La Isleta | Informal Campsite

April 3rd, 2024 by Sissi

what a precious place ! perfect spot to pitch a tent by the river with toilets and shower. Very helpful owners, Arturo drove me around and sang beautiful opera while I was eating the most delicious food prepared by Roberto. They opened the kitchen just for me and share their stories.I was treated like a princess.

March 26th, 2024 by glengeeves

Very cool area near the estuary. Hot at night and a few little biters, nothing bad. Owners are adorable, gave us fruits and helped us out with bicycles issues! 10$ per tent, everything very clean, kitchen, potable water. Restaurant still closed though, and supermarket too far for us to walk to.

February 23rd, 2024 by nina&jo

Very nbig and beautiful lawn camp area by the river close to the highway.
Arturo and Roberto are excellent hosts. Arturo took us to a beautiful viewpoint where we could overlook the wonderful coastline.
Toilets and showers are extremely clean. No wifi. Restaurant closed.

February 13th, 2024 by David

Really nice campground close to the river and with great view. Texaco and Supermarket very close by. Perfect spot for a camp on the way south or north and perfectly located. Potable water on site, availability of showers and kitchen. Restaurant would open probably as of next month.

November 18th, 2023 by agibon9

Came cycling (2ppl). Paid 10$/2p(tent)/night.
Power outlets, tables, chairs, kitchen with wooden fire, WC, shower, no WiFi, not possible to camp under roof.
Nice owners.

October 16th, 2023 by ErBeOnTour

Sehr schöner Platz. Einfahrt direkt am Highway, Stellplätze etwas abseits direkt am Fluss und dadurch wunderbar ruhig. Sehr saubere Toiletten, Duschen, Platz für Dishwashing. Uns hat es sehr gefall, wir können den Platz bestens empfehlen!

August 8th, 2023 by ingejansenfotografie

As said before …. Nice place for pitching your tent. Clean facilities.

June 17th, 2023 by domckmenard

Excellent experience, I’m a cyclist and was going to camp but it started raining. One of the 2 owners (Arthuro and Roberto) showed me a small cabin where I decided to sleep. They also served dinner for 10$ (technically you should ask in advance since the restaurant is not officially opened since the pandemic). The cabin was 30$ including breakfast, most food is grown locally and was suuuper good! Definitely recommend.

May 22nd, 2023 by jsmurph

Great spot. Very beautiful and clean. $10 per tent. Kayak rental for $20 and you can use them your whole stay. The restaurant is closed, but the bathrooms and shower are open and very clean. No WIFI. Beautiful river. There was a huge crocodile in the river in the morning. Lots of space.

February 27th, 2023 by jsg.comunicacion

Great camping!!! Alfredo y Roberto are super friendly. Beautiful, safe and clean!!!! We recomended 100%

February 26th, 2023 by jsg.comunicacion

Really nice camping next to a beautiful river.
Artur and Robert (the owners) are very friendly and kind.
Even if the sign saids "temporally closed" the Camp is open (only the restaurant is closed).
The bathrooms and the shower are very clean.

January 23rd, 2023 by desertfalcon

Ignore the „closed“ sign, just drive up to the entrance and they will open the gate for you.

What an amazing place, right at the river. Very friendly and nice owners Arturo and his partner, very welcoming. Arturo showed us around his large property and gave us a bag full of freshly collected fruits. 20$ per RV.

December 10th, 2022 by cloudy_cycles

Really beautiful spot next to the river. Large space, palms, lots of birds around. 10 USD for 1 night (1 tent).

November 28th, 2022 by na_liliana

Stayed here after border crossing from Costa Rica
there is a large sign that says temporarily closed but its for the restaurant. Just honk at the gate and someone will come to gate
clean bathrooms, cold shower and access to electricity and water
great spot for the night $20

September 14th, 2022 by hourlesslife.com

Very nice stay. Grassy lawn to park on with a river view, with faucets close by that make dishes easy. Palapa to cover you from the rain. Coco the crocodile lives down the bank, but he can’t climb up. The owners treat him like a pet and we even got to see him have a meal. The bathrooms are very clean, though a bit of a walk if you’re parked on the river. It’s such a shame the restaurant had to close due to COVID. I hope they’ll be able to reopen. Roberto and Arturo are kind and friendly hosts. $20.

