Hacienda del Mar is a boutique eco-resort located in San Jose Island, in the middle of the Gulf of Panama. Consists of 14 cabanas, each with its own balcony and panoramic views to the beach, this is an ideal destination for your unforgettable romantic vacation.

This Eco resort offers three types of beach front bungalows: Standard, Junior suite and two VIP cabanas. Each is equipped with an array of amenities to make your stay as comfortable as possible such as a mini refrigerator, coffee and tea making facilities,  king sized beds, air conditioning, large bathrooms with hot showers and more.

Built 75 feet above the Pacific Ocean upon a majestic point with picturesque ocean views, Hacienda del Mar features a a full restaurant serving organic homegrown food, tropical fruit and the freshest of seafood. There is also a sauna, hammocks and a swimming pool. Activities at Hacienda del Mar include diving, snorkeling and eco tours to explore the island wildlife.

Coral Lodge is an eco-sensitive resort situated on an isolated part of the Caribbean coast just north of Kuna Yala, Panama. This exclusive eco-lodge consists of six stylish thatched-roof bungalows set over the water. The spacious air-conditioned bungalows offer a relaxed, secluded atmosphere and this is the perfect spot for your romantic vacation.

The crystal clear water encourages swimming, snorkeling, kayaking. Snorkeling is available directly off your private sundeck. There are also local expeditions to ride horses, explore rivers, or dive.  There is a swimming pool, restaurant serving excellent locally sourced food and an over-the-water bar.

The Chiriquí Archipelago is a marine national park that extends over 14,740 hectares. It consists of over 100 islands, most of which are forested and home to a huge variety of wildlife. Boca Brava Island is lovely, idyllic island, with sandy beaches and clear waters, lots of coconut palms and excellent opportunities for snorkeling.

As a part of the National Marine Park, Bocas Brava Island offers to its visitors an unspoiled natural atmosphere with lots of hiking trails, white sand tropical beaches, and amazing wildlife. The island is home to a number of unique flora and fauna, such as array of orchids, a stunning variety of tropical birds, many troops of howler monkeys and etc.

There is something for everybody – from simply relaxing on a beach to activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, horse-riding or surfing. Whale watching in the late summer is spectacular as the humpbacks find their way to the warm waters here to bear their offspring.

Isla Grande is where Panamanians escape for the weekend to get rid of the city system. You jump in a car or bus, and in two hours you swap Panama City for snorkelling in the Caribbean, on the maze of coral reefs that mark the edge of the Portobelo National Park. Photo by: ursucookie

Isla Grande is on 166 m from the mainland. Although it’s thick with tropical flowers, coconut palms and greenery, the largest of the islands in the area and the easiest and cheapest to get to, nobody went until the potholes in the road from Portobelo were repaired. By the time that happened, La Isla was safe from either ribbon development or high-end exclusivity. There are still no roads on the island – just a walkway that merges bars, markets, street vendors, small restaurants and few hotels. Big part of the island isn’t even accessible, because it’s carved up into half a dozen private estates, and apart from the path across its centre, you enjoy its charms from the waterline. Photo by: lburgee

Isla Grande is your chance to do a full-on tropical Caribbean island, with excellent reefs, and turquoise waters. It’s so lovely and people are so happy to be there. You’re expected to join in; and often you will find one or more communities that has always lived there. Make sure you’ve got food, drink, music and good fellowship to help your day go well. Photo by: perkele_cold

When to go: Any day of the week, any time of the year. Population: 200. Getting there: By car or bus from Sabanitas or Portobelo, to La Guaira, then by water taxi for a five minutes ride to the island. Photo by: Mikecron

The Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica and Panama merges in a seamless sequence of barely-explored mountains and rivers, dense forests opening onto turquoise waters and pristine white beaches. mysterious mangrove channels, coral gardens and exotically wildlife. This is the Oanamanian province of Bocas del Toro. Its capital, Bocas Town is on Colon, one of the 68 Bocas del Toro Islands. Photo by: sanberdoo

