A friend in Central America decided to go to Panama, and once I heard that I started to go through photos and videos from my trip in December 2018 – which turns out was when I created Umami Journeys before my dinner series and other experiences existed. And a lifetime before the Thailand creative wellness resort project. I’d completely forgotten about this timing – during the trip I put together a retreat offering in Thailand on the original island I was looking into for land later in 2020 (Koh Yao Noi)…full circle moment. 🙂
As I started to walk down memory lane, I decided to pull together a journey post with recommended spots (or places I’ve marked to go on my next tour), reminiscent of old times:
Punta Chame (see our video). This is a beach resort area about 1.5 hours from Panama City and near El Valle de Antón. I stayed quite nearby in Playa Coronado for a couple of weeks with this group of friends (one of them lived there for over a year).
Places near El Valle de Antón / Punta Chame / Playa Coronado (that I’ve been to and recommend):
- Altos de Campana National Park (hiking)
- Mirador Los Mandarinos (hiking)
- The actual beachfront at Playa Coronado (there was even volleyball there)
In El Valle de Anton:
- Butterfly Haven (LOVED it – they kept landing on me)
- Wandering around getting lost in the village – found a pic of a map and didn’t track much else, except a nearby waterfall that we went to. I think it was was Chorro Macho
- Potential Accommodations (I haven’t been and have them marked as options for next time I go):
Panama City:
- El Trapiche (restaurant I’ve been to – was a fun group spot)
- Panama Canal (fun to watch the gates open and massive boats manage to just fit through)
- Luxury Hotels I was recommended by another dear friend with a luxury travel and concierge company out of NYC:
Other places I would potentially check out next time in Panama:
- Bocas del Toro (northern island on Caribbean side I’ve heard a lot about).
- Iguana Island Forest Reserve (western coast past Playa Coronado)
- A few wellness retreat centers and places that caught my eye:
- Isla Secas Resort (on a private island)
I thought I’d share this in the off chance that this may be helpful for anyone who’s thinking of checking out this gem sometime soon.
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