners to be away during our stay. While they had someone stand in for them who was very nice and accommodating and a great host, they did not speak Spanish to translate from some of the local guides who did not speak English and was also relatively new to Panama so we missed a lot of the background information on the local ecology, biology and cultural history that we were expecting. That said the experiences were still amazing and highly recommended. We recommend to correspond with the owner, on WhatsApp (Look up website and click on link at bottom right to start a chat - he is very responsive) to help with planning your stay and ask to have the customer brochure with all of the available tours sent to you as it contains a lot more information than what is currently on the website.

If you are looking to get away from it all, this is the place for you. Super quiet with just the sounds of nature. The hut we were in was quirky but comfortable. The outdoor bathroom area was cool. Kayaks were available to explore the mangroves. Rubber boots and walking sticks were supplied to hike the jungle trail (it was quite muddy and slippery when we were there) Bird feeders were set up to attract various types of birds (hummingbirds and toucans) The owners made good on our reservation; they had forgotten to remove the date from this site. They had given their staff the day off. However, because we couldn't change our travel dates, they made good on the booking and had staff there for us.

The ladder to the loft in our hut was not secured and moved a lot. Luckily, I had a rope to make it at least a bit secure. The seats in the common area were good looking but uncomfortable. One step off the common hut was in desperate need of maintenance. The booking.com description had some errors in the details: no coffee hut, no spa hut, free airport shuttle... maybe these are planned for the future... We arrived (finally) after a crazy journey at 9am. We were able to have coffee (grudgingly) but when we asked about breakfast, we were told none was available. It would have been nice to have been offered at least a banana.

Wonderful place if you like to explore nature or just spend some lazy time. We really enjoyed our stay here. It's amazing to watch all the different birds, butterflies and other animals in their natural habitat. Food was super delicious as well. You are in the middle of nowhere, so there's no electricity throughout the day, which was completely fine for us. Highly recommended :)

It's a lot of mosquitoes around, which obviously is due to staying in the jungle and not the hosts fault. Just make sure to bring repellent.

Staying at Konsenda lodge a highlight of our Central America tour. The stay was extremely unique, off the beaten track and away from the tourist trail we stayed in a beautiful eco lodge which was built into the jungle landscape, waking up here to the sights and sounds of nature was incredible. Even when we were in bed we felt a deep connection to the outdoors. The hosts were amazing, we enjoyed jungle trekking in a extremely bio diverse landscape with experts teaching us about the nature of this incredible place, Abel was able to point out many sloths in their natural landscape as well as many frogs, we also learned about the forest. For us this encapsulated everything we wanted from visiting the Bocis Del Toro.

This experience, on this island and in the accommodation, was so powerful that it is impossible to describe it in a few sentences. I would start by saying that, those who just want to chill can, of course, also in Konsendas, use kayaks and snorkel for free, but, I would recommend this place, especially for those who are deeply interested in moving and still nature, who want to see and hear , as much as possible, from this wonderful archipelago. The owners of the hotel are extremely knowledgeable biologists and can organize for you, private or group tours, to every end of the archipelago, bird watching, night jungle trek, the best snorkeling spots, the most beautiful island in the whole Caribbean, the choice is wall to wall, take the opportunity and explore all the possibilities from Abel. Konsenda has his own boat, with the best captain in Bocas, it is possible to drive to the mainland and discover so much there by car. I will add that although you are absolutely in the jungle, the bungalow has all the comforts, frogs singing at night and birds singing in the morning are the only sounds, Popa Island is the most remote, the cleanest and the quietest, believe me, in the most beautiful coral gardens, you are the only ones! Well, I have to try to summarize briefly that - if you want to see Boca the way I saw it, book Konsenda, you are like a member of the family, you enjoy a good meal and only and only the beauty of nature. Dear Princess Mia and the Konsendas family - may all the Gods protect you, I will miss you🙏😘 Your Abuela Monika

all the best!

Ideal for nature lovers and adventurers. The owners are biologist, we went for a night walk, birds watching, kayaking and snorkeling. All inclusive, food excellent, served like in the best restaurant with bugatti cutlery. Very simple eco design. Very nice staff.

Nothing

Beautiful and passionate owners with the cutest little button of a kid. The food is made by the staff with fresh fruits and vegetables, and they are very attentive to food requirements. The room was comfortable and homely, waking up to the sound of nature was blissful. Abel gives you a list of birds you can spot around with photos and they are keen to share their knowledge (they are both biologists). We could've stayed for another week, so very peaceful

There wasn't anything we didn't enjoy, but it is more for chilling. Abel will let you know when a boat will go to Bocas Del Toro or organise something for you if necessary. If you are more of a keen bean who gets a bit uncomfortable in the same space, this might not be for you for a long period of time. I would, however, definitely stay for a couple of days. It's a really special experience