March 26th, 2022 by beats2nd.life

Yes, 20 USD might sound high but you also get to stay at a safe, clean and beautiful place. We spotted a lot of animals (mainly crocodiles and birds). The nearby highway is surprisingly quiet, especially at night. Roberto is very kind and even brought us fruits in the morning.

March 21st, 2022 by Peregrinators

It's always a pleasure to arrive at a campsite where the owners want you to have a great time. Así es La Isleta. I can only endorse the good comments about the place. I highly recommend a kayak on the river in the evening or early in the morning. So, maybe it's not the cheapest of campsites, but if we, as overlanders, want to have access to places like this, we have to support them (and them us). Remember, they are desperately trying to survive in tough times. Highly recommended!

March 19th, 2022 by follow_nadle

Roberto wanted 20 USD for two in a van for one night! We didn't stayed.

March 19th, 2022 by Myysliexpress

Place looked ok for one night but the owner wanted 20USD from the two of us. No thanks.

February 6th, 2022 by nadine.dabrunst

Roberto has a really beautiful place right next to the river in an remote and quite area with lots of animals especially birds around. It's mostly covered in grass with some trees which give nice shade.
Toilets and shower are available and clean. The place has its own well with potable water all along the property. There is an outdoor kitchen with wood fire stove and a barbecue area. To pitch a tent is $10 per tent. Kayaks are available for $20 a day.
We arrived at Roberto's by bus which dropped us of just in front of his property. Although the sign says that the place is temporarily closed only the restaurant is closed (should open in a month or two). The campsite ist permanently open. Just use your horn in front of the gate or yell for Roberto. There's always someone there to open for you.

July 17th, 2021 by michieldrummer

Friendly owner let us camp in their backgarden. The big sign outside the restaurant says actually temporarily closed. They want to open up the restaurant again when possible after the pandemic.
We saw a kaaiman passing by in the river, so watch out with swimming.

July 7th, 2021 by molinandrea55

Beautiful property. We had done a long days on the bikes and after a torrential rain we arrived soaking wet to La Isleta. There is a massive billboard stating that the place is “PERMANENTLY CLOSED” - it was raining and we had no other option where to go. We decided to go in and knock on the door. We were friendly greeted and allowed to camp under the palapa, we paid $10.

Right in front of the palapa there is a smaller covered area where the kitchen is. We had access to the shower and to restrooms. Great night of sleep! Very friendly people.

The restaurant is closed due to covid. We had planned to bring stuff to cook, so it was not problem.

February 7th, 2020 by demelzartw.com

Beautiful location with restaurant. My partner and I camped with our motorcycle and tent and paid 10 dollars for one night. We had dinner as we just couldn’t face a trip to the supermarket in the heat and humidity. It was fairly expensive, 18 USD for fish and salad but it was very well cooked and we were treated to some singing entertainment
after dinner which we really enjoyed. Panamanian beer for sale for 2.50 and the most delicious fresh pineapple and spearmint iced smoothie drink for $3 each. The hosts are so lovely. Hot and humid and some mean biting insects around but this is Panama. Highly recommended.

October 18th, 2019 by legrandnicolas

perfect place to stay. very good homemade food . Large space to stay with your tent or your RV for 10 dollars.
Typical " house " for 20 dollars.
Very friendly staff.
We would come back
THE place to stay

September 20th, 2019 by thijsbs

A really recommended place to stay. We initially thought to camp at their (beautiful) garden next to the river, but their cabin looked too cozy and special to not stay in. Roberto and Arturo are really amazing people and they made us feel really welcome. They are passionate about cooking. Most of their food is organic and local and some of it even comes from their own land. They cook the food on a lovely outside firewood stove. I really recommend to try their food. Very delicious with a lot of special ingredients. Also Arturo is passionate about singing, he'd be happy to sing for you if you ask!

