Rio Encantado Nature Preserve, Caldera, Panama

My husband and I ran away from home on Monday.  We made reservations at Rio Encantado in Caldera.  From what we saw on the website (http://www.rioencantado.com/) we thought it looked pretty nice.  We were wrong.  It was fantastic. 

The first things that struck us about this spot is that it is very quiet and wonderfully lush.  The only "noise" you will hear while visiting is the soothing sound of the river and the afternoon rain.  No dogs, no chickens, no inconsiderate neighbors. 

The second thing that struck us is the smart layout.  There are four cabins.  Each is positioned so that none of the cabins can be seen from the others.  You have the feeling of privacy, yet the open design and the many windows in each cabin give you a fantastic feeling of private space within the tropical foliage.  Our cabin had a perfect patio with a large overhang where we could sit and read any time of the day with protection from the sun or rain. 

The pool is well maintained and welcoming.  Incorporated in the pool's design is a giant rock with a carving of a turtle.  It's a nice place to sit after a few laps. 

There are trails that take you along the bank of the river.  There are many trees covered in climbing vines and orchids and many moss covered rocks along the path.  There are several spots to step into the river or skip stones.  During the rainy season, the river is a bit intimidating with its strong current.  But we've been told that in summertime, it is quite inviting and clear.

The cabin we stayed in was lovely and very comfortable with a full kitchen, SKY TV and WI-FI.  Plenty of light comes in from the well-placed windows, so there is little need for electric lighting.  If you leave the windows open and the fans running, you won't need air conditioning at all.  We loved it. 

We plan to come back again in Panamanian summer (December - February) when we can enjoy swimming in the river.  In my opinion, the weather was absolutely perfect: not too hot, not too cold and with the perfect level of humidity.  I'm from the Northern US, but having been in Panama for a year and a half now, I am happy in warmer temperatures. 

I highly recommend Rio Encantado Nature Preserve to anyone who appreciates nature and silence and doesn't need to be surrounded by lots of people.  It's a wonderful place to truly unwind.