Island culture is much more Afro-Caribbean than Latin-American. Towns and villages have a bright but dilapidated air, and residents are perfectly matched to the young, hip crowd of international visitors. The high funk factor of thatched bars on stilts and infinite versions of incomers fantasy tropical gatewatys is driven by residents own appreciation for the natural paradise in which they live. However hard they party, people there respect the marvels of the Marine Park, where one beach is the world’s only home to black-polka-dotted, scarlet frog and rare sea turtles. Photo by: mediashake

Only on Isla Colon is uncontrolled tourist development begining to threaten the very high diversity of marine and terrestrial ecosystems that along with its delightful, quirky, retro-culture -had made Bocas del Toro famous. Photo by: ms koeppe

When to go: The rain never entirely stops, but the islands are driest in September/October and February/March. Happily, at these times islands are both cheaper and less crowded. Population: 9,000. How to get there: By air, from Panama City. Photo by: sanberdoo

Taboga island is established in 1524 as a deepwater harbour for Panama City visible at night 18km away on the horizon. Taboga was the very first Spanish port in the Pacific. As well as it passed the gold, pearls and treasures of the Incas, in transit to Madrid, while the trinkets to buy them.

Taboga is also famous as the ”Island of Flowers”. It’s very close to Panama – and so very distant in lifestyle and atmosphere. There are no cars in the maze of paths around the 300 or so houses in Spanish style, just three little cute trucks to carry cargo and visitors baggage. Roses and huge trumpets of morning glory fill the gardens and walkways. It’s full of fields of fruits such as pineapple, orange, red and yellow orchids compete for attention.

Little cafes and bars surrounded the main plaza and beach. Nothing much happens these days: to do nothing on a lovely tropical island a few minutes from the stress of the city, that’s why people go there.

When to go: Mid- December to mid-May in the dry season – but urban Panamanians come year-round to the highly sociable festivals that take place all the time.

Boquete is a small town situated between the green mountains of Panama, about 60km from the border of Costa Rica. Boquete is also emerging as one of Central America’s latest eco-tourism destinations.

Surrounded by green mountains as we mentioned, and topped by misty peaks, Boquete offers plenty of outdoors activities, such as hiking, climbing, bird-watching and white-water rafting.

The weather is warm during the daytime, bracing at night and perfect for growing bananas, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, strawberries and coffee.

Some of its landmarks include nearby Volcán Barú, a dormant volcano and, at 3,475 meters, the tallest point of land in Panama. Hikers enjoy a relatively easy hike up and over the volcano, along the Sendero de los Quetzales, which runs from Boquete up to Cerro Punta and Volcan, on the other side of the volcano.

Panama also offers magnificent bird-watching. The forests in and around Boquete are home to a dazzling array of quetzals, toucans and parrots.

Local governments in the attempt of organizing banana export provide low duty taxes on export, they try to influence social and environmental politics, they attract the big companies to their countries. If the local governments did not do it by themselves, the big companies would threaten with going somewhere else

Photography and esseay by Jan Sochor

Some panamanians called ”Panama City” the ”Miami” of the South. Panama is the southernmost country of Central America connecting the north and south part of America. Today the city offers daily direct flights from about six cities in the United States, including New York, Newark and Los Angeles.

Panama is famous with its tropical climate and the Panama Canal. No trip to Panama City is complete without a visit to the Panama Canal. During that visit it’s good to have a snack at the Miraflores Locks, the southernmost of three sets of water elevators that fill and drain as ships wend their way between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans by way of the Caribbean Sea. Just five miles from the city’s center, the new Miraflores Visitor Center is home to a multilevel exhibition and a third-floor restaurant, where you almost touch the passing vessels while you refuel.

To ensure a choice table, call the restaurant for reservations; you can also call the center for the day’s scheduled crossings.

In the end to complete your tour go to canal of Gamboa Rainforest Resort, which is a 340-acre nature reserve that slices through the Soberanía National Park, a Tarzan-like jungle that is home to a staggering 500-plus species of birds. An observation tower offers another bird’s-eye view