• a slice of heaven

  a slice of heaven

  • Guest dr judi
  • Date of stay 03/31/13
  • Review Submitted 04/12/13
  Vista Azul is the kind of home you see in a magazine but rarely get to experience firsthand. From the moment the water taxi unloads you at the private dock, you feel relaxed and overwhelmed at the beauty of the home and the surrounding area. There is a gorgeous white sandy beach right outside your front door and lush green jungle just outside your back door. The bedrooms are spacious, well appointed and comfortable. The surrounding decks upstairs and downstairs are so comfortable you never really want to leave. We had to draw straws to see who would win the hanging hammock. The kitchen is fully equipped to prepare any type of meal and Bibi's restaurant is just a short walk down the beach. Bocas town is a 2 minute boat ride away. There is a wonderful grounds keeper living nearby who checks on you regularly to see if there is anything you might need. We had a fantastic trip and are already planning a return visit to Vista Azul later this year.

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

  Owner response: On behalf of the Vista Azul Lodge staff, we are all very pleased you had a wonderful relaxing and hard working stay at the Lodge. We would also like to thank you for your very generous volunteer work with the 'floating doctors', excellent work, which the locals fully appreciate. Thank you very much and we look forward to your next visit.

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• Breathtaking Lodge with amazing views and location

  Breathtaking Lodge with amazing views and location

  • Guest DCC
  • Date of stay 02/23/13
  • Review Submitted 04/12/13
  The VAL was a stunning vacation spot - perfect for a large group (5+) who just want to chill, swim in the sea, and take in the local culture. Bocas del Toro is not for people who are looking for upscale amenities, but rather experienced travelers who are used international wear and tear. It is surprising to me for instance, when travelers mention the sand fleas in their reviews and then hold the lodge accountable for their misery. Yes, the sand fleas are worth mentioning to warn other vacationers to take the necessary (though usually futile) precautions - but it is not VAL's fault that there are sand fleas on Isla de Carneros. The caretakers/ cooks/ housekeeper were all fantastic people who were always available to provide quality service. Our group opted for the cleaning lady to visit every other day and we took advantage of the local cooking by opting for Maribel to prepare an authentic Panamanian style meal almost every evening. These meals were the best we had in all of Bocas Del Toro and Maribel was friendly and charming. Armodio, the caretaker, was also extremely helpful and displayed a genuine concern for the well being of our group. Although his English is limited, we learned during our stay that his mother was sick, and he nevertheless remained at VAL to ensure the property was maintained and we were very grateful for his time and attention. The only negative I might mention - and again not Vista Azul's fault - the wifi was very spotty during our stay. Several persons in our group had a hard time "staying connected," but we understood that after the rainstorms, the connectivity was impacted on the island of Carneros and there was not much one could do to solve this problem other than take the short boat ride to Colon and hook in there. Finally, one update to fellow travelers: most of the information in tour books and on the internet indicate the boat rides to/ from Colon and Carneros are one dollar per person - but blame the economy - when we were there it was up to $2 pp one way.

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, girls getaway, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: Thank you very much for your posting. Your words are perfect in every sense of the meaning. Very much appreciated. Warm regards.

