Beautiful' Green'Beachfront Home Secluded Paradise

• Worth the drive!

  Worth the drive!

  • Guest Ina
  • Date of stay 03/10/13
  • Review Submitted 05/14/13
  This was a great place to take my parents on their first trip to Panama. The porch overlooking the lush landscape was a great place to have breakfast and plan out the day. Gundula gave great tours of the property and shared some of her favorite swimming areas and private beaches! The fresh bananas, coconuts and breadfruit were just icing on the cake. I would highly recommend this property for anyone looking to get away and relax. I would also suggest doing a boat tour to the surrounding islands and snorkeling spots (which can be arranged by Gundula). It was so much fun to zip around and stop where ever you wanted!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, tourists without a car.

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• Paradise in Panama

  Paradise in Panama

  • Guest Holly
  • Date of stay 03/04/13
  • Review Submitted 03/20/13
  We just returned from Casa Mañana. What a wonderful place. The house, grounds and property are lovely, even more beautiful than the photos. The owners, Gundula and David (and the dogs) were helpful, accommodating, and a wealth of knowledge. Gundula knows the plants and has created a paradise. She showed us many edible plants, fruits and vegetables that we used nightly for dinner. We are all bird watchers and we were introduced to a neighbor who took us birding around the area. Gundula also arranged a boat ride for additional bird watching and snorkeling around many of the islands. Yarisnori restaurant was great for fish dinners. Our only regret was that we did not stay long enough. I also forgot to mention that Gundula is a massage therapist! This place is the entire package!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, romantic getaway.

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• 9 Days in Paradise at Casa Manana

  9 Days in Paradise at Casa Manana

  • Guest LindaJohn99
  • Date of stay 01/27/13
  • Review Submitted 02/22/13
  We booked this beautiful home loving referred to by it's owners as Casa Mañana in Bocas del Toro for one week in late January 2013 and were delighted with our stay. We loved it so much we extended our stay for two more days. Even then, leaving wasn’t easy. Gundula, the on-site-owner, and her three dogs (Strider, Kenya and Schotzie) are so welcoming that we felt like we were saying our goodbyes to family. Our group was two couples. Everyone was in awe of the beauty of the house and the beautifully landscaped grounds that Gundula has created. To top this off, you have an ocean view from the house and within just a couple minutes walk, you are on this beautiful beach that you have all to yourself. The beds are very comfortable and the kitchen is very well equipped. The bathrooms are modern, Everything is clean and well cared for. There are lots of fun things to do during your stay or you can just stay put and relax in the hammock or the deck lounge chairs. Gundula can arrange many for you. She knows the best operators on the island and certainly this added to the enjoyment of our trip. One day we rode horses in the jungle with her German friends who were very nice and interesting people. Another day we took an all day boat trip where we saw dolphins, red frogs, lots of interesting fish where we snorkeled at Crawl Cay, and visited Bird Island. The boat captain customizes your trip based on your interests and it’s your own private tour. Two days we went to town and went diving with Bocas Water Sports. Saw some interesting fish underwater and our friends finished their their open water certifications. Gundula is also a very well known sports massage therapist and you will be happy you spent an hour with her as she works magic on your aching muscles. During our stay, we spent a lot of time looking for birds which could be photographed. The area where Casa Manana is located is famous for lots of interesting bird life. If you are interested in seeing the bird photographs of this area, visit whywelovebirds.com and click on Panama. If you would enjoy staying at beautiful place on Isla Colon where it’s laid back and relaxing and the beauty of the jungle is right there at your doorstep as well as the ocean, this is the place for you. We will go to Casa Manana's facebook page and post pictures from your trip then you can see even more of the beauty of this amazing Paradise!!!!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

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• Perfect “off the grid” getaway

  Perfect “off the grid” getaway

  • Guest Amy
  • Date of stay 09/12/12
  • Review Submitted 01/27/13
  This was a wonderful vacation experience for my husband and me last fall. We stayed at Casa Manana from September 12th – 20th. It was truly an “off the grid” vacation rental in a very remote spot on the island, and exactly what we needed. The house runs solely on solar panels, rainwater, and a little bit of propane for the refrigerator. Our gracious hostess, Gundula, picked us up at the airport and took us grocery shopping first thing. We stocked up enough groceries so we didn’t need to shop again during our trip since the ride into the small town of Bocas took so long. Along with our groceries, Gundula kept us stocked with coconuts, bananas, plantains, cacao, yucca and peppers from the property! She is truly a wealth of information about the plants and wildlife on Bocas. We enjoyed her company, and were overjoyed to wake up and find her dog Strider waiting on the porch to check in on us each morning. We went with no agenda and let the surrounding jungle and ocean plan our days for us. We chartered a boat one day and Captain Amando took us around to snorkel the surrounding beaches and reefs, and stop in for a close-up of Bird Island, for a very reasonable price. Other than that, there were miles of private beach and jungle to explore. It only rained one day and spending it on the large porch, overlooking the ocean, sipping coffee was just perfect. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone needing a relaxing getaway.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, families with teenagers, pet owners, romantic getaway.

