Home » Blog » Hotel Reviews » La Finca Cambutal: Hotel on the Best Undiscovered Beach in Panama

La Finca Cambutal: Hotel on the Best Undiscovered Beach in Panama

la finca cambutal hotel

 

Panama really surprised me. In our 2 months in the country I spent time in such varied locations: from the ultra-modern and developed capital city, to Caribbean island towns only accessible by boat, to traditional farming towns with a cowboy culture.  

 

While we really enjoyed all the different regions we were able to visit, one area stood out above the rest - the Azuero Peninsula. This part of the country is a bit isolated from the rest, as it juts quite far south from the east to west mainland. Because of this, it has retained its traditional culture quite well. It was settled and developed by indigenous groups, and also has a strong Spanish culture passed down from settlers that is evident in the many colorful and vibrant festivals in the region.

 

The Azuero Peninsula also has some of the best beaches in the country. White, yellow, and black sand, big and small waves, surfing beaches, and fishing beaches.

 

Cambutal, the beach at the end of the road, was our favorite. Once you get there, you feel a million miles away from the rest of the world. The quiet, empty, and wild beach is inviting, and the locals and expats alike are welcoming. As far as I'm concerned, this is Panama's best kept secret, and I'm so glad we found it! We spent 4 glorious days relaxing on the beach, making friends, and enjoying some of the best sunsets I've ever seen from our oasis at La Finca, Cambutal hotel.

 

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Here’s what I loved about La Finca, Cambutal Hotel:

The Amazing Owners

 

Abby and Sean McDonald, the sibling team behind La Finca, are a big part of the reason we had such a fantastic time in Cambutal. They’re warm, friendly, and always eager to give you a suggestion or just sit and get to know you over a beer. We loved trading stories and getting to know them.

 

They’ve been in Cambutal for over 4 years, so they are experts on the region. If you want to know the best surf breaks, the best local restaurant, or the best nearby hike, all you have to do is ask! We felt like we had all the best insider information and got to know the little beach town really well during our four night stay.

 

Great Design in Cabañas & Common Areas

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The first thing that attracted me to this Cambutal hotel was their great eye for design that was evident from photos on their website. I loved the rich wood furniture, the ethnic inspired linens, and the thatched roof structures.

 

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Once we arrived, I could see even more attention to detail. From the local artisan goods and hammocks, to the knit pillows, to the foliage in the rooms' showers - everything felt well thought out, attractive, and comfortable.

 

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A Wild & Magical Beach

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Warning - this might sound really ridiculous, but because I’ve been so lucky to travel long term and visit a lot of beaches all over Latin America, I’m not always stunned by each one I meet.

 

However, I seriously fell in love with the beach at Cambutal. It has the unique balance of being basically empty and undiscovered, but with a small and thriving local community. This means you can have the beach to yourself, yet still have a few options for food, hotels, and amenities. I’ve found this to be rare. I’ll either find a completely remote and empty beach - and there won’t be anything nearby, or the beach will be developed and have too many tourists. Cambutal, especially right now, is at the perfect happy medium.

 

Besides being undiscovered, it’s just plain beautiful. It’s a volcanic black sand beach with hills and mountains that rise straight up from the sand and narrow road. The beach is a super long U-shaped cove, so you can see the rocks jut out on either end, but there is plenty of beach to wander and explore. You won’t find any trash, but you will find turtles nesting, especially if you come during turtle season from July-January. 

 

And the absolute best thing about the beach at Cambutal are the sunsets. The difference in the tide length from low to high tide is massive on the sand in front of La Finca - if I had to guess it was something like 250-300 feet. This means that when the tide is going out, you have a huge surface of glistening sand. If sunset coincides with low tide, you have some of the most beautiful reflections of all the pinks, oranges, and yellows. It makes for an incredibly epic sight. Every night we’d go out to watch, take photos and be in awe.

 

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Great Location - Directly Across From the Beach

 

La Finca has a great location. This Cambutal hotel is up on a hill directly across the street from the beach. This means you could enjoy views of the water from the common areas, or the Cedro Espino cabana. And it would only take us two minutes to walk from the door of our cabana to the beach.

 

The little beach community of Cambutal is small, so everything is within walking distance - restaurants, hotel bars, etc. Just keep in mind that there is no minimarket on the beach, so bring any snacks, sunscreen, or bug repellent with you before arriving.

