Beach Front Cottage

• Best house on the island

  Best house on the island

  • Guest Lynette9
  • Date of stay 03/17/13
  • Review Submitted 04/05/13
  We had the pleasure of staying 9 days at this house. It was our first trip to Panama and we couldn't have been happier with our choice. The house is located right on the beach where our two young boys played every day as we sat on the balcony with coffee or books. We had the right mix of activities and relaxation to come away feeling like we'd really had a vacation. Michael and Christine were key to our experience. Michael provided some tours, taking us to the best snorkel spots. He always knew exactly where to go. He was great with the boys, letting they drive the boat and snorkeling with them to show them special things. They loved him. Christine keeps the whole place running, working with the local staff and maintaining all the properties. She is an excellent host with just the right service and diplomatic skills. We recommend snorkeling at Crawl Key and the Zapatilles. Michael took us to Los Secretos hotel for pizza one day, and although they weren't baking that day we did have the most incredible chicken wings and enjoyed hanging out with some local gringos watching the boys play in the pool. The Indian village is not far away and they will take you on hikes through the jungle. We chose a smaller hike and our guide was great. We also recommend eating at least once at Al Naturale, a small resort 25 min walk away. The food was excellent and it was a nice chance to mingle with some other people. Overall you can't beat this place for getting away and relaxing. I'm sure we will be back to Panama and this place will be on our list to visit again. Walt and Becky you have the best house in Salt Creek! Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

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

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• Relaxing and wonderful!

  Relaxing and wonderful!

  • Guest Colin C.
  • Date of stay 02/10/13
  • Review Submitted 03/16/13
  My wife and I enjoyed 5 wonderful days at Casa Verde. I recommend it for anyone that wants to get away from it all and relax. The house was very clean and the property managers Michael and Christine were extremely gracious and helpful during our stay. We spent our days relaxing with a book, or using the kayak to explore the waters around the island. There is a nice coral reef a couple hundred yards out into the water. There were not many fish, but the coral was beautiful. We also walked to the village for a tour and saw some sloths, monkeys, and other creatures. We went to a nearby eco resort called Al Natural for dinner 2 nights, but give them a heads up in advance if you want to dine there. The food was excellent and we dined at a community table with other visitors from around the world. It is about a 20 minute walk down the beach.

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• Once in a lifetime...hopefully not!

  Once in a lifetime...hopefully not!

  • Guest Tom S.
  • Date of stay 01/01/13
  • Review Submitted 02/12/13
  We had a fantastic time staying at Casa Verde. It was absolutely perfect. The house was amazing, the beach was beautiful the jungle was a real sight as well. Michael and Christine were fantastic as well. Michael was there when we arrived for pick up. He helped us find some fresh fish so we had dinner each night. We went on a snorkeling trip with Michael and another group, and Christine was kind enough to show us how to get to the Indian village. I cant speak highly enough about our time at this vacation rental. We very much would like to make another trip around the same time next year and perhaps come back to the island with a group.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

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• Beach Front in Bastimentos

  Beach Front in Bastimentos

  • Guest Jon
  • Date of stay 10/24/12
  • Review Submitted 11/09/12
  My wife and I recently stayed at Casa Verde for 8 perfect days. First of all the house was more than comfortable. Whether we were lounging in the hammocks reading with our morning coffee, enjoying the local parrots from the back deck, playing games on the screened upper deck overlooking the ocean, or taking in the cool ocean breeze as we drifted to sleep, Casa Verde had it all. The kitchen and dinning area were just as nice as the rest of the house and had plenty of room to prepare our daily meals many of which were Lobster or Mackerel that we purchased from local fisherman on the island! This was our third trip to the island and we are still amazed, given how remote the it is, that the home has all the creature comforts you might need. The property managers Michael and Christine have always made our trips special and this past one was no exception. Not only did we look forward to chatting daily with them on the beach but there is no better way to explore the surrounding islands than on one of their boat trips! On this trip we visited the Zapatilla islands. We brought a picnic lunch and swam, snorkeled, and walked its beaches. It is so stunning it was hard to take our feet of the pure white sand and get back in the boat. We also had a nice day trip visiting a local spot for a good burger and crawl cay for an even better passion fruit cocktail. We visited red frog beach for some excellent swimming and a zip line canopy tour. A highlight for this trip was on a day the wind decided to cooperate and Michael took us for a sail on his catamaran. Back in Salt Creek we did an amazing guided jungle hike through the interior of the island led by a local Indian. During the hikes we have seen many birds like parrots and toucan, red poison dart frogs, sloth, caiman, wild coco plants and much more. The snorkeling and kayaking just out from the house were both great as the reef appears only about 100 yards off shore. The beach was nice for long walks as well and provided excellent shell collecting. After 4 days of activity we spent 3 sun filled days relaxing on the beach footsteps away from Casa Verde. In all Casa Verde and Salt Creek gave us a unique vacation experience filled with relaxation, adventure and the comfort.