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• Beautiful Garden and Lovely Hostess

  Beautiful Garden and Lovely Hostess

  • Guest WM
  • Date of stay 12/12/12
  • Review Submitted 01/14/13
  Our family (4 people) truly enjoyed our stay with Gundula and her hilarious pets. The house is large, spacious and set on a hill overlooking the ocean and garden. There was plenty of space for the 4 of us. The kitchen had everything we needed, but make sure you pack enough to eat, as it's a bit difficult to pick up things you forgot. However, Gundula was very accommodating and shared with us when we needed. It was great to hang out with her and have her show us what life is like in Boca del Drago. Be aware that this is an energy-efficient home, so you need to be mindful of your water and electricity usage. The house could certainly use a few good bulbs: it was pretty dim at night. If you don't mind being pretty far out in a nice location, then prepare to relax for a week at Casa Manana. You won't regret it.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

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• WHY WOULD YOU STAY ANYPLACE ELSE?

  WHY WOULD YOU STAY ANYPLACE ELSE?

  • Guest moneymoo
  • Date of stay 09/01/12
  • Review Submitted 09/24/12
  Casa Manana is that rare find that has the comforts of home and the jungle "wild". I stayed here from September 1-7 and it was truly a wonderful experience. There is so much to do and it's so comfortable that you won't want to leave. Turtles were nesting while I was there and on the last day, several nests hatched and I had the privilege to see little babies head for the sea. Gundula is the perfect hostess and it's like having your personal guide take care of you, help you out, plan, suggest, etc. While I was there, I went to Starfish Beach, Yarsinori for some great fish and pina coladas and Bird Island and just stayed most days around the house. Bird Island is really something to see. There are great walks near the property where you can see sloths and monkeys and the white-faced monkeys came close to the house one morning for coffee. Just sitting out on the patio at the table and playing with the dogs was so enjoyable. If you are a party animal and need some night life, this is certainly not a place for you. But if you need to get away from it all and have quiet and relaxation, this is the most marvelous place you could find. There are other islands to explore and you could make the trek into town to do so. Gundula and I snorkeled out in front of the beach one day and there are plenty of beautiful fish to see. She can spot anything both underwater and in the trees like a trained guide! I loved having her dogs Stryder and Kenya around. They were an absolute joy and lessened my guilt of having to put my own dog in the kennel. I already miss the place and hope to return next summer with 3 other people that would love to enjoy everything that Casa Manana has to offer. You will fall asleep listening to the jungle and the ocean and you won't want to leave when it's your last day!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway.

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• Casa Manana

  Casa Manana

  • Guest Pete
  • Date of stay 07/05/12
  • Review Submitted 07/07/12
  I stayed here July 5th and 6th 2012. Absolutely fantastic! In two days I saw 2 troops of howler monkeys right from the house and numerous sloths. Gundula is an absolute wealth of knowledge about the fauna and wildlife in the area. I would highly recommend this place, but keep in mind, it is a remote jungle setting with all the comforts of home. Bonfires on the beach as opposed to bar hopping in town. Very relaxing private get-away.,

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

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• unique, beautiful location; very private beach; great hosts

  unique, beautiful location; very private beach; great hosts

  • Guest Diederik H.
  • Date of stay 04/01/12
  • Review Submitted 04/22/12
  My wife and I spent a week at casa Mañana with our 10 year old son. The house itself is very nice, very comfortable, every bit as described on the website. But the location is what makes this house so special. Gundula and Dave have cut a beautiful property out of the jungle and the landscaping is magnificent. We took as many pictures of the colorful flowers as of the beach. We saw also some wildlife. We heard Howler Monkeys, but never had a good view of them. We did however see a sloth in the trees close to the house. There beach is definitely very nice even with the waves that were there the week we stayed. It is all extremely private allowing us to enjoy the clothing optional sunning and swimming that was mentioned on the website. Gundula is a great host and she enjoyed doing things with our son, allowing Mom and Dad a little free time. The house is a little remote, but if you want a beautiful quiet location, you can not do better than this.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

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• Paradise found!

  Paradise found!

  • Guest Randy J.
  • Date of stay 03/09/12
  • Review Submitted 03/20/12
  This is a beautiful property. We loved it. The best VRBO yet! Gundalah and Dave were great hosts, taking us on hiking tours, buying trips, etc. The property has a great native landscape plan with a view to the crashing waves from the large table on the patio. We went to sleep with the sound of crashing waves every night for the six nights we were there. Off the grid living at its finest. We would recommend this place to anyone and know we will be back!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

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• A superb way to experience the natural side of Panama

  A superb way to experience the natural side of Panama

  • Guest Jim
  • Date of stay 02/18/12
  • Review Submitted 03/01/12
  Gorgeous home planted in a remote spot of Panama that was literally cut out of the jungle, overlooking a serene and private beach. Don't worry about the home's use of solar electricity and rain water - you'll never know the difference (Gundula and Dave provided bottled drinking water). But you WILL notice being in a peaceful, quiet, natural setting. The sound of the surf puts you to sleep and you can really see the stars at night. Gundula and Dave are the perfect hosts - there when you need them, but never an intrusion. They took great care of us and made sure we had everything we needed. We were five adults (2 couples and an adult child) who only stayed for 3 nights - but they were the best days of our 10 day trip. Highlight - kayaking to Bird Island just across from the beach! Our entire stay was a wonderful experience.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

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Additional information about rental rates

2 persons $120.00a night min 3 days

50% down to hold reservation, remaining fee at arrival plus $200 security deposit

Additional Fees and Taxes:

$50 cleaning fee