Solitude helps when you want to portray your resort as a jungle hideaway, and Bird Island Bungalow is about as secluded as you can get. Tucked away on the north shore of Isla Colón, the main island in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago of Panama, this tropical gem promises to soothe all that ails you after a long ski season.
We’ve taken the leisurely route from Denver, stopping off for a few days in Panama City to explore the capital city’s historic Casco Viejo district, sampling ceviche in the seafood market and marveling at the feat of engineering that is the Panama Canal.
After a few days sweating it out in the crowds, we’re ready to feel the Caribbean breeze. Leaving the high rises and thumping rooftop nightclubs behind, we board the 30-minute flight to Bocas Del Toro airport and soon touch down on a short landing strip surrounded by jungle in the middle of the sea.
Photos courtesy of Bird Island Bungalows + TR Creative
Alex Paulson, co-owner of Bird Island Bungalows, picks us up, and soon we’re driving on a dirt track through dense jungle. Howler monkeys herald our arrival from the thick canopy of ficus and nutmeg trees, and there’s a lengthy stop to allow a sloth time to cross the road.
While we wait, Paulson describes the herculean effort of buying the abandoned property with his partner Kath Boehlke and spending the past couple of years transforming the half-built shell into an island oasis. The couple worked by hand with help from locals to construct the eco-resort, which now comprises nine suites, three bungalows and a yoga shala that all run entirely off rainwater and solar energy.
When the sloth completes its glacial crossing, we’re off again and soon pull up outside a mint green two-story building with an open corridor through the center that lets in a constant sea breeze. We kick off our shoes, no longer required, and pad up the terracotta-tiled steps from where we can see straight through to the turquoise water and Bird Island, a natural habitat for the rarely-seen redbilled Tropicbird, frigates, brown pelicans and many other avian treasures.
Boehlke materializes with glasses of bubbly, and we set off to explore the resort. The rooms, which have fitting names like the Toucan and Pelican suite, are devastatingly minimalistic, all floaty white linen and reclaimed driftwood, practically begging you to forget you’ve ever worn a pair of ski boots. For a little more money, you can bag yourself a casita and enjoy an outdoor shower and a private patio to cool off at the end of the day.
Expansive ocean-view decks are big enough for yoga classes, and the rainwater pool is outfitted with submerged bar stools where you can sip a cocktail when the surf below is too high for swimming. For quietude, head to a smaller deck hidden among the palm trees where you can read a book, swing in a hammock or watch the waves rolling in
We quickly unpack and head down a set of steps to the resort’s small private beach, where kayaks and surfboards are set up for guests to enjoy. We opt for snorkeling and wade into the warm water to swim among tropical fish, crabs and orange starfish.
Feeling peckish after our aquatic adventures, we soon join the handful of other guests at the open-air bar where mellow reggae music drifts from the speakers and palm trees sway in time. The vibe is communal but low-key. Paulson and Boehlke, who seem to materialize from nowhere whenever you feel thirsty, get to work blitzing rum and ice with bananas picked from the garden. As we sip, they explain with pride how all of their food and drinks are made with ingredients from the lush, 12-acre jungle garden and local meat and seafood.
Stomachs growling, we head up to the dining deck, where options like fish tacos, ahi tuna bowls and Vietnamese summer rolls are written on a chalkboard. We try it all and discover giant, colorful portions made with astonishingly fresh ingredients — the type of mouth-watering food it would be a crime not to photograph.
Bellies full, we climb higher to the sunset deck and watch the sun plunge into the sea with a sizzle. Then, it’s back to the bar for some late-night camaraderie before collapsing in our breezy rooms to be lulled to sleep by the waves below.
In the morning, we’re spoilt for choice — do we kayak out to Bird Island? Take a bus to Starfish Beach and sip beer on the white sands? Hike through the jungle? Take a private boat out on Dolphin Bay to look for dolphins leaping through the crystal-clear waters? After a little consideration, we decide to take the resort’s official advice: put off today what can be left till tomorrow, and enjoy another day in paradise.
BIRD ISLAND BUNGALOWS
Where: Bocas del Toro, Panama
Getting there: Daily flights to Bocas del Toro from Panama City, Panama and San Jose, Costa Rica
Nightly rate: $85-$150 per night, includes breakfast and shuttle