Nayara Bocas del Toro

Overwater villas and treehouses on a private, off-grid Caribbean island

About Nayara Bocas del Toro

Nayara Bocas del Toro is an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on Isla Frangipani in the Bocas del Toro archipelago. It has a small number of overwater villas with private plunge pools, plus IBUKU-designed treehouses. Dinner is at the Elephant House, a century-old Balinese pavilion. You fly to Bocas del Toro Airport (BOC), and the hotel arranges the boat transfer.

The resort has its own island, Isla Frangipani, and runs off the grid. Most of the accommodation stands over the sea. Each overwater villa has a private deck with a plunge pool, and the Overwater Pool Villa also has a glass panel set into the floor. Starfish, stingrays and small tropical fish drift underneath, and on many nights the water glows with bioluminescence. Between the mangroves, the IBUKU-designed treehouses rise fifty feet above the ground.

Meals are part of the stay. Dinner is at the Elephant House, a Balinese pavilion about a century old that was shipped over from Bali and now sits above the water. The kitchen writes a new menu every night. Breakfast and lunch are at the Coral Café, beside the pool. If you would rather stay in, every villa has in-room dining around the clock. The Colibri Spa offers massages, body wraps and facials, and couples' treatments can also be booked in your villa.

Between meals there is plenty to do, or nothing at all. Kayaks, paddleboards and snorkeling gear are included. The hotel can also arrange diving, deep-sea fishing and boat trips to the Zapatilla Islands and Dolphin Bay, which cost extra. Kupu-Kupu Beach is a patch of sand built on stilts over the sea, with the Tipsy Bar next to it. Guests must be 16 or older.

At a glance

Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM

Perfect for

Couples and honeymoons
Food lovers
Nature and wildlife

Hotel Facts

Type

Adults-only island resort

Facilities

Pool
Spa
Restaurant
Bar / Lounge
Airport Transfer
Internet access / Wi Fi
Adults Only

Room Types

Overwater Pool Villa Deluxe

Four-poster king bed under a Balinese canopy, teak interiors and a private saltwater pool.

102 m² · Sea and marine life from a private terrace

Overwater Pool Villa

The glass floor inlay is the difference; it also has a deck with a plunge pool.

Water below through a glass floor panel

Presidential Villa

Indoor-outdoor saltwater infinity pool reached from the bedroom, a firepit and a dedicated concierge.

191 m² · Panoramic Caribbean views from a sea-front terrace

Dining

Elephant House: Dinner in a century-old Balinese pavilion over the water; new menu nightly.
The Coral Cafe: Poolside breakfast and lunch in an open-air setting.
Tipsy Bar: Bar beside Kupu-Kupu Beach, steps from the villas.

Spa and wellness

Colibri Spa: Massages, body wraps and facials; treatments can also be given in your villa.

On the property

Kupu-Kupu Beach: About ninety feet of white sand built on stilts over the sea.
Main pool: A 70-foot freshwater pool beside the Coral Cafe.
Kayaks and paddleboards: Non-motorized water sports are included, along with snorkeling.
Treehouses: IBUKU-designed treehouses rising fifty feet above the mangroves, with 21-foot ceilings.

Good to know

A minimum stay of two nights applies; the hotel suggests four to five nights to settle in.
The overwater and island layout means there are no accessible rooms for guests with limited mobility.
There are no roads or taxis on the island; the concierge arranges boats for any outing.

Questions travellers ask

How do I get to Nayara Bocas del Toro from Panama City?

The usual route is a domestic flight from Albrook, Panama City's in-town airport, to Bocas del Toro (BOC). Hotel staff meet you on arrival, drive you a few minutes to the dock and bring you across by boat, and that transfer is included.

Can children stay here?

No. The resort is for adults only, and the minimum age is 16.

What is covered during the stay?

Meals at the restaurants, a wide range of drinks, kayaks, paddleboards, snorkeling and the airport boat transfers are included. Diving, fishing and boat excursions cost extra.

When is the calmest water for snorkeling?

The resort points to February to April and September to October as the drier months. September and October bring unusually still water for snorkeling.