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

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• Great family time

  Great family time

  • Guest Anton
  • Date of stay 07/07/12
  • Review Submitted 07/28/12
  We are a family of 5 from Aruba, the children’s ages are 7, 10 and 15. We stayed in July 2012 6 days in Casa Verde. It was off season, so there was only one other family in a house close by. All other houses and the All Naturall Resort were empty. We had a great time. During the day we swam a lot and used the kayaks. Especially the children loved the kayaks. Usually we made a long walk in the afternoon along the beach. In the evening I read books while the others played card games or domino. The house is very comfortably, very tasteful decorated and only the best materials have been used for the interior. It really made you feel at home. The scenery is beautiful, just like the photo’s show, great for nature lovers. The water at the beach is calm and great for swimming. Close by is the indigenous town Salt Creek, which is fun to visit for making a tour (bring insect repellent) or to buy essentials like sugar, water or bread. During the day the indigenous people pass along the beach in front of the house, so even off season you are not completely alone and they are nice to talk to if you speak some Spanish. Every day it rained heavily for a couple of hours but there was also lots of sun every day, so the rain didn’t bother us. The snorkeling is disappointing. You only see some fish at the reef, some 200-300 yards offshore, but they are rather small. So the fishing was also poor. If you would have had a boat the fishing would be great because I saw some great places a couple of kilometers from the house. All in all we had a great stay and we would definitely consider going back.

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

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• Fantastic home is a special setting

  Fantastic home is a special setting

  • Guest gowyo
  • Date of stay 03/26/12
  • Review Submitted 04/13/12
  We are a family of four from Wyoming, with daughters ages 11 and 14. We have rented many houses over the years all over the Carribean. Salt Creek is a unique place. Casa Verde was the best choice of houses there for our family. The owners were friendly and easy to work with, even with last-minute requests by us. We would definitely return. We LOVED the kayaks provided by the owners, and used them every day. There's a good reef 2-300 yards straight out that you can paddle out to for snorkeling. WE also paddled over to the Cayos Zapatillas. There is good "shelling" on the beach, and it's fun to also cruise the mangroves in the kayaks and take a jungle hike with a native guide. The master bedroom is privately located on the top floor and the little bridge and reading area overlooking the beach is really cool. The kitchen is spacious.You must be willing to accept that this is an off-the-grid solar-powered home. You must be conscious of your power consumption. There is no air conditioning, so the house is built to maximize ventilation. This means that air must move freely throughout the home. Ergo, bedrooms are not soundproof. This didn't bother us much, but the beds are much harder than we like. And you must make lighting compromises with solar homes. Kinda dark at night. We were more than happy to trade these little compromises for the more isolated location. Notes: Be sure you properly understand the hot water system and how it works to get good showers. You must push the refrigerator door closed near the middle of the door to ensure a complete seal. If you push it from the handle on the top, it won't seal. You are in an oceanfront home, so no-see-ums can be a factor at dusk. This is true on any tropical beach in the world. We had good experiences with the managers, Michael and Christine. They are a key to the operations there, as they oversee most of the 8 houses. Provisioning is key, because you are a 45-minute boat ride from the nearest real grocery store. There are several markets along the main street in Bocas Town. If you return to town for provisions, consider stopping at Crawl Key or someplace along the way so you get the benefit of an excursion along the way. We feel we made a good choice in Salt Creek as a place to stay, and Casa Verde was the best choice there for our family of 4, and a good value. It is spacious, well-planned and oceanfront with free use of kayaks. We would return.

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

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• Absolutely perfect spot for a family vacation!

  Absolutely perfect spot for a family vacation!

