Los Establos Boutique Resort- All Inclusive

“Adventure Awaits”

We traveled from Idaho so it’s a 4 plane trip for us. Rather than lose a day at the resort we spent the night in Panama City at crowne plaza (they offer a free airport shuttle and are only 5-10 minutes away). We took the early flight to David. Resort shuttle was waiting with a sign and we had no i… more

We traveled from Idaho so it’s a 4 plane trip for us. Rather than lose a day at the resort we spent the night in Panama City at crowne plaza (they offer a free airport shuttle and are only 5-10 minutes away). We took the early flight to David. Resort shuttle was waiting with a sign and we had no issues finding them. We traveled with two other couples. Even though we all arrived prior to the official check in time we were able to check into our rooms and start enjoying the resort, with no additional fees. Check in was a quick 5 minute process. They offer a few items for sale like toothpaste, sunscreen etc., but there is not a traditional gift shop. ROOM - We stayed in a deluxe room by the pool and it was perfect. Large room with lots of storage space. Walls are thick and it was quiet. At night you can see the fire flies in the trees from your balcony and the daytime views of the mountains are divine. Housekeeping is available every day if you wish, although we only used it a few times, we put out our do not disturb sign the other days. I didn’t experience the rooms in the main building (standard), but it seems like the noise of everyone hanging in the lounge, using the restroom for the pool, and walking the halls in the AM for excursions might get a little loud if you are a light sleeper. The only thing that could have made our room better would have been a bench in the shower for shaving. POOL - The pool is smaller than expected and the hottub is more like a warm tub with bubbles. However, there were rarely people in the pool and it was always available when I wanted to use it. SPA - they offer a free 25 minute massage instead of an excursion if you wish. We actually forgot about this as an option while we were there. I did pay for a deep tissue massage and a vitamin c facial. Both were just okay. They do not have the pre-spa services such as cold plunge, sauna etc. Laundry services are available for a reasonable price, which we used. Same or next day turnaround. FOOD/DRINK - We were a little confused on the alcohol situation by the resort description so we brought our own bottles. We learned this was not necessary. It is not like your Mexico resorts where food and drink is served 24/7, but it’s served enough. Breakfast is in the restaurant and it is a set menu with a different special offered daily. They will give you a mimosa if you ask. Lunch is served poolside and alcohol drinks are also provided. Lunch menu changes daily. Happy hour is in the lounge daily where 2 special cocktails are offered each day, but you can also ask for other drinks and they will make them. Dinner menu changes daily, but you can select as many items as you like, you can also ask for cocktails here. The food is amazing and the chef does an incredible job. There is a special hot sauce he makes that is a must try if you like the spice. The special dinner outside in the treehouse is a must-do experience and can be reserved at the front desk or with the waiters in the restaurant. They will serve you a tasting menu. We took our own speaker for music. It is quiet, the views and lights very romantic. It does get chilly/windy so a sweater is a must once the sun goes down. The chef does an incredible job offering a variety of food items, his plating is fabulous and everything we tasted was elevated goodness. STAFF - everyone is simply amazing. They work long hours, work hard, greet you each day with a smile and do everything they can do to accommodate your requests. They even helped us orchestrate a surprise birthday for our friend. The waiters and chef came out to sing happy birthday with us. Please tip them! They share tips. Special thanks to Ricardo, Marvin, Jonathan, Nestor and the rest of the staff. You are truly amazing and provided us exceptional service! ENTERTAINMENT - the resort has a gym (I didn’t use it), but they do not offer water aerobics or any structured exercise program. There are games in the lounge and a pool table, but no other organized nightly entertainment. EXCURSIONS - there are several to choose from and you get one for every day you are there, except your arrival date. Some excursions do have an up charge. We experienced the following ones: it should be noted that some of the drive times can be long. Ja Watka waterfall - there is a small hike to the falls and at the falls you will need to climb/walk on rocks to access the water. The ground is uneven and rocks are slippery. Water is cold. Definitely have shoes with traction and water shoes. Hotel provides towels and you can take beer, water, soda etc. with you from the lounge if you wish. We wished we would have brought a soft cooler bag with us for our adventures. We have waterfalls in Idaho so this was fun, but nothing overly exciting if you’ve seen waterfalls before. Canopy zip-line with Tree Trek - 14 zip lines - amazing experience! They will take