El Otro Lado

This is a small resort for a stay that gives equal billing to the hotel and to Portobelo itself. The setting joins the seafront, the jungle and the bay, while the town's Afro-Caribbean culture sits across the water rather than being treated as a decorative footnote.

You can settle into a design-led property with gardens, terraces, outdoor furniture and two swimming pools, then use it as a base for the wider area. The atmosphere is more about slowing down and looking outward than filling every hour with organised entertainment.

English and Spanish are used on the hotel's website, while the hotel team speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese. That matters when you are tired, hungry and trying to explain what you need without resorting to interpretive hand signals.

El Otro Lado is in Portobelo, Panama, at Bahia de Portobelo in Colón Province. It sits on the seafront, surrounded by dense Panamanian jungle, with the bay opening towards the town and its Afro-Caribbean congo heritage.

The hotel is a few minutes from Portobelo's town centre, so local exploration is part of the location rather than a logistical project. The setting also puts the forts and the wider Chagres area within reach of organised excursions.

Allow around an hour and a half from Panama City. Airport transfers are available through the hotel, which is useful after a long flight and several bags that have acquired their own opinions about travelling.

The room choice changes quite a lot depending on how much space and self-sufficiency you want. Economy and Standard rooms keep things straightforward, with a private bathroom. They suit travellers who expect to spend their waking hours exploring, swimming or out on the water rather than indoors.

The Suite adds air conditioning, a private entrance, a mosquito net, a safe, television, bathrobe, hairdryer and toiletries. It is the more contained option for a couple who want a proper room to return to, with the practical bits already in place after a hot, humid day.

The Villas are the useful step up when you want somewhere to spread out. They add a kitchen, microwave, fridge, minibar, dining area, patio and tea or coffee-making facilities, with air conditioning and a view. The private entrance and outdoor space give the stay a more independent rhythm, while the mosquito net is a sensible detail in a jungle setting. Rooms have private bathrooms, and the property also has family rooms.

Meals are centred on Gazebo - Restaurant Bar Lounge, an open-air venue serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It combines a restaurant, bar and lounge in one place, with views across Portobelo Bay and cocktails made by hand. After a day outside, that is the sort of arrangement that saves you from putting on shoes and launching a second expedition in search of dinner.

The cooking follows local flavours, with the Caribbean coast's Afro-Antillean roots brought into the menu through dishes such as carimanolas filled with spiced meat, arroz con guandú cooked with coconut milk, patacones and sweet tamales wrapped in plantain leaf.

A snack bar, bottled water and a diet menu on request add a little practical flexibility. The meal plan depends on the booking selected, so check that detail before assuming the day begins with breakfast and ends with dinner.

Two swimming pools give you an easy answer when the Caribbean heat has done its work. Pool and beach towels are available, and the property also offers equipment for water sports. Snorkelling, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing and boat excursions are all part of the activity list, so there is plenty to do on a non-diving day without turning the holiday into a military timetable.

Back on land, the pace can drop properly. Yoga and meditation are available, with a library and a picnic area for the less energetic hours. Hiking, wildlife observation and cooking classes add substance to the day without requiring a motor, a timetable or a change of footwear every twenty minutes.

Excursions can take you to the forts of San Fernando and San Fernandito, the Chagres River and an Emberá community, the bird conservatory at Puerto Lindo, or Panama City and Casco Viejo. The hotel's excursion assistance can help you organise the exploring, while the massage and beauty-treatment services offer a more direct route to doing very little.

Check-in starts at 16:00 and check-out is by 13:00, giving you a useful amount of time on departure day if the travel plan allows it. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, and drivers have access to free parking and a garage.

An airport transfer and other transfer services are available through the hotel. Ask the property to arrange the journey before travelling, particularly if you are arriving with dive luggage or prefer not to improvise transport after landing. An elevator provides access to the upper floors, and the property is accessible to guests with reduced mobility in that respect.

A restaurant, bar, snack bar, room service, laundry, safe and tourist information service cover the practical edges of the stay. English, Spanish and Portuguese are spoken by the hotel team. Pets, including assistance animals, are not accepted.

The Portobelo Bay Foundation and the people looking after El Otro Lado work on programmes intended to improve the quality of life in the local community. The focus is culture, development with identity and keeping progress connected to Portobelo rather than treating the town as scenery outside the resort gates.

That makes the community relationship part of the property's identity. The work is centred on local cultural and social development, not on a list of green labels.