Support Ukraine - DEC Humanitarian Appeal - Donate

SteppesTravel
Menu
Popular Destinations
See our full list of destinations
Tailor-made & Group Tour Holidays
See all of our Holiday Ideas
About
Travelling Safely
Our Content
When to Go
Best time to visit
Our People
  • Amy Waters snow biking Our Team

    Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.

  • William Dalrymple Our Tour Experts

    We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.

  • Liz Bonnin Heroes and Heroines

    the people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education

Home Hotels Islas Secas

Islas Secas

  • Beach and Island Escapes
  • Panama
Add to wishlist Contact us

Islas Secas is a luxurious private island resort located amid a beautiful archipelago off the Pacific Coast of Panama. Offering sandy beaches, glassy waters and a wealth of marine diversity, it is an eco-hotspot and exotic hideaway.

The archipelago is made up of 14 volcanic islands covered in dense jungle and thus rich in wildlife. Over 50 species of both migratory and resident birds can be found in the area. Isla Coca is home to Panama’s largest colony of frigate birds.  There are two miles of trails around the property home to rare plants, colourful hummingbirds and iguanas.

Why we like Islas Secas

With 14 islands of endless reefs and deserted beaches to explore, Islas Secas is much more than a luxury retreat.

Facilities

The resort accommodates 24 guests across just seven beautiful designed casitas with outdoor living areas and ocean views. Three, one-bedroom tented casitas, provide extremely stylish and spacious living areas including an outside copper bathtub with spectacular sea-views.

Casita Sombras is a two-bedroom casita with a plunge pool and private access to its own beach. In addition, Casita Tres Palmas offers two separate casitas that share a plunge pool, perfect for families who want to be close but require their own accommodation.  The four-bedroom Casita Grande is ideal for larger family groups or friends, offering four separate casitas connected by a private terrace and plunge pool.

Activities

This remote archipelago is home to two humpback whale groups that swim these pristine waters at different times of the year. Watching them breach and blow is possible from both the shore and out at sea on sensitive whale-watching excursions.

Unlimited non-motorised water sports are available to guests throughout their stay including snorkelling, paddleboarding, kayaking and surfing. Diving, fishing and wake-boarding are also available.

Sustainability

The creation of Isla Secas Resort was fuelled by a desire to protect the forest and marine environments of the Gulf Chirqui. Sustainability continues to be at the core of the resort’s ethos.

  • 75 % of the archipelago has been left untouched.
  • All energy needed for the resort is solar-generated.
  • All food waste is recycled.
  • Wastewater is used for irrigation.
  • Thousands of native trees have been planted to restore the natural balance.
  • Each year, educational whale-watching trips with scientists are given to school children to nurture environmental learning.
  • The privately funded Isla Secas Foundation supports marine and wildlife conservation organisations and community endeavours in the area.
Read more

Nearby experiences

  • Honeymoons
  • Beach Holidays

Price guide

£££££

Location

The Islas Secas Archipelago is 20 miles off the Pacific coast, in the Gulf of Chiriquí. The resort can be reached by a 75-minute boat ride from the coast or a one hour and 45-minute scenic flight from Panama City.

Idea
Panama
Animals of the Canopy
In a remarkable journey through the forests and wetlands of Gamboa and the volcanic crater of El Valle de Anton, scout for a plethora of birds and curious mammal species from the vantage points of high canopy towers and open-top off-road vehicles.…
10 days from £2,530pp
Resplendent Quetzal in flight
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Panama
Private Sailing in the Guna Yala
Travel around Panama‘s little-visited territories, utilising trains and private charter boats to reach the swashbuckling historic city of Portobelo and the paradisaical Guna Yala Archipelago. With the opportunity to see the Panama Canal and sail its Gatun Lake in search of endemic…
10 days from £3,600pp
San Blas, Kuna Yala, Panama
View Cruise
Idea
Panama
Panama Canal Between the Seas
Utilising a nimble 24-passenger catamaran to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans via the Panama Canal, this beyond the ordinary cruise offers an in-depth insight to the waterway, its endemic wildlife and traditional cultures. When not sailing between the homeland of…
7 days from £5,800pp
Lake Gatun, Panama Canal
View Cruise

Need Inspiration?
Browse our Panama holiday ideas.

We know a thing or two about bespoke holidays – we’ve been creating them since 1989. Take a trip through the Panama holidays that we love today.

Idea
Panama
Animals of the Canopy
In a remarkable journey through the forests and wetlands of Gamboa and the volcanic crater of El Valle de Anton, scout for a plethora of birds and curious mammal species from the vantage points of high canopy towers and open-top…
10 days from £2,530pp
Resplendent Quetzal in flight
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Panama
Private Sailing in the Guna Yala
Travel around Panama‘s little-visited territories, utilising trains and private charter boats to reach the swashbuckling historic city of Portobelo and the paradisaical Guna Yala Archipelago. With the opportunity to see the Panama Canal and sail its Gatun Lake in search…
10 days from £3,600pp
San Blas, Kuna Yala, Panama
View Cruise
Idea
Panama
Panama Canal Between the Seas
Utilising a nimble 24-passenger catamaran to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans via the Panama Canal, this beyond the ordinary cruise offers an in-depth insight to the waterway, its endemic wildlife and traditional cultures. When not sailing between the…
7 days from £5,800pp
Lake Gatun, Panama Canal
View Cruise
View all holiday ideas View all cruises

Where to stay in Panama

Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any journey.

More luxury accommodation

Panama

Tranquilo Bay

  • Beach and Island Escapes
  • £££££

Tranquilo Bay is an owner-operated eco adventure lodge located on Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro, Panama. The lodge is an all-inclusive adventure with eco-tours and relaxation. Tranquilo Bay is adjacent to Bastimentos National Marine Park. There…

 View Property
Panama

Canopy Camp

  • Tented Camps
  • £££££

Canopy Camp is a wilderness camp made up of eight spacious safari-style tents. Each tent is solar-powered, sits on a raised platform and has a private bathroom including a shower with views of the rainforest. A…

 View Property
Panama

El Otro Lado

  • Beach and Island Escapes
  • £££££

El Otro Lado private retreat occupies a stunning location on Panama’s Caribbean coast, surrounded by the tropical forest of Portobelo National Park. This luxury boutique hotel comprises of just 5 comfortable (1, 2 and 3 bedroomed)…

 View Property
Panama

American Trade Hotel

  • City
  • £££££

The American Trade Hotel is the latest development in the regeneration of Panama City’s Casco Viejo. The property was built in the early 20th Century to house the American Trading Company department store and was an…

 View Property
Panama

Canopy Lodge

  • Wilderness
  • £££££

Canopy Lodge is a hotel in the verdant foothills of El Valle. Accommodation is next to a stream in the cloud forest canopy right in the centre of the protected area of Cerro Gaital Natural Monument.

 View Property
Panama

Finca Lerida

  • Farmstead and Ranches
  • £££££

Finca Lerida is a 23 room boutique hotel located on the lower slopes of Baru Volcano, just a 10-minute drive from the town of Boquete. This is a tremendous location for bird watchers The property borders…

 View Property

Why Choose Steppes?

Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.

Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?


More about Steppes

F L E X I B I L I T Y P R O M I S E B O O K W I T H C O N F I D E N C E

Featured in the press