August 30th, 2019 by gazzieontour

The place is great for camping next to the river, but there is a rider to this. There is a huge place where one can pitch a tent or park a van. The abolition facilities are great although there were no lights during the night. There is no wifi! I am a solo cyclists with a tent and US$10 for one person is expensive. I had dinner there consisting of a plate of vegetable soup. I was asked if I wanted bread with the soup. The soup was over priced for what one got. What was even worse was the charge for the bread; US$3 for three smallish slices of bread. The way I was asked if I wanted bread, I thought it was part and parcel of the soup and no price was mentioned even though I had asked for the cost of the soup. The way it was done, I thought was a bit underhand. The cost of food at this place is absolutely outrageous and it is nothing special. My opinion; if you are a group sharing a tent or van, the cost of camping can be reasonable. I won't be staying here again.

August 7th, 2019 by bradyanddanica

The gate was closed but we walked inside and found the owner. They allow camping even if the restaurant is closed. Very friendly! $15USD for the van, 2 people. Clean facilities! No WiFi available, at least not today, but they were honest about this. We used this time to relax and disconnect. :) Lots of animals to see, you'll camp next to the river, and the food was delicious. It was so nice of them to cook for us even though they were closed for the day! If you are around the area, I'd recommend staying here! You will be happy you did.

March 6th, 2019 by albert-et-compagnie.blogspot.com

Very nice place and very nice host. They make us feel very confortable, very clean shower.
Huge place to stay by the river, not noisy. very good stop after crossing thé border. Highly recommended.

February 9th, 2019 by Michael

Very friendly owner Roberto. Beautiful area with a river close by. Roberto recommended to go to the end of the site, far away from the highway but unfortunately the noise from the road still was present.

January 9th, 2019 by rolandrech

Huge place besides the street, what makes it a bit noisy. Very friendly welcome; we got fresh eggs in the morning, some oranges and they allowed us to harvest lemons (for the Cacique-Tonic aperitiv)

October 21st, 2018 by 2WheelsInMotion

As descibed, arrived but gate closed, walked up drive and they are always open for camping. Huge area for the biggest of rigs. We arrived with our tent and they allowed us to use the undercover area of the bungalow. Showers, toilets, kitchen area all very clean Cost 10$ for both,all up a great stop

October 9th, 2018 by claumich

This place is a small paradise. The restaurant is closed in September and October but the campground is open. Green grassy location direct beside the river. We payed 10$ for our tent. They had cold beer and Arturo was singing for us. What a voice! Really nice guys. Absolutely recommended.

August 12th, 2018 by BootsNCoffee

A wonderful welcoming place. We are staying overnight and met Arturo and Roberto who were very gracious hosts and invited us to go to a fiesta in town tonight. The grounds are immaculate and serene. The cost very reasonable and having the restaurant on site really convenient. I recommend this place highly.

July 1st, 2018 by olivia.may.tanner

Lovely place as described below. We camped on nice grassy area just in front of the river with lots of birds around. Showers and bathroom very clean. Super lovely hosts made us feel really welcome! $10 per tent (not pp)

March 21st, 2018 by Tucks' Truck

we stopped for nice lunch lured in by the word 'gourmet' used in the write-up. Very friendly guys & an okay lunch, but a bit over priced and certainly not 'gourmet'. Looked like a pleasant spot to camp, but a bit noisy from traffic. We drove on to Lajas beach to camp.

March 1st, 2018 by ride2experience.de

Nice hosts and speaking english. But in my opinion 10 $ for just me and my tent as cycle Tourist a little bit to much.

February 17th, 2018 by gawad

This is another great place in central america!
Roberto and Arturo are great hosts , they are “always open for overlanders” and care very much !
Camping is great by the river jus off the panam highway about 1,5 hours from the border. They serve great food and the facilities are nice and very clean. This place is highly recommend!

February 11th, 2018 by Saint Paul de Vence Ushuaia

Roberto will welcome you, walking around the great garden. Very nice place on grassy area. We recommend this nice camp, 15$ by camper.

January 28th, 2018 by adventureofhanselandgretel.com

We loved staying here. Super relaxing especially after a border crossing. Clean bathrooms and shower. The dinner at the restaurant was superb. The owners are really friendly and make you feel so welcomed. Beautiful view over the river with gigantic jungle snook and crocodiles swimming around. We definitely would stop here again.

