Overlooking the water of Bocas del Toro, the Lodge at Punta Rica has six suites on a hilltop on Isla Bastimentos, a chef who cooks for you, hosts who know your name, and no need to dress up.
What we mean by barefoot luxury
Luxury here isn’t marble floors or a lobby. It’s the feeling of being looked after somewhere wild. Breakfast is cooked to order every morning. Our chef cooks a three-course dinner six nights a week, served at one long table where everyone becomes family, or if you’re coupled-up and want some 1:1 time, eat at a private table. The choice is yours!
Additionally, our team can help you plan your days, from boat trips to Red Frog Beach to a massage on the deck.
And it’s barefoot because nobody dresses up. You’ll spend your days between the pool, the deck and the water, and your evenings with a cocktail watching the light change over Bocas.
A day at the lodge
- Morning: coffee on your balcony to the sounds of the jungle (keep an eye out for sloths and monkeys), then breakfast cooked to order (8–10 AM).
- Midday: snorkel from our dock, paddle a kayak, or take a short water taxi to Red Frog Beach (about 10 minutes) or the village of Old Bank (about 3 minutes). Lunch is served poolside from noon to 3 with its own smaller lunch menu.
- Afternoon: the 32-foot pool, a book, a nap. A massage or a private yoga session can be arranged in advance.
- Evening: sunset at the bar, then dinner from our chef ($40 per person, six nights a week; tell us about allergies and diets when you book).
Your arrival
We pick you up for free by boat in Bocas Town, behind Virginia’s House, the yellow house to the left of the police station. It’s about a 10-minute ride to our dock. Our team carries your luggage up the path, and you get your room key with a welcome cocktail. Our last boat leaves Bocas Town at 5:30 PM, so you can check in before 6. Arriving later? Let us know and we will figure something out or help you arrange a water taxi if we can’t get to you.
The suites
Four two-story King suites and two single-level Queen suites, each with an en-suite bathroom with hot water, a powerful near-silent ceiling fan and screened windows everywhere.
NOTE: Every suite has one bed, so suites are for couples and adults traveling in pairs is ideal..
Barefoot luxury for your whole group
Take all six suites and the lodge becomes yours: the pool, the bar, the dining room and the Grand Room, with our chef and bartender cooking and pouring for your group. It works beautifully for milestone birthdays, family reunions, friend trips and small retreats, for up to 12 guests (six suites, one bed each), and children are welcome on whole-lodge stays.
What barefoot luxury doesn’t mean here:
We’d rather you know before you book:
- No air conditioning. The lodge is open-air and cooled by powerful (and nearly silent) ceiling fans and the breeze. We run on solar power and UV-filtered rainwater.
- No TVs, by design. Wi-Fi runs throughout the property, but speeds vary on an island.
- A hilltop, not a beach. We have a private dock and beach access for our small beach below the Lodge, and the big tourist beaches are only a short boat ride or hike away (wear good shoes and clothes for the hike if you choose to do that).
- Stairs. The suites, decks and paths sit on a hillside, so its an elevated property and stairs should be considered if you have any health issues.
- Quiet nights. Quiet hours are 10 PM to 8 AM.
If that sounds like your kind of luxury, you’ll love it here.
Barefoot luxury in Bocas del Toro, without the overwater price tag
Bocas has a few high-end resorts with overwater villas and private-island prices. We’re something different: a small, hosted lodge where six suites share a chef, a pool and a view, or where your group takes the whole place for itself! Guests rate us 9.8 out of 10 on Booking.com from 113 reviews, and you can find us on other channels with great reviews as well – although we encourage you to book direct on our website because it saves you from those hefty markups with Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, Booking.com, etc.
Is The Lodge at Punta Rica a luxury lodge?
We call it barefoot luxury. You’re looked after the way you would be at a fine hotel, with breakfast cooked to order, a chef who cooks three-course dinners six nights a week, a bar, a 32-foot pool, and hosts who help plan your days. But it’s relaxed, with no dress code, in the jungle on Isla Bastimentos. The lodge is off-grid and open-air: ceiling fans instead of air conditioning, no TVs, and a hilltop setting with stairs rather than a beachfront.
