This Panama Resort Has Overwater Bungalows, Glass Floors, and a Price That Beats Bora Bora
You wake up to the sound of water gently lapping beneath your feet. Through the glass floor at the foot of your bed, you watch rays drift silently across the shallows. A breeze carries the scent of salt and mango. Outside, your deck chair rests at the edge of the water, and breakfast is on its way — fresh juice, warm cassava bread, eggs from the island. This is Sol Bungalows in Bocas del Toro, Panama — and it might be the most accessible overwater escape in the Caribbean.
Tucked away just minutes from Bocas Town on Isla Solarte, Sol Bungalows is a rare blend of barefoot luxury and affordability. It’s the kind of place that delivers the fantasy of overwater bungalows — the overwater deck, the island stillness, the deep turquoise shallows — without the five-star price tag. And that’s what’s made it one of the most sought-after small resorts in Panama.
Private Overwater Bungalows in Bocas del Toro
Sol Bungalows is a collection of just four overwater villas, each handcrafted with natural wood, traditional thatched roofs, and a design that opens entirely to the sea. Inside, you’ll find king-sized beds facing wide glass panels that look straight onto the water, oversized rainfall showers, and locally inspired décor. Step outside, and you have a private sundeck with a ladder into the sea, an overwater hammock built into the deck itself, and views that stretch across the mangrove-fringed bay. For couples, it’s a retreat. For honeymooners, it’s a dream. And for travelers chasing an authentic Caribbean hideaway — it’s exactly what they’re looking for.
Off-the-Grid, On Point
The resort is powered entirely by solar energy, with filtered rainwater for showers and sinks. There’s no air conditioning — just ceiling fans and the steady breeze that moves across the bay. It’s quiet, intimate, and completely independent from the grid, offering guests a deeper kind of luxury: the luxury of disconnection. Hosts Drew and Tamara live on the island and are the kind of owners who greet you by name, help plan your snorkel excursions, and share the story of how they built this place — piece by piece — in a part of Panama most travelers never get to see. That personal connection is what sets Sol Bungalows apart from bigger resorts and why so many guests return.
Real Meals, Real Ingredients
Each morning begins with a homemade breakfast delivered to your deck: think fresh papaya, local eggs, handmade pastries, and strong Panamanian coffee. Dinner is available too — a rotating menu of fresh-caught seafood, island vegetables, coconut rice, and tropical desserts. The meals aren’t just good — they’re meaningful. Much of the food comes from the property’s own gardens or from local producers in Bocas del Toro, and meals are served privately, with no crowds, no noise, and no schedule.
A Quick Hop From Town, But a World Away
You can be in Bocas Town in five minutes by water taxi — and yet, once you step onto the dock at Sol Bungalows, it feels like another world. The bungalows sit above a calm stretch of turquoise sea just off Isla Solarte, with rainforest on one side and open water on the other. It’s close enough to book day trips for surfing, diving, or exploring Dolphin Bay — but far enough to hear only the sounds of birds and the tide. Guests often describe it as having the best of both worlds: the quiet of a secluded island, with the access of a full-service destination.
What It Costs for a Room at Sol Bungalows
Rates start around $250 per night depending on season and availability, which places Sol Bungalows among the most affordable overwater options in the entire Caribbean and Central America. And it’s not just the room — it’s the full experience: private lodging, included breakfast, personal service, and direct access to the sea. For travelers who’ve dreamed of the Maldives or Bora Bora but want something closer, quieter, and less commercial, Sol Bungalows delivers the essence of that fantasy — in a smaller, more soulful way.
How to Get There
Getting to Sol Bungalows is surprisingly easy for such a remote-feeling escape. Most travelers fly into Panama City (one of my favorite airports in the wider region — it’s practically a shopping mall with a runway), then take a short domestic flight to Bocas del Toro — a tropical archipelago on Panama’s Caribbean coast. From there, it’s just a five-minute water taxi from Bocas Town to Isla Solarte, where the resort is located. Flights to Bocas are offered daily via Air Panama and FlyTrip, and connections from the U.S. are simple through hubs like Miami, Houston or Atlanta. Once you arrive, Sol Bungalows will help arrange your boat transfer, making the last leg of the journey seamless. Despite its tucked-away feel, this is one of the most accessible overwater resorts in the hemisphere.
