Breathtaking Views-Caribbean Island Villa at Starfish Reef

• “The Best Fully Appointed Villas Of All The Boutiq

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  “The Best Fully Appointed Villas Of All The Boutiq

  • Guest Sky
  • Date of stay 03/31/13
  • Review Submitted 05/02/13
  “The Best Fully Appointed Villas Of All The Boutique Resorts” Reviewed April 26, 2013 NEW I spent 4 weeks in March touring the various islands in the Bocas Del Toro archepelago during which I visited numerous eco resorts and lodges. I stayed several days at Starfish Reef Resort which is located on Pastores Island aka Shepherd Island (English translation). The four villas were originally designed and built for resale, not as just rental units for a small resort. Think of these villas as houses that can be rented in whole or in part based upon one's needs and budget. The villas are fully appointed, multiple bathrooms, large kitchen flowing into a large living area. There are multiple bed rooms in each. There is a screened-in porch on the second floor which is the main living area and an additional open deck off the third floor where there are multiple bedrooms. The villas all have air conditioning. These are the best rental villas of the "eco islands" within Bocas Del Toro. The resort is situated on the leeward side of the island facing the mainland of Panama which is approximately 2 miles across the water. This means that the water off the dock is extremely calm 90% of the time. There is a beautiful shallow reef that surrounds the island and literally drops off in to deeper water right off the dock. So the calm water and 10-15 ft coral wall provides for excellent swimming and snorkeling especially since there is virtually no motor boat traffic, just a few local cayucos paddling by at times. There is also quality fishing off the dock. I caught and released barracuda, jacks and even a bonita (member of the tuna family) without much effort of time. I saw many schools of different fish and bait swimming by including rays as well as various reef species. Starfish Reef Resort, like the rest of the other small boutique resorts spread out among the "eco islands" of Bocas del Toro, is off the beaten path. You are isolated. There are no other amenities like restaurants, stores or bars which means you need to hire a tour boat to pick you up for touring the area or cruising to Bocas Town for dining, bar hopping or supplies. All of these boutique resorts have this in common. The tours are reasonably priced. Starfish Reef Resort can arrange any such tour. So if you are looking for a high end villa on a rainforest "eco island", with excellent aquatic entertainment right off the dock, in very quite surroundings Starfish Reef Resort is a perfect choice.

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• “If you can dream it, it's real...”

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  “If you can dream it, it's real...”

  • Guest Mel
  • Date of stay 01/15/13
  • Review Submitted 05/02/13
  Reviewed February 1, 2012 Was this review helpful?Yes1 WOW, can you just imagine being dropped off by a speed boat after a trip across the ocean to be left at dock set into one of the most beautiful islands of panama. Not only is this island beautiful because of the land but because of the two humans that landed here. Jack and Kelly have created an incredible environment to enjoy mother nature at her best, natural trails through out the land, paddle boats to enjoy the water, your own little swim area to basque in the sun with beach chairs... and after all that our house a feeling of luxury in a beautifully designed comfortable space to retreat to and still be right amongst the trees in nature. WOW thank you Kelly and Jack... Oh and don't forget to buy some coconut oil!!! Wow AMAZING... LOVE LOVE LOVE Stayed January 2012, traveled with friends

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• “Welcome to Paradise!”

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  “Welcome to Paradise!”

  • Guest Richard
  • Date of stay 02/11/13
  • Review Submitted 05/02/13
  Reviewed February 27, 2013 Was this review helpful?Yes "Welcome to paradise" was what the water taxi driver said as we stepped on to the dock. Our family had a great holiday st Starfish Reef. When the villas came into sight, I immediately thought, "That is just like the pictures". The website and information provided gave us a very complete picture of what to expect. Since we had never booked accomodation via the internet, Jack and Kelly took the time to arrange a Skype call to answer our questions to make sure we understood the details. The villa was very comfortable four our family of 4. Great views off the balconies. The fully equipped kitchen was perfect for our family holiday. What a treat to swim and snorkel right off the dock. Jack gave us a very complete list of possible activities to do off the island. We combined Red Frog Beach, a zip line tour and grocery shopping in Bocas as one day off the island. Jack was always available to answer our questions and gave us a great tour and jungle walk one morning. Great place for a family holiday. Room Tip: All villas have great views, and are similarly equipped. See more room tips Stayed February 2013, traveled with family

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• Island off the beaten path

  Island off the beaten path

  • Guest Marcia E.
  • Date of stay 01/22/13
  • Review Submitted 02/16/13
  This property is a collection of 3 rental houses and the owners' home on an isolated island. The setting is absolutely beautiful. There is a small beach and dock from which you can snorkel. This property is not for elderly or anyone with mobility issues, as the houses are perched high above the beach and the stairs are irregular and not well maintained. The house was very nice but the living area air conditioner was broken and the ones in the bedrooms ran sporadically when the generator was running. The ceiling fans were sufficient most of the time. As stated on the website, every time we left the island it cost $10 per person each way by water taxi since it's off the main route. This makes it important to plan grocery trips carefully as there are no facilities on the island. While we were there the chitras (sand fly common in the Bocas area) were especially bad, causing us to stay indoors from 5pm to 10am. Making a fire on the beach seemed to help some. We took an excursion to La Oreba cacao farm near Almirante. Well worth the $30 (+$20 water taxi). Lunch was included. We also went to Los Monos botanical gardens (near Bocas town) for a WONDERFUL half day retreat that included a tour of the gardens, use of a private pool in a "garden of eden" setting, drinks and a delicious lunch.

