This Rio Mar apartment was a wonderful get-away for much needed R&R (rest and relaxation). The view from the 11th floor felt like we were somewhere between heaven and earth because when you looked out from the sliding window which could open up the entire length of the living room; there was the beautiful blue sky, and below was the amazing view of the ocean with the sounds of the waves that rocked us to sleep at night and woke us up in the early morning.
The decor of the house was very nice. It has an Asian-inspired modern design complete with World-Market/Pier One-type furnishings. Very spacious and peaceful. The bedrooms were comfortable with plenty of room to hang and tuck away clothes for the week, and the bathrooms were very nicely designed. We loved that there was a washer and dryer and plenty of storage space in the fully stocked modern kitchen.
Other amenities included; a guarded community, a nice work-out room on the 1st floor, and a number of small swimming pools to play in and sun-bathe by. The restaurant was nice (closes at 5 pm), as well as a Spa that you'll need to make appointments a day ahead of time.
I wasn't accustomed to black sand at the beach, so that was a new experience. The beach was nice for early morning walks and exploration since it's not developed quite yet and over crowded with tourist. That in itself was nice and peaceful not to have a lot of people around. I can see, however that there are more developments coming in the next couple of years since there was construction of another high-rise building right next to the building (much to close), as well as a casino resort being built not far away. This construction, however did not hamper our vacation or our enjoyment of this jewel-of-a-place.
The property manager, as well as the staff at Rio Mar were very nice, accessible, and accommodating throughout our entire rental process to the end.
If you're coming in from Panama City, make sure you stop by the grocery store Super 99 to purchase groceries, and you'll be all set. Since the apartment is about 20 minutes from the shopping areas in San Carlo, it may be good to rent-a-car for transportation instead of relying on taxi's or a car service which can be costly. The location seems pretty central; 90 minutes from Panama City & about 30 minutes from other beach areas.We were able to hire a driver and go up in the mountains as well as down in the valley area to see sites.