The Global Expat Hub
Panama
Base yourself where you might actually live: for Panama that means Panama City, Boquete, Coronado — and the smaller towns in between. Every stay below was picked by our editors and links to the property's own website. Book two to four weeks if you can: long enough to test commutes, groceries and weekday noise.
Nayara Bocas del Toro
On Isla Frangipani, a private island in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, Nayara Bocas del Toro is Panama's most decorated island resort: an adults-only, all-inclusive hideaway of overwater villas and bamboo treehouses, named the number-one resort in Central America in Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards and holder of two Michelin Keys.
The overwater villas run to about 1,100 square feet, each with a private plunge pool, glass floor inlays for watching the water below, and steps straight down into the Caribbean. Ashore, the treehouses, designed by Bali-based studio IBUKU and built partly from hardwood reclaimed from the Panama Canal, rise some 50 feet into the canopy.
Dining centres on the Elephant House, a century-old Balinese structure shipped across the Pacific and rebuilt on the island, alongside the poolside Coral Café, and there is a spa, Colibri, tucked into the gardens. The resort runs off-grid on solar power and harvested rainwater and holds Green Globe certification.
Getting there is part of the ritual: a short flight from Panama City to Bocas del Toro, then a boat ride of about 20 minutes out to the island, with transfers from the island airport included. It is the splurge anchor of this guide — the benchmark for a Caribbean-side scouting trip, or a very special stay before a move.
- Adults-only, all-inclusive resort on private Isla Frangipani, Bocas del Toro
- Overwater villas with private plunge pools, plus IBUKU-designed bamboo treehouses
- Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice 2025: #1 resort in Central America; two Michelin Keys
- Elephant House fine-dining restaurant and Coral Café; Colibri Spa
- Off-grid solar and rainwater systems; complimentary boat transfer from Bocas del Toro airport
Visit the property — Nayara Bocas del Toro nayararesorts.com
This featured showcase is an editorial selection by our editors. We have not stayed at this property and it is not a paid placement; no rating is implied. Paid placements never influence the Panama liveability score, safety rating or warnings.
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Hostels, guesthouses and family-run hotels that keep a scouting trip affordable — plus serviced apartments and residences tagged Long-stay, for testing a move or a retirement before you commit.
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Hotel EconómicoSanta Ana · Panama City
Hostal Casa ArekaPaitilla · Panama City
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Klika Bocas del ToroBocas Town · Bocas del Toro
Bocas Estrella HostelBocas Town · Bocas del Toro
Hotel IberiaDavid · Chiriquí
Bodhi Hostel & LoungeEl Valle de Antón · Coclé
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Aparthotel BoqueteBajo Boquete · Chiriquí Highlands
Tropical SuitesBocas Town · Bocas del ToroScouting checklist
- Stay in at least two neighbourhoods.
- Choose somewhere with a kitchen: it reveals daily costs.
- Visit a supermarket, a clinic and a school during the stay.
- Ask the manager where they would and wouldn't rent.
Every listing links to the property's own website. Listings are editorial picks; a Partner tag marks a paid placement, and a Long-stay tag marks places set up for longer stays.