Isla Verde Hotel (Chiriqui)

It is the little touches that make all the difference at the Isla Verde Roundhouses in Boquete; the fresh flowers, thick branch wooden columns, fresh local coffee and coffeemaker in your room, perfectly placed carved wooden shelves, the swirled iron umbrella stand, German artwork on the walls and tasteful splashes of color throughout.

I first happened upon Isla Verde in my outdated Lonely Planet that listed them as “under construction” during publication. My boyfriend and I had been warned that not a single room remained in the town of Boquete for Semana Santa (Easter week), but overwhelmed by the oppressive heat in David and eager to breath some fresh air after a month in Panama city, we hoped in a taxi confident that an answer awaited us. Our first call to Isla Verde was answered by German owner Eva Kipp, who offered us her last of six roundhouses at $60 a night. No vacancies – huh?

Our friendly taxi driver Luis dropped us off in front of the yellow umbrella marking the entrance to the complex with a promise to pick us up two days later, as even before getting out of the car we decided to add another night to the visit. We entered the Reception Office, a long cabin with a second-floor loft with a dog-friendly ramp for access, and two huge dog houses outside on the porch with matching color schemes. We later found that these played host to the family’s massive rottweiler and yellow lab.

The owner’s son confirmed our reservation and led us to a yellow-themed cabin. We had our own hammock and bright hanging lantern outside the door and inside was adorable! On the left side sat the tidy well-equipped mini kitchen and a wooden table and chairs with a bright yellow table cloth under a vase of fresh white orchids. The room was split by a wooden staircase that worked its way up to the second-floor loft above the bathroom that held two low twin beds from which you could gaze up at the domed white ceiling and its spider web of thin wooden beams. At the crest was a circular skylight with a painted copy of a monkey petroglyph that can be found on a huge lava rock on your way to Caldera (often included on the Caldera Hot Springs tour). On the first floor, there was a queen size bed to the right and tall wooden wardrobe.

When my boyfriend and I didn’t understand the concept of ordering our breakfast in advance, nor eating before 10a.m. the first morning, we were quickly forgiven and served up a fresh meal of pancakes, orange juice and coffee beneath the iron and glass geometric canopy of the breakfast area, constructed by co-owner Eddie Seeling.

The next day we were upgraded to a large cabin to make room for a several day reservation. This cabin included a sitting area with an artistic boxed book shelf covering one wall, and a brightly colored orange futon to allow for more guests, along with the same amenities as the first, this time with rose-tinted orange accents.

After this experience, I have to agree that Boquete is a must-see, and I will continue to hope for a vacant little roundhouse from which to enjoy the fresh climate and beautiful scenery. We were treated exceptionally well by the owners and staff, even when we missed our 11:30a.m. check-out, and the overall attention to detail cannot be beat.