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• Christmas 2012

  Christmas 2012

  • Guest MexEd
  • Date of stay 12/22/12
  • Review Submitted 03/18/13
  Our 2 families have been taking sunny Christmas holidays together for 4 years. The household staff was able to provide a small artificial Christmas tree and some decorations as well as a piñata for the grandkids. We covered the cost of these items, and hopefully they will be used again in coming years. This was the first house we stayed in where there were not some holiday decorations. Unfortunately the cooking service was very basic, with no sample menus to choose from. Cleaning, other than sweeping the sand off the floor once a day was hit and miss. The waste baskets in the upstairs bedrooms were not emptied until the end of the week and 3 of the bedrooms had no hot water. Apparently a new hot water heater for that side of the property was pending. Neither the dishwasher nor the washing machine worked. With children, and rainy season still hanging on the washer and dryer were important. Fortunately the AC in the bedrooms worked well and the video library and supply of games are extensive. The view is beautiful but it was not possible to sit on the front porch because of the "no seems". Screens on the windows and screened in porches would be an upgrade. Even the local bug repellant and citronella candles were not sufficient to keep them at bay. The private beach and dock were filled with uninvited guests during the day. They were not daunted by the privacy signs nor the caretaker asking them to leave.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: Thank you very much for your posting. We shall propose to the lady who offers her cooking services, to put together menu samples. Housekeeping service is intended, for a person to help around the house under the guests instructions. ie. some guests like to cook but not clean and some like to clean but not cook. So housekeeping is there to help where needed. Housekeeping is $35 for 'the day' not 'per hour', so future guests should not expect too much. The hot water heater has been installed as well as a new dish washer, dryer and cloths washer. Although we never have advertised a dish washer. We personally do not like screens as they reduce the quality of the views, plus the screen does not stop 'no see'ms' (hence the name) as they are so small. So at times when they do come out, we recommend closing the doors and putting on the A/C and fans. We do not advertise the beach as being 'private', there are very few beaches in the World that are private, especially if located only five minutes away from a town. As you were staying at the Lodge during Christmas the beach must have been much busier than normal. We thank you for bringing up this point to let anyone know, who is thinking of booking. We appreciate very much your words of advise. Kind regards.

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• Fabulous Experience

  Fabulous Experience

  • Guest Mango
  • Date of stay 02/01/13
  • Review Submitted 02/19/13
  We were a group of 4 couples and had a fantastic time at the lodge. Rather than echo all the other commenter’s praise about how gorgeous the setting is and how expansive the house is, I’ll comment on another reason why you should rent this house. It was the service provide by the Owner’s (Peter’s) staff. It’s not just that they were there to handle any and all questions, or fix problems at the drop of a hat, or help with arrangements, or grocery shop before our arrival, or clean the entire house, or cook a tasty meal, or provide diligent security, or take us to the airport at 5:55 AM with a smile, or come get us via water taxi in less time than it takes to put on your flip-flops. It was the pride the staff personally took in making sure our week was the best it could be. Each one of them. Clearly Peter sets high standards for service that were reflected in the attention to detail his lodge staff provided. I should also mention that I had a bazillion questions for Peter as our travel plans to the lodge evolved. In all cases he provided timely detailed responses that made planning our trip a pleasant experience. Two other tid-bits I should mention, one is the second floor boom-box. If you like music, it’s wonderful. Don’t attempt to move it. Leave it on the second floor where it’s at. Its acoustically perfect up there and provides a nice powerful smooth sound from the supplied iPad/iPod docking station. The other item is the stars. If you come home from Bocus del Toro at night, be sure and stick your head out the side of the water taxi roof cover. They will amaze you. The Milky Way is so thick with stars that you have trouble picking out constellations that overlap it. Or go out to the end of the Lodge’s dock. Even with the house lights the sky will amaze you (better than the big island in Hawaii, or a south Utah national park). One other item. If you see a pitcher of water in the fridge, look closely before you make coffee with it. It may be coconut water left there by the cook. If so, it makes for some rather interesting tasting Java.

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

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• Not as Great as Described

  Not as Great as Described

  • Guest Daphne
  • Date of stay 12/13/12
  • Review Submitted 12/22/12
  I have just returned from spending a week with my family at Vista Azul. My sister leased the house with the idea of a great adventure for our annual family reunion. The entire family was so excited and couldn't wait to get there. We traveled from locations all over the United States to be together here. Upon our arrival, we were informed that the dishwasher did not work nor did the washer. We were assured that the washer would be running in a day or two. It is advertised as accommodating up to 14 people but there were not enough pillows or towels for that many people. Add to that a washer that wasn't working and it was not a great situation. They did get the washer running but it is so old that we had to run the spin cycle several times to get things ready to dry. In addition, bats are a major problem and are in most of the upstairs areas. Based on the description provided, it seems like there will be someone available to get you places. We did not know there would be an additional per head charge for this service every time. This adds up quickly. We were all bitten by sand fleas and found it impossible to use the beach in front of the house because of this. We all used the insect repellent recommended but it did not seem to prevent bites but maybe lessened the severity. On a positive note, the zip lining at Red Frog was great. Overall it is truly a beautiful house but the maintenance is an issue.