  • Guest RockyMountainMom
  • Date of stay 02/20/12
  • Review Submitted 03/10/12
  From the moment the owners replied to our initial inquiry to the moment we extended our heartfelt thanks as we bid goodbye to caretakers Christine and Michael, our experience of Casa Verde was truly wonderful. Our group of 6 ranged from 5 to 76 years old and everyone had a great time. This is a great spot for just relaxing and reading a book in a beautiful tropical setting and for finding all kinds of adventures for people of all ages. With help from Michael and Christine, we were able to strike the perfect balance of days packed with boat trips, snorkeling, fishing, a zipline tour and blissful lazy hours enjoying family time and watching our kids cruise around the calm blue water counting starfish from their perch on the stand up paddle board. I could give endless kudos to the attractive and comfortable home, the beautiful setting right on the beach, and the fabulous service from the caretakers and the wonderful chef they arranged to cook for us. At the same time, I am compelled to point out that this patch of paradise is probably not for everyone. It is a remote location and these homes rely on rain water and solar power to function. Sincere effort to conserve both water and power are important to enjoying time in Casa Verde, as is the desire to really unwind and spend your vacation embracing island time and island life. The beautiful home, the caretakers' genuine hospitality, the gorgeous, remote setting, and the opportunity to fully unplug from busy lives at home all combined to make our vacation an experience of a lifetime.

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

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• Perfectly relaxing

  Perfectly relaxing

  • Guest Aaron
  • Date of stay 02/13/12
  • Review Submitted 02/22/12
  We stayed at Casa Verde for 8 days in mid-February and had a great time. This was the perfect place to come and relax and enjoy nature. The scenery is amazing and it's so remote that you can easily get some alone time. The property managers, Michael and Christine, were awesome and went so far above and beyond their description of property managers. They really were instrumental in making our trip an enjoyable one. There are a lot of questions and unknowns when traveling to a place this remote. They patiently answered our questions prior to arrival, and were more than helpful once there. Michael opens his beach bar on occasion and makes a great drinking buddy. You can walk about 20 minutes down the beach for a dinner at a local resort, or use Christine's local chef to cook a great dinner in your house for the same price. They also took us on a tour that took us to some really cool, out of the way places that you'd never get to see on the typical tour. Cool hotels off the beaten path, isolated snorkeling places, and the great over-water bar & restaurant on Crawl Cay. It got to the point I felt I was abusing their kindness, but Michael and Christine were so friendly and patiently told us not to worry. The house was well maintained and the views from the front porch were spectacular. It was a little buggy, but not nearly as bad as I expected. Just bring some deet and keep applying it. It is incredibly remote, but you're not totally disconnected thanks to M & C. If you just need to get away from civilization and decompress, this is the place. The only thing that disappointed us was the scuba diving. The reefs are incredibly lush and alive with the most amazing array of corals I've ever seen, but there was an odd lack of fish. Very little fish life considering how healthy the reefs were. If you're an avid scuba diver (my wife and I have thousands of dives under our belt), leave your gear at home and just enjoy the calm. If you just have to try out a dive, Al Natural resort down the beach has a PADI certified instructor that rents gear and takes divers out. Thanks again Michael & Christine for making our trip run far more smoothly than if we'd been on our own! Aaron & Christy

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, sightseeing.

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• The best vacation!

  The best vacation!

  • Guest carol
  • Date of stay 12/20/09
  • Review Submitted 11/07/11
  We loved everything about the trip: The house, the island, the beach, the weather, the native community and specially Michael and Christine, who became our friends. We were in a group of 5 adults and our 7 year old daughter, who loved to play with the local kids. She wanted a fire and Michael made a huge one for her! The neighboors were nice and quiet. Michael took us on day trips and helped us arrange dive trips as well. Christine cooked amazing meals. We will absolutely go back and even consider buying a property there and having Michael and Christine manage it for us. Downside = sand flies =) Overall, it was a fantastic experience!!!!

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

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• Amazing Family Vacation

  Amazing Family Vacation

  • Guest Barb
  • Date of stay 03/13/11
  • Review Submitted 03/24/11
  I can not say enough about how wonderful our family vacation to Panama was!! Your home on the island is absolutely splendid! We are so appreciative of you letting our family stay in the house for the week. Christine and Michael were also the best, they were there when we needed them and left us to enjoy our time and family the rest of the time. They are wonderful folks. Thank you!!!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

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Additional information about rental rates

50% at the time of booking to secure the dates. Remainder to be paid no later than 10 days before arrival.

Additional Fees and Taxes:

Tax 10%

Transportation $50 each way from Bocas Town