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• “A delightful home”

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  “A delightful home”

  • Guest Steve
  • Date of stay 01/01/12
  • Review Submitted 01/15/12
  Jack and Kelly have created a fabulous small group of villas, with ocean views, modern conveniences and plenty of room. This place has a wonderful mix of jungle, ocean access and just the right balance of solitude and community. The review by Bill P, below, put it well. Our family of 6 was very comfortable in the three bedroom villa. The views from the balcony and porch are spectacular. Imagine waking up to the sound of birds, the view of the water below and tranquility. We love to cook, and the kitchen was remarkably well outfitted for its remote location. We spent some days at home -- swimming and snorkeling off the dock, reading on the beach or on our porch, or making tasty meals (often incorporating what we could collect on the property, including bananas, mangos and coconuts). Some days, Kelly would arrange a boat driver for us for the day, who took us to Dolphin Bay, to Krawl Kay for lunch and snorkeling, to Zapatillos Cays for great beaches, to Red Frog Beach for body surfing, and into town. Jack and Kelly could not have been more hospitable -- available to help, schlepping our groceries from the dock up to the house, or giving advice on local sites, but never intrusive. We ended our time with a fire on the beach, a pot luck New Years Eve dinner and Kelly's Sangria. My only advice: don't wait until your last day to ask Jack to tell you some stories. Or maybe that requires a booking over New Years.

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• “Thanks for the memories”

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  “Thanks for the memories”

  • Guest Bill
  • Date of stay 12/21/11
  • Review Submitted 01/15/12
  The villas at Starfish reef are beautifully designed and built. The things that need to be "like home" are that. That is, the two washrooms in each villa are modern, large, clean and well laid out. In the kitchen, the appliances are top grade, with lots of cooking area. Small appliances like coffee makers and mixers are supplied. You do not have to worry about the basics. The villas have a nice "local" flavor with lots of wood and tile, and the beds are comfortable (in the master bedroom, there is a queen size, with two single beds and a bunk in the second bedroom and a double bed on the main floor). The setting is beautiful, with the jungle coming up to the villas that are set up on the hill with breathtaking views of the ocean from the main floor balcony and the upper floor balcony. We founds bananas in the jungle, and the kids drank coconut milk that they picked from the trees. There is a beach were one can relax and the ocean is warm at all times of year for swimming. One night, the family was on the upper balcony, counting shooting stars with the sounds of jungle nightlife in the background. At night, you can sleep with the windows open and the sounds and smells of the jungle coming through the screens. It does not get better than that. Jack and Kelly are wonderful. They cooked Christmas dinner for the families. Their natural warmth creates a really nice atmosphere. We met the other two families staying at the villas and this sense of small community added to the place. There are lots of day trips one can take to the different sights. However, this is the best place to call "home base". Room Tip: All the villas are identical and offer good views. See more room tips Stayed December 2011, traveled with family

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• Peaceful getaway

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  Peaceful getaway

  • Guest Kathleen
  • Date of stay 12/25/11
  • Review Submitted 01/15/12
  Left on 01/09/2012 Our family enjoyed our peaceful getaway on this lovely island. Isla Pastora was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle and cold of city life in Toronto! As this was our Christmas vacation, we were lucky to have such wonderful hosts and enjoyed a tasty Christmas eve dinner at Jack and Kelly's villa surrounded by other lovely guests! I need the sangria recipe from Kelly...best sangria ever! There are many adventures available to enjoy if you wish to take day trips

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• Paradise Found

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  Paradise Found

  • Guest Cathy
  • Date of stay 02/11/11
  • Review Submitted 12/10/11
  “paradise found” Reviewed February 28, 2011 This was not my first visit to Starfish Reef so I anxiously awaited this trip. The weather was gorgeous with the exception of 1/2 day of rain. Jack and Kelly are incredible hosts who seem to think of everything right down to the basics like rum punch and bug spray! We went with other guests to a local restaurant, snorkeled their beautiful reef, had a beach party, ate a LOT of good meals made with fresh local food. If you want to get away from it all in a tranquil environment this is the place to go. The flora and fauna (not to mention waterfall) abound. you can bird watch, check out beautiful flowers all over the property or just swim all day. I did it all with a lot more time on the beach than anything else. If you are looking for malls or disco's then maybe it's not the place for you but it brought back my sanity after a stressful few months at home in the US working. Night life is playing games with others and having a good old fashioned party. I will add beach party pictures shortly. (When someone shows me how to get them off my camera on to this site!)

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• A Quiet Escape

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  A Quiet Escape

  • Guest Shirl
  • Date of stay 02/21/11
  • Review Submitted 12/10/11
  Reviewed March 9, 2011 We (4 of us) spent 3 days/nights at Starfish Reef Resort. The space was large and comfortable. Great quiet sleeping with comfortable beds. Nice bonus to have good snorkeling right off the beach in front of resort. It is quite a hike up to the resort so be prepared. Jack and Kelly were friendly and very helpful in answering questions and arranging transportation for our day trip to Crawl Cay.

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• Relaxing

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  Relaxing

  • Guest Mitzi
  • Date of stay 03/20/11
  • Review Submitted 12/10/11
  “Relaxing!” Reviewed March 20, 2011 If you are looking for a place to get away from everything and everyone, this is the place to stay. Great place to enjoy a nice book, hearing the parrots flying by the island in the morning, pick up some fresh mangos and coconuts and go down to sit by the calm waters. However, if you are looking for some adventure, go to the beach or go party every night, take in count that all other islands are kind of far and you'll need a boat ride to get anywhere.

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