  Owner response: Hello, We apologize for any inconveniences caused by our failure to better prepare the home for your arrival. Thank you for taking the time to write your review with details so we may fully address each issue with care. After three years of only five star ratings, your three star review is a first and we look at this as an opportunity to better prepare Vista Azul for our future guests. As the Lodge is on an island one has to regulate water consumption, and as dishwashers use a lot of water and it broke we decided not to replace it. Therefor the VRBO site does not list a dishwasher. We will be sure to find a way to better communicate this for our future guests. The broken washing machine was very unfortunate timing during your time there, this may have played into the lack of towels, but, we have a new machine on order, and the additional towels, as well as pillows, are being added to prevent inconveniences for guests. Your comment regarding "someone available to get you places” and having to pay for boat tours, etc. The water taxi fees are additional, associated with labor and gas which we don’t have any control of. These are subject to each guest’s subjective needs and wishes for their personalized vacations. It was unfortunate that during your stay it rained which is when sandflies are more prominent. We were surprised to read about the bats. Living in the tropics has lovely aspects, but sometimes nature gets confused. We just dealt with the bats recently, but thanks to your letter, we have addressed this. We aim to create a home where our guests may relish their experience with wonderful memories and we take great care to ensure that these important matters be properly managed and addressed. Thank you again for taking the time to write these items down to allow us to remedy this for our guests. Warmly, Andrea and Peter Kent, Vista Azul Lodge PS..We have found out that each bed has it's 2 pillows but we are adding two more to each bed.

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• Beautiful Beach Get-Away

  Beautiful Beach Get-Away

  • Guest Erika
  • Date of stay 12/26/11
  • Review Submitted 01/21/12
  Vista Azul Lodge is a gorgeous, spacious home with ample room for a large party. The decks on each level offer beautiful views of the water and a relaxing environment. The description of the lodge on the listing was accurate, yet exceeded our expectations. The beach is just steps away from the front of the lodge and is great for snorkeling, fishing and is especially suited for surfing. Vista Azul Lodge staff are friendly, courteous and extremely helpful. There are several restaurants walking distance from the lodge and I would recommend Bibi's for the banana pancakes for breakfast. This is a great vacation spot if you are looking to relax or fill your days with activity.

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

  Owner response: On behalf of the Vista Azul Lodge staff, we are all very pleased to hear you all had a wonderful stay at the Lodge. We look forward to accommodating you again :)

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Best Vacation Ever!

  Best Vacation Ever!

  • Guest Hannah
  • Date of stay 11/21/11
  • Review Submitted 12/07/11
  13 of my friends and I recently met up in Bocas for a week long vacation. I was expecting the house to be really nice, but I would have never imagined that it was going to be as gorgeous as it was! The house couldn't have been more perfect for all of us. Each bedroom having its own bathroom gave everyone their privacy, and the large common areas were perfect for everyone to hang out in together. Peter and Tico were there to assist us with any of our needs. I would highly recommend having Ari make her delicious dinners. Armodio the caretaker was there to help with anything you needed including making us bonfires any night we wanted. Fabian was there within 5 minutes of calling to take us wherever we wanted to go. The volleyball court was a nice surprise and provided us with countless hours of fun. We ended up spending more time at the house than we had anticipated. It was so nice to have a sandy beach right in front and a nice surf break just a short paddle away. The house is in the perfect location where the whole group didn't have to be doing the same thing all the time. Bocas town being only a 5 minute boat ride away was very convenient, but it was still far enough away where we felt nice and secluded. The chitras (sand flies) were a little out of hand, but once we got the magic bug oil from the Pickled Parrot we didn't have issues with them. We all had the time of our lives and are hoping that we can return for many years to come. Peter, thank you so much for sharing your house with us, it was truly my most memorable vacation ever!

