Casa Cayuco Eco-Adventure Lodge, a 4ha property, is nestled at the edge of the jungle, just steps from the beach. It is situated on the the southeast tip of Isla Bastimentos Island, in the beautiful Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama.

Our remote location offers guests the opportunity to truly get away.  We strive to be as low-impact as possible in an effort to conserve our natural world by carefully weighing the environmental impact of every decision we make, from the supply chain of our food, to the electricity that powers the resort.

For us, the most important tenet of ecotourism is having a positive impact on our local community. Salt Creek (Quebrada Sal) is a Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous village located 30 minutes by foot from Casa Cayuco. Salt Creek is one of the largest and most remote Ngäbe villages in the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Roughly 900 people live in Salt Creek and over 250 are students between the ages of 5 and 15 years old. Casa Cayuco employs 16 people from Salt Creek, who in turn support over 150 people in the village. Casa Cayuco and our guests have a very special relationship with the Salt Creek community. Every stay helps fund several service projects in the village throughout the year.

We’re constantly learning new ways to improve our way of life and lower our impact on the planet further. By promoting a greater understanding and appreciation for nature, we hope to inspire others to make subtle changes for the betterment of mankind. What are you waiting for? Come join in on the experience!

Conservation & Community Highlights:

1. Sustainable Lodging: We aim to minimise environmental impacts, while offering a welcoming and nurturing destination. Our main lodge roof is full of solar panels, which power the entire resort’s electricity. Rather than allowing rain to run off our roofs, we catch, store, and purify it for reuse on-site. Our rainwater catchment and purification system provides fresh water for our entire property. All our showers are installed with low flow showerheads from High Sierra. These are designed to save water and energy while delivering the feel of a rain shower. All our bathrooms have organic coconut soap and hair care products that are made in Bocas town.
2. Smart Dining: Limiting consumption of animal products is the single greatest impact an individual can have on climate change. We therefore serve predominantly plant-based cuisine with the addition of fresh fish. Sustainable seafood is caught in the waters surrounding the property using a traditional Panamanian hand-line technique. Local fishermen deliver fresh fish straight to our dock via cayuco every evening. We serve a selection of organic wines from Emiliana Vineyards. All of their wines are grown in a way that preserves the natural balance of life and helps sustain the environment for the future. We are making huge strides in limiting our waste. We compost all of our food waste to create nutrient rich soil. This completes the natural circle of food as it should be, returning to the earth to grow new food for our guests, staff and family to enjoy.
3. Gainful employment for Local Community: Casa Cayuco was built by a team of indigenous Ngäbé Buglé carpenters. All of the Nispero wood used in the construction of the lodge and cabins is native to Panama. We only hire folks from the local Indigenous community.
4. Community Stewardship: We have supported the building of two high school classrooms, installing a large water tank, installing solar panels in the school, sourcing 280 spanish to english dictionaries, a trash can/waste management program, a sidewalk connecting key areas of community, a boardwalk allowing the community access to the beach, and a school cafeteria.

Future Aims:

1. Most pressing project is to complete the infrastructure for a Medical Clinic facility in our local community, which will be run on solar power, water from rain catchments and plumbing using leach field systems.
2. To build a greenhouse, develop more permaculture systems and grow all fruits and vegetables for our eco-lodge. We plan to use our successes as a model for the indigenous community, local schools, educational groups, future guests and neighbours.
3. Start a recycle center on Punta Vieja, taking recycling from the indigneous community and local residents into the mainland recycle center.
4. Expand our eco-lodge with new accommodations, which will each feature a compostable toilet and be designed around permaculture systems.

Images provided.