 

Ocean View From the Cedro Espino Cabana

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If you like to spend your beach retreat swinging in a hammock and staring off at the blue ocean, be sure to request the Cedro Espino Cabana. You can see the sparkling sea just beyond jungle canopy.

 

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Great Showers

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The showers at La Finca were beautiful and a pleasure to use. The shower in our cabana - Cedro Espino - had a wood floor bottom, a rainshower shower head, and some of tropical greens in the corners.

 

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The shower in the Rancho Cabana has a unique indoor/outdoor concept. The beautiful oval room has an overhead covering, but has some open air space between the walls and the roof. It’s painted a pretty rich red, and has a stone bench draped in tropical greens and a stone floor. It also features a rainshower shower head. I felt like I could spend all day in there!

 

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indoor/outdoor shower la finca

The Community

 

As I mentioned above, I think Cambutal is having a special moment before tourism really invades. It’s quiet and naturally beautiful, yet there is a great community of locals and expats who are friendly and welcoming of all who visit. We were able to meet what felt like everyone in town, and even make friends in our 4 short days there.

 

Another great aspect of this community spirit are the activities that happen almost every night. Tuesday was pizza night at Hotel Playa Cambutal, Wednesday and Saturday are Tapas & Bar night at La Finca, and Thursday is Taco night at Hostal Kambutaleko. We attended each get-together and chatted with many of the same friendly people. There’s plenty of community spirit in this little village. It made us want to stay awhile!

 

Fun Tapas & Bar Nights Twice a Week

la finca cambutal hotel

 

La Finca seems to host the best of these evening gatherings. We attended the Wednesday Tapas & Bar night and had a great time drinking their signature cocktails and making friends with locals and travelers. 

 

We’ve had our share of experience in hostels, and this was no hostel party night. This was a grown up get-together of people of all ages and backgrounds having a good time. It felt like we’d stumbled on our favorite well-designed local bar in Brooklyn. We were disappointed that leaving on Friday meant we had to miss the next one on Saturday!

 

Delicious Strong Coffee + Fresh Breakfast

cambutal panama cafe breakfast coffee

 

A good cup of coffee is one of those things that is sometimes hard to find in Latin America. It’s so ironic because this part of the world grows some of the best coffee in the world! But it’s often too expensive for locals, so instant coffee is prevalent.

 

However, the coffee at La Finca Hotel Cambutal is amazing. They source their coffee beans from the nearby region of Volcan - a town on the side of a volcano that is known to grow some of the world's best coffee. And La Finca uses an espresso machine so you can choose to have a strong and rich Americano to start your day.

 

A fresh and delicious breakfast is also available daily for guests. For $10 you get coffee, juice, and either a waffle & fruit or an acai bowl. We didn’t get a chance to try the waffles, but we did thoroughly enjoy the fresh and delicious acai bowl.

 

cambutal breakfast acai bowl

Air Conditioning & Fans

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Isn't this copper fan gorgeous?

 

Panama is hot, so it’s always nice to have the option of A/C if the heat gets too intense. Since La Finca is up on a hill, it generally gets refreshing ocean breezes, so the fan is often enough. But the a/c is there if you need it!

 

What to Keep in Mind - It's Off-the-Beaten-Path:

 

If you’re the type of person who needs to constantly have a fast internet connection, or wants a selection of clubs to dance the night away, Cambutal is probably not for you. This is a beach that is literally at the end of the road. There are plenty of amenities to keep you fed and happy, but you won’t find nightclubs, stores, etc.

 

While we were in Cambutal, the power went out for 2 ½ days. This was unusual - they occasionally have power outages if there is a storm, but never for that long. This was a bit hard for me because I work online and happened to have a deadline coinciding with the outage. However, if I had been on vacation, I wouldn’t have minded one bit. It actually added a romantic vibe to the atmosphere. Each night we would walk to the hotel down the street with a generator, drink some beer over dinner, and then enjoy a moonlit walk back to La Finca.

 

If you’re a go with the flow person who enjoys nature, this is the perfect place for your next vacation.

 

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Conclusion:

 

Cambutal and La Finca are a perfect choice if you’re even a little adventurous, appreciate a gorgeous undiscovered beach, and like to enjoy nature.

 

I didn’t go into detail about surfing since I haven’t yet gotten up the courage to learn, but Cambutal is a great surf destination. There are great waves, and Sean, an avid surfer himself, can give you all the best tips on where to go.