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

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• Spectacular Island House

  Spectacular Island House

  • Guest andy b.
  • Date of stay 09/05/11
  • Review Submitted 09/14/11
  I recently returned from 4 days at Vista Azul Lodge with a group of 6 people and had a great time. The house is unbelievable and very picturesque, definitely the best in Bocas! I would recommend this to anyone looking for lodging in this area. The house was also very close to everything (2 minutes to Bocas town) but the same time far enough away to be isolated if we wanted. Armodio the groundskeeper was very attentive and was there to assist us at anytime and we were able to arrange all boat taxis with Fabian. He took us on a couple of excursions and had a great time. Tico was very helpful with any questions and information to make sure we got the most out of our stay. Overall a great trip to Bocas and would definitely like to return.

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, families with teenagers, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

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• Beautiful Home

  Beautiful Home

  • Guest Andre
  • Date of stay 07/25/11
  • Review Submitted 08/01/11
  Peter thank you so much for your hospitality, our stay at your vacation home was a wonderful experience. This 5 bedroom house is amazing, the house comes equipped with everything imaginable. We were finding new things for like two days, even water shoes for the beach :) This house is so nice people kept looking over wanting to come in thinking it was a hotel, one person even asked us how much we rented the chairs for. We were a huge group of three families totaling 14 people and we were well accommodated. There are so many things to do on the island that you will not be disappointed. The main thing that made this trip great was the care taker of the home, he went beyond his duties to make sure we were comfortable at the home, if there was anything we needed he was there to take care of it. The only negative thing about our stay at the home was that the main bathroom downstairs was out of order and the WIFI at the house needed to be reset constantly which made it a little tough to research our next adventure. However this was a small price to pay for the wonderful memories we got out of it...

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, sightseeing, families with young children, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: Thank you! We are delighted to hear that you and your family enjoyed the lodge. We have taken care of the problem with the downstairs bathrooms dual flush and everything is flowing properly. :) The WIFI seemed to be an external problem with the internet company, that problem has also be resolved. Thanks Again, The Vista Azul Family

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Best Trip Ever!

  Best Trip Ever!

  • Guest Jasmine
  • Date of stay 07/02/11
  • Review Submitted 07/25/11
  12 of my closest family and friends visited Vista Azul for a week over the Fouth of July and had the time of our lives. The house was absolutely stunning and got quite a lot of attention from all the beach goers. This house seems larger and better looking than any of the Hostels and Hotels in the area. The rooms were perfect for the couples who wanted privacy and the great room was an excellent place to spend time playing games or eatting good home cooked meals together. There are several small bars and resturants within a few minutes walk. The salty American who runs the Pickeled Parot is hilarious. We even fell in love with the Rasta dog that joined our crew for the week and even came snorkling with us. Cosmic Crab has a great Sunday Brunch. Fabian was great for daily boating trips, Amarrio was a champion and took a lot of pride in keeping the place running smooth. Probably the best investment was having Ari come to the hous everyday to take care of cleaning up, cooking and grocery shopping-truely made for a hassel free week. Only negative is the bugs. Several people really got bitten badly so make sure to take precautions. However, this one issue was completely overshadowed by the amazing unforgetable time we had there. Thanks Peter!

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: Thank you very much for the wonderful review! We are working on a solution to the sand flies, by purchasing some equipment to be placed throughout the gardens of the property, to help control the sand flies. The overall feed back from our guests is an incredible memorable time which far out weighs the sand fly's. Warm Regards, The Vista Azul Family

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

$600 base rate p/night.  Up to 8 guests.  Mon to Thur (3 night/min)
$700 base rate p/night.  Up to 8 guests.  Fri to Sun  (2 night/min)
$3,900 weekly base rate, Up to 8 guests.
Each additional guest $40 per night.  Up to 14 guests total.
High season $10,000 & $15,000 p/week, for 14 guests (7 day min.)
High season period 12/21/2013 till 1/4/2014.
Book two weeks & receive a free all day boat trip.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.