Plan ahead for your winter escape with a buy-out of Panama’s 14-island Islas Secas resort, available starting in December.
To take the private island experience to the next level this winter, head 20 miles off the Pacific coast of Panama to Islas Secas, a resort spread out over a privately owned, 14-island archipelago dotting the Gulf of Chiriquí. While the resort is currently closed in adherence with Covid-19-related restrictions, it’s planning to reopen in high style this December by offering the chance to buy-out the whole place, for rates starting a $18,000 a night. The resort will also be rolling out new private jet transfers from Panama City’s international airport which, when added to the host of included services and amenities, will help ensure a winter getaway that’s both memorable and the ultimate in social distancing. Seventy-five percent of the archipelago has been left untouched, making it a natural haven.
Following a soft opening in early-2019, Islas Secas re-emerged as a full-service resort last December, complete with a new, conservation-minded design by award-winning South African-based firm LIFE Interiors & Architecture, four spacious casitas (each with plunge pool, deck, thatched-roof cabana and ocean views), facilities like a bar, lounge and ocean-to-fork restaurant, and a Tented Spa highlighting organic and natural products. (In a unique touch, each casita bathroom also comes with a mixology case filled with essential oils, so guests can customize their bath products.) When the pandemic hit a few months later, however, the resort closed again—but used that downtime to create three jungle-view tented casitas with canopied roofs, four-poster beds, deep-soaking tubs and outdoor lounges.
With three quarters of the archipelago left untouched, the resort is the perfect base for connecting with nature. Go swimming or paddle boarding around the islands, head further out for a day of fishing, spot Humpback whales during migration season, or venture to the bio-diverse Coiba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, for some snorkeling or diving. On-property experiences like nature hikes, yoga, beach scrabble, barbecues, “floating” pool brunches and outdoor movie nights round out the fun.
When the resort re-opens on December 16, guests will be able to book this entire paradise for themselves, with buy-outs starting at $18,000 per night for up to 24 guests, including meals, most alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, numerous activities (including select boat trips), laundry, a private islet picnic and one spa treatment per day, per guest. (Additional guests can be accommodated for an added fee.) Also new for the 2020-2021 season are private plane transfers between Panama City and the archipelago, which will eliminate the need to take a commercial flight to a regional airport and a boat transfer to the resort. (Rates for the private flights are yet to be determined.) VIP meet and greet services at Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport can also be arranged.