January 10th, 2018 by projetalaia

Nice place to stay and welcoming people.
A bit pricey as we paid 15$ for two people in a truckcamper without electricity and the wifi wasn't working.
Really clean bathrooms and you have several watertape in the garden to fill up (potable water)

December 29th, 2017 by andersonrachel

Best welcome on the panamerican! Roberto and Arturo are a lovely couple. the entrance said closed for December but not the case for campers. Grounds are spacious and beautiful and level. Great place to stop. Didnt eat but the food looked wonderful.

December 6th, 2017 by DrivenToWander

Great experience here. Ran into couple other overlanders both coming and going to Costa Rica. Roberto called the croc "toto" and sure enough it comes over to the shore. We called him over in the morning, and he had a bigger Friend that came around sometimes too. We got to hear Arturo sing, and roberto gave impromptu cooking lessons in his kitchen for us! Great people. Again thought we'd be there only a night, stayed three. Does get pretty hot in the day with no place to swim, but the shower helped cool us off. Never did get hot water in the shower, but that was ok too.

December 4th, 2017 by gigante

Wonderful RV and Camping spot , super friendly staff all natural spots very very safe .. wish they were all like this ..

November 14th, 2017 by stefinicoandchico

unforgetable experience. Beautiful place and energy. You can feel how much love Roberto and Arturo put in everything. We Park our van right Next to the river. Beautiful view and we highly recommend the kayak experience. It was very cool. And of course try their food, you won't regret the investment. Deliciuos. For us, eating thouse plates was a trip of flavours and musicalize by the Beautiful voice of Arturo a Magic scene.
Cocodrilles, tucans, Lots of fish. Bathrooms and Showers everything super clean and tidy.
This place worth every Penny and more.
But if you are looking for a RV Park, cheap fast food, and don't respect the Nature, please don't Even go by.

October 1st, 2017 by www.centralamericaoverlandexpeditions.wordpress.com

Impressive. We loved staying here. The bathrooms and shower are clean. Excellent personal service and attention. Roberto and Arturo are kind and attentive. If you make reservations with them they will open their restaurant for you even when it is closed and make you THE most delicious meals. Arturo has an amazing singing voice and will sing for you. Price is $15 to camp there overnight per vehicle. You can park in their parking lot or back further in a grassy area near the river. We felt special there and appreciated this oasis on the PanAmerican Highway.

June 18th, 2017 by Cycling.The.Americas

A wonderful place to stay along the PanAmerican between Santiago and David. Roberto couldn't have been more friendly and helpful to us. We had planned to camp by the river ($10 for 2) but given the heavy afternoon rain we opted for the traditional cabana ($20 for 2), which was perfect. Space to relax (hammock & sofa), a place to cook, and a good fan to keep us cool at night. Wifi also provided and has good speed. Roberto will happily cook dinner for you should you need - just let him know when you arrive (his restaurant closes at 4pm to public). Definitely worth staying here when passing through.

June 9th, 2017 by gayebourke

Our stay at La Isleta was a wonderful introduction to Panama. Roberto & Arturo are the kindest of hosts, letting us put our tent up in their huge garage as it was pouring rain. Later we were invited to the restaurant to hear Arturo sing - he has an amazing voice! Don't miss this one.

March 26th, 2017 by Www.2wheeledadventures.com

A very beautiful place in a convenient location. Arthuro and Roberto are super welcoming hosts. They showed us around their garden, let us taste various tropical fruits they have growing there. They even took me in their car to a village called Tolé a few kilometers away for grocery shopping so we could cook our own meals while camping.
Camping spots have even ground and tiny stylish outdoor furniture which made our stay very cozy.

March 24th, 2017 by secondtimearoundtheworld.wordpress.com

camping marina and restaurant right of the panamericana. the camping marina is open 7 days a week. the restaurant is closed Wednesday and Thursday.

March 23rd, 2017 by secondtimearoundtheworld.wordpress.com

we are guest for the second time at La Isleta because we liked the first time.

March 23rd, 2017 by rienekeleenders

We are back! Somebody must have thought the place is closed, but it is not!
When the gate is closed just honk, or call the number at the entrance, and Roberto or Arturo will be happy to open it for you!

