into the wild

THREE NATURE-IMMERSED RESORTS GIVING US GOOD VIBES

- PATRICK HAMILTON COURTNEY

Isla Palenque, Panama

Lying on Panama’s Pacific coast is the paradisiacal Gulf of Chiriqui, a stretch of water scattered with dozens of islands, most of which are covered in dense, tropical forest. Some of them have now opened up to eco-tourism, including Isla Palenque, a 400-acre isle boasting five miles of virgin tropical shoreline (left). Offering a taste of barefoot luxury in the truest sense of the phrase, Palenque has only eight secluded, beachfront casitas with open-air bathrooms and lounges. Spend your days paddleboarding the warm waters, cooking empanadas with the island chef, setting off on jungle hikes or foraging expeditions along rainforest trails, fishing using artisanal techniques and kayaking to hidden beaches and bat caves. Or simply lounge by the pool. That’s where we’ll be.

IN THE KNOW

Explore nearby deserted idylls on an island-hopping boat trip, swim with turtles, then soak up the sun on white sandy beaches.

Pack bug spray – no one wants to be itching in paradise.