Surf Break at Paunch

We loved it. You feel like you are in the jungle and you can watch apes from the Veranda. The hut was nice and clean. David was a really good host.

Only 50 meters down the hill to the best surf break on the island. The owner, Dave, is a great guy.
Only about a 15 minute taxi ride into town but still close to the beautiful Bocas wilderness.

I had one of the best times in my life here. The beach ⛱️ is right down a short hill, Room was awesome, Hammocks, sounds of monkeys, beautiful birds 🐦, sloths🦥, the owner David was so cool and helpful. He invited me to a beach barbecue that I will never forget, fresh fish 🐟 meet his all his friends. David became my friend. Can't wait to go back.

This is the kind of place you don’t want to leave. It’s got this perfect mix of jungle vibes and beach energy — you wake up to howler monkeys, walk across the road to amazing surf, and end the day with a cold beer watching the sunset.
The rooms are super comfy and have that cool, open-air, tropical feel. Everything’s clean, well thought out, and just feels good to be in. The owners and staff are awesome — super friendly, easy to talk to, and always down to help with anything you need or point you toward the best local spots.
The food and drinks are legit too — great breakfast, killer cocktails, and just an overall chill spot to hang out and meet people. Whether you’re surfing, exploring, or just wanting to relax in paradise, this place nails it.
Already planning my next trip back — can’t recommend it enough! 🌴🏄‍♂️🍹

Non-stop barking dogs and obnoxious cats. In need of major repairs especially front door lock. Hardly a jungle paradise. Best thing was view of surf spot from down the street. The rental board shop down the hill was also closed. I would suggest you look. Elsewhere.

This is the perfect place for a surfing trip, best views, great vibes, David was always super helpful of our needs and even organized a welcome BBQ for us! We where lucky to find good waves for the time of year and being 3 min walking from paunch let us be the first people out every day. Quiet and beautiful, excelent location for a surfing/yoga getaway.

Interesting experience. Loved to fall asleep to the sound of waves and rain. Unfortunately the bed smelled a little and because of the rain clothes quickly feel a bit wet. The host was very helpful and gave a lot of recommendations.

Stayed here for 3 nights this summer. We had 3 people in one room, as stated in our reservation, however one person was stuck sleeping on a makeshift futon. None of the amenities you see in pictures or online were available. No breakfast/food, no hammocks, no bikes, etc. If these were available for purchase, we wouldn't know as the option was never given to us. The location is remote, a good ~20 minute drive from town, with much of it being on a rough dirt road. However, the worst part was the pillows, blankets, sheets, etc, given to us were absolutely disgusting. The smell was atrocious and there were visible stains on everything, they were unusable. When leaving my review of this property on Google, we were insulted by the owner for leaving a negative review. Extremely unprofessional. The host was not gracious at all and provided zero information about the location and things to do. He seemed bothered we were even there. Based on the past positive reviews, either the ownership has recently changed or these people are family/friends of the owner.

Do not stay here! I have never written a review for a “hotel” but it is only fair to warn other travelers. The room we stayed in at Surf Paunch was filthy. The bed had stains on it, pillows and towels dirty and the sheets had holes/stains on them too. Not to mention the sheets smelled disgusting and were not washed. None of us used the sheets/blankets.
The host was shocked that we checked in 3 people even though the reservation stated three. Apparently, the number of people correlates to why we could not have a curtain over the windows in the bathroom (you could then see into the bathroom/shower from outside our room).
It should be stated that the sofa bed is an old couch. A sofa bed typically has a metal frame and thin mattress that can be unfolded or opened up to make a bed. In addition, there was no shampoo or conditioner.
I wish I could say the room was inexpensive and that would make this experience slightly better but it was beyond expensive for what it was.
Lastly, our host was unfriendly. He wasn’t welcoming and couldn’t be bothered mentioning anything about the area/hotel. He made us feel uncomfortable and ignored our complaints. It is concerning when locals would say what is going on there is not good. We were the only ones on the property… wonder why.

What an experience! A beautiful wooden cabin in a dense jungle, included a howler monkey alarm clock. Comfortable beds and a on site host to help with any needs…. Thanks David! Great tips about the island from David and a kitchen in case one of the local restaurants (they are amazing) doesn’t do.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Charming room and deck, in a jungle setting, just overlooking a great surf break. Our hosts were very helpful and accommodating with setting up and recommending fun adventures. Be ready for big, healthy breakfasts with fresh juice, fruit bowls, pancakes, eggs and more. Lots of fuel for the day, which I needed due to my obsessive surf habit. Definitely rent a quad while you’re there, as taxis get expensive quick. We definitely had an amazing time. If you’re looking for a resort style hotel — this isn’t the place. But if you’re good with a rustic, cabin villa style bed and breakfast with a warm friendly vibe, it’s a no brainer. Oh and the Wi-Fi worked well too.

We loved our stay here! We had the tree cabin and with the jungle sounds and nature views we were in Heaven! We ventured out on the bikes while we were there and enjoyed a couple of the best breakfasts that we have ever had! Dave was the best host ever, he’s very cool and made sure everything went without a hitch, we really enjoyed Bocas and hope to venture out there again some day!

My boyfriend and I stayed for four night at Surf Break @ Paunch and we absolutely loved our time there! Dave is a wonderful host, super cool and hospitable. He made sure we had everything we needed for a perfect stay in Bocas. Surf Break is nestled in the jungle in Bocas off a dirt road that runs along the beach. We stayed at the Tree Cabin room and I enjoyed laying on the hammock on the deck and listening to the sounds of the birds and monkeys of the jungle. There is no AC but you don't need it in this room as you get plenty of breeze and have a fan in the room. Mosquitos were not a problem either. Rooms are super cute. Dave lets you use the bicycles for free to ride around town and the included breakfasts were delicious! We always looked forward to starting our day eating breakfast and drinking coffee and smoothies on the breakfast deck. I wish we never had to leave!

I stayed at Surf Break @ Paunch with my husband a few weeks ago when we were vacationing in Panama and it was wonderful! The rooms are cute and the bed was very comfortable! We appreciated the fact that our room had a fridge and a functional kitchen. There was no AC but it was not a problem because of the wonderful ocean breeze!
We saw so much wildlife, there was a monkey family in the trees right in front of our deck. We even got to see a baby monkey! So cute! The location was perfect, we were able to walk to the beach and get food easily and we biked to town several times with the free bikes.
David, our host was great! He helped us arrange whatever we needed and gave wonderful recommendations. The free breakfast was delicious! We had yogurt with fruit, smoothies and hot breakfast every morning to start our day! My favorite was the Elvis Presley French Toast, a must try! Menu was different every day which kept it fun as well! I would highly recommend this property to anyone that wants a fun beach meets jungle adventure on Bocas! We will definitely be back!