March 18th, 2017 by accidentalmotorcyclist.org

THIS PLACE IS CLOSED. Has been for a while.

March 18th, 2017 by buwe.de

Perfect place to Camp at the river under some shady trees. The lucky ones might even catch a fish. Those of us without fishing gear, however, are even luckier because they can enjoy a red snapper at the restaurant, where Roberto and Arturo prepare heavenly meals.

March 17th, 2017 by rienekeleenders

Happy to be here, it is nice to feel welcome at this natural spot along the Panamericana. We can recommend it!

March 3rd, 2017 by robinlebel.com

Lindo lugar para acampar 10$ x tienda y 15$ camper 2 personas la ducha y los servicios muy limpios , la comida es buenísima con productos de calidad , arriba de nuestro presupuesto , pero si puedes darte el lujo vale la pena, también proponen una cabina
Arturo y Roberto son muy simpáticos. La propiedad es linda con muchos árboles en el Estérel hay uno o varios cocodrilos puedes hacer kayak y observar aves y ver la vida silvestre, hasta vas olvidar que estas a un lado de la Panamericana.
Buen deal si vas à Costa Rica o si apenas ingresas a Panama, para comer o descansar.

February 16th, 2017 by portlandtopenguins

A beautiful spot by the river. The camping is great. Dark night skies. We saw toucans and a crocodile floating in the river below. $10 per tent. The restaurant is fantastic though pricey. We failed to plan for just how little is on the PanAm and showed up hungry. Roberto is an excellent host and Arturo even regaled us with a ballad. If it's in your budget, eat! If not, make sure to go get a drink and stay for a chat/ song.

February 5th, 2017 by zorzisunterwegs.wordpress.com

very beautiful place to hang out!!! camping is possible right next to the river. there are many fishes, so you can catch some for dinner. the owners Roberto and Arturo are very friendly. They let us pick some lemons for our fish. they gave us Oranges and Bananas. toilets and showers are clean and well maintained. At the restaurant you have fast wifi. potable water is available near Campsites. its possible to rent kayaks too.

January 8th, 2017 by instagram.com/ladaliving

Due to the highway constructions blocking the entrance, the place seems to be closed for the time being.

November 28th, 2016 by rob.jamo

this is a fantastic place to stay. we spent two nights in the bungalow (which was built by Roberto and Arturo from woods sourced on their property) at a really good rate. they also offer camping near the river. the food is delicious and sourced from the local area where possible. this is a great place to break up a leg between David and Santiago. best to email the restaurant to let them know you are staying so they can prepare but they will take walk-ins. they know how to feed the cycling traveller!

November 18th, 2016 by En ruta por la infancia - On the road for childhood

A very nice property right next to the beautiful river. Arturo is very nice and welcoming.

September 2nd, 2016 by zalistrip.bloger.co.il

quality restaurant... natural food.... and bongalo to sleep... on the main road the Panamerican... people are good quality and frendly ... Roberto and Arturo speak English ... the area is beautiful and well maintained. with the possibility of parking campers (big rigs) and
Tents and one of the best places in Central America

July 6th, 2016 by h.hepp

Perfect place to stay. The restaurant is open all the time for the Camping guest, but you have to make a reservation. The owner is very friendly and of you are lucky, you can see some crocodiles in the river. We paid 15$ for 2 people and our camper.

June 14th, 2016 by schweinzkopf

Restaurant Only open from 11am to 4pm

April 6th, 2016 by larouecool2015

La Isleta is a gourmet restaurant in a beautiful property right next to the Panamerican Highway. There is a large space to park or tent next to the river that can be explored on kayaks. There are nice areas with tables and chairs under the trees. If you don't have a tent there is a small bungalow where you can stay.
Owner speaks english, studied in California.

January 2nd, 2016 by oueskonva

very nice and quiet place to stay ! we stayed 2 days and could install our hammoc facing the river. The view is beautiful. We could even catch a fish ! The 2 owners are very nice and helpful, we were given oranges from the garden, they are moe than happy to host overlanders. we recommend this place !