Al Natural Resort
A seven-bungalow eco-resort where jungle meets sea in Bocas del Toro
Arriving means a 45-minute boat ride through the Bastimentos National Marine Park, the town of Bocas del Toro falling away behind. Al Natural Resort sits on Old Point beach, a quiet stretch at the far corner of Bastimentos Island, facing the Zapatillas Cays across open water. Just seven beach bungalows stand here, each built to its own size and shape, set apart along the sand for privacy. Solar panels supply the power, a nod to the resort's aim of treading lightly on the surrounding forest and reef. Design draws on Ngobe-Bugle building tradition, worked timber and thatch rather than concrete and glass.
Mangrove rivers run inland from the shore, paddled by dug-out canoe past sloth and the poison dart frog. You can walk beach trails through Bastimentos jungle to Salt Creek, guided by locals from the village there. Meals are taken family-style at a long hardwood table in the two-storey restaurant, overlooking the lagoon, with fish and produce sourced locally and a European-trained chef running the kitchen. Snorkelling gear, kayaks and a paddleboard are free to use. It is a small, low-key stay, built for guests who want jungle and reef within reach of the same bungalow, not a resort with a golf course and a spa menu attached.
Mangrove rivers run inland from the shore, paddled by dug-out canoe past sloth and the poison dart frog. You can walk beach trails through Bastimentos jungle to Salt Creek, guided by locals from the village there. Meals are taken family-style at a long hardwood table in the two-storey restaurant, overlooking the lagoon, with fish and produce sourced locally and a European-trained chef running the kitchen. Snorkelling gear, kayaks and a paddleboard are free to use. It is a small, low-key stay, built for guests who want jungle and reef within reach of the same bungalow, not a resort with a golf course and a spa menu attached.