 

I really think that Cambutal is at a perfect balancing point right now between being off-the-beaten path, but having a great local community. I don’t think this will last though when people catch wind of this amazing gem. Go now before it changes!

 

Justin and I both fell in love with the area and La Finca, and have decided we will definitely be back as soon as our schedules allow.

 

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Hotel: La Finca Cambutal Hotel


Social Media: Instagram, Facebook

 

Price: $90-100/night

 

Includes: Wifi, A/C, Hot Water

 

Location:  Los Buzos, Calle Panamá, Cambutal, Panama

 

Contact: lafincacambutal@gmail.com

 

Reservations: http://www.lafincacambutal.com/cabanaspage/

 


 

Video Tour:


Disclosure: I received a free stay at La Finca in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

 

14 Responses

  1. Jenn and Ed Coleman
    | Reply

    Great piece. I love meeting the owners and operators of these establishments. Not only do they have a great story, they have so much positive energy to share. It’s totally infectious.

    It is amazingly hard to find a good cup of coffee in Latin America. We are a bit of coffee snobs and brew lattes every morning. Drip coffee with good beans is acceptable but I don’t understand why instant coffee is so prevalent in countries where they actually grow their own beans.

    • Susan Ripley
      | Reply

      I totally agree about hotel and tour owners – they always have great stories!

      The coffee problem is sad actually. The issue is that locals in these countries really can’t afford coffee beans – the inflated price just doesn’t match up with the standard of living in many Latin American countries. Seems wrong that the people who live in a land that grows this delicious stuff can’t enjoy it themselves…

  2. Cassandra Le
    | Reply

    I love your photography, it always makes somewhere look absolutely gorgeous! I also love finding locally owned accommodation and having a more “homey” feeling. Those açai bowls look absolutely delicious!

    I also love that the beach is SO close to this place!

    • Susan Ripley
      | Reply

      Thanks so much Cassandra! Those açai bowls were soooo good. 🙂

  3. Cat
    | Reply

    Thank you for showing me this part of the world that I never thought of traveling to! The sunset at Cambutal is GORGEOUS and the best part is that it is not so touristy that you need to fight for spots with the crowd. La Finca sounds like the perfect place to enjoy this! And I’ll make sure to visit (if I do) during July-January to see some turtles 🙂

    • Susan Ripley
      | Reply

      I love beaches that aren’t too touristy! I enjoy it so much more. And yes, try to see the turtles if you can!

  4. IVy
    | Reply

    La Finca is the best place to get away from it all to unplug! I’m in love with the wood details and the proximity to Cambutal. The glistening sand is pretty much a mirror- your photos are absolutely stunning. Is food usually fairly expensive in Panama? I was expecting the menu prices to be much lower

    • Susan Ripley
      | Reply

      I know – I absolutely loved the mirrored sand! It made the sunsets pretty mindblowing.

      The cost of living in Panama is not as low as in many other Latin America countries. I’d say it’s on par with some of the more moderate cities in the USA and Canada, cost-wise. Some things are still super reasonable though like bus fares!

  5. Panama keeps surprising with the amazing diversity of tropical environments to unwind in. I love this place because it reminds me of another incredible Caribbean destination that I used to frequent by the same name of La Finca, but this one was in Puerto Rico! Once again, you’re helping me move Panama right up the list of places I need to put myself into.

    • Susan Ripley
      | Reply

      Nice! I’ve been to Puerto Rico, but not the La Finca there – will have to check it out!

      Glad you’re inspired to head to Panama soon. It’s really a gorgeous country, and the tranquil beach at Cambutal is just amazing!

  6. Allison Wong
    | Reply

    Panama is such an exotic destination. Love the gorgeous sunsets there. Love the hotel looking so rustic and blends into the nature too.

    • Susan Ripley
      | Reply

      That was one of my favorite part about the hotel – how it blended in beautifully with the tropical surroundings. 🙂

  7. Julie
    | Reply

    Wow that sunset is amazing! I love how cute the hotel room is and all the colorful sheets. This looks like such a wonderful stay! Love how in tune it is with nature as well 🙂

    • Susan Ripley
      | Reply

      The sunsets there were some of the best I’ve ever seen! And yes, I also loved how seamlessly La Finca matches it’s gorgeous natural surroundings. 🙂

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