pictures of your experience and you may purchase all of them for $15. Rum Tasting - we brought pirate hats with us and left one for our guide Naomi so we hope she’s taking good care of it! The rum was tasty and she was very knowledgeable. It was a fun experience, but you do stand most of the time so wear comfy shoes. It would be better if they added barstools inside for the tables. At the end, you may purchase bottles and cups so bring some extra cash. Boca Chica Beach Day - we arrived at the docks and had to wait 30-45 minutes for staff to get the boat ready. There is a bathroom, we had to pay to use on the way in, but not on the way out. You might wish to bring some change. It was advertised as a fishing/beach adventure but they only brought 2 poles for 6 of us…and they never actually offered us the opportunity to fish. You take a boat to the island, which has an engine that might be nearing retirement, we were worried. We did get to see a dolphin, which was a nice bonus. The island is beautiful, but not private. There were other boats and guests there, however, there was still plenty of room. We went during the week but I’m told weekends are much busier, so something to consider if this one perks your interest. The water is warm for the Pacific and easy to swim in, not too many waves. The beach is sandy and we found several shells still in tact. The crew makes you lunch over an open fire on the rocks, which is fish or chicken, vegetables, fruit and snacks. Plenty of food and you will be full when you leave. There are also coconuts on the island and we were able to crack one open and enjoy the fruit. Volcan Baru Volcano - they have made some road improvements so the pick up time is now 0400. I would recommend wearing pants and layers. The temperature varies at different points up the mountain. I even brought gloves, hot hand packs and a knit hat and was glad that i did. Shoe types varied from teva sandles, tennis shoes and hiking shoes/boots. The terrain can be challenging at points, it is dark and the elevation is high, which is also challenging. We wished we had brought head lamp lights, but our cell phone lights did the trick in a pinch. I wore hiking shoes and was glad I did. You start in a jeep and head up the mountain in the dark. We had no issues and our guide, Jonathan, told us about the history, the radio towers, and the animals that we might see. He was very engaging and thoughtful. There are bathrooms at the bottom of the mountain and at the top…but bring toilet paper, they don’t provide any. The sunrise is remarkable and they serve you a nice breakfast afterwards. You have plenty of time to make it up the mountain and we did not feel rushed at any point, making it easier for all levels of ability to be able to enjoy this experience. On your way down you will be able to enjoy the Forrest like landscape. They said they will take you up in the evening hour for sunset, but the views will not be as good due to the clouds. If you watch the mountain (which you can see from the resort), you will be able to notice the clouds roll in every day mid morning and stay there. They did not recommend evenings. Would highly recommend this unique adventure. White water rafting on the Chiriqui Viejo River. All safety equipment was provided, safety briefing and guide on the boat. The river is not shaded so I would wear a long sleeve swim shirt, we were glad that we did. It is also very rocky where you stop for lunch so water shoes with traction is best. They take pictures and offer them for free. They make lunch for you at the half way point (variety of empanadas- even vegetarian ones, fruit, chips, and cookies). Plenty of food. You will have two short opportunities to swim in the river, most of the day is filled going down rapids. Felt very safe. Our guide pointed out animals as we went and told us about some history of the river. We saw monkeys, cows, and even a boa constrictor! They give you a beer when you finish. Bonus - you end in Costa Rica and they will stop at a store that has a nice Costa Rica sign for a photo op. Great unique experience. LOCAL SHOPS - the town of boquete is only 5 minutes away. The resort offers a shuttle for $2/person if a van is available or you can take a taxi for $4-10, depending on the time of day/weekend. There are several shops that offer dresses, hats, souvenirs, etc. All of the prices seemed reasonable and we picked up quite a few items - including new carry ons for our stuff 😏. We frequented several restaurants and the local brewery. Food was amazing! Drinks were priced like the USA. We always felt safe walking around and most staff spoke English and Spanish. We used our phone translator when needed. Some bathrooms you must pay to use and some do not offer toilet paper. CHECK-OUT - 11AM. We were on the evening flight so they stowed our luggage and allowed us to continue using the resort until we left, free of charge. We used the bathroom to change into our flying clothes. Overall, I would rate this resort an 4 out of 5. Primarily because they lack evening entertainment. It gets very quiet around 8-9pm. The resort is really geared towards early morning and daytime excursions.

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