Blue Marlin Resort Panama Hotel Review |
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| Written by Madeline Schuler |
| Friday, 26 September 2008 15:51 |
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The Blue Marlin Hotel/Resort is on Isla Carneros which is about a two2 minute water taxi ride ($1 per person) from the main Bocas town. The owners (George and Yessica) welcomed us and were willing to help with anything that we could possibly need on our stay (they took great care of us during our three days and two night stay with friends, for calling water taxis when we needed one, and helping us make contacts for scuba diving).
I highly recommend this resort for families, as it is very private and has good safe swimming and kayaks for use. There is wireless internet on the premises too which works for the business person out of the bunch. It is much quieter than the shoulder-to-shoulder places in Bocas proper. There is also a surf spot that you can walk to around the island. The only downside we experienced were sand fleas/flies, but you can minimize these with decent bug spray. Do consider that if you want to go out at night it's very hard to find a water taxi, so this is not necessarily the best place for partiers. Most of them stop running after 10 p.m. The food at the over-the-water restaurant/bar area at Blue Marlin was also very good. The Pickled Parrot was great for the price: they serve Thai Soup and whole snapper cooked in garlic butter, George's special Jimmy Buffet Margaritas, the Margaritas are made with fresh lime juice and are the best in Bocas. The beer and sodas were always cold and the owners have great stories to share (in addition to the HUGE burgers). The beer is ice cold and if you ask, you can have a frosty mug to go with it. Pickled Parrot is well known as one of the best places to eat in Bocas (30 second walk from room), nice breeze almost all of the time at the bar made it very pleasant. We stayed in a room with a king bed in a separate bedroom and then a single bed in the living area. It had a large bathroom with hot water and the front room had a day bed and a wet bar. The view from the front room is fantastic. The resort is a stones throw from one of the finest beaches in the area and the bar affords views of Hospital point and Old Bank on Bastimentos (all with views of the open ocean, a requisite in Bocas del Toro). There is almost always a nice breeze to keep you cool so you can just sit back have a drink and watch the banana boats come in, with cool woodwork on all sides and lots of nice finishing touches. George told us that they originally built the place for visiting relatives and it definitely shows. Hot water, cold air-conditioning in the middle of a tropical oasis! The wet bar and small fridge in the front room made for a nice sitting area when the actual bar closed. The rooms were set just back from the water, and the views were sublime. The family and the staff that run this establishment were warm and friendly and are there to make your stay a memorable one! Wished it would have been more than just three days and two nights! Do not consider this if you're looking for ultimate luxury, four stars service or non-stop party life: it's more of a chill and relaxed family place (relatively economical too).
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 September 2008 10:56 |
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