Buy Your Own 🏝️ Panamanian Island

Buy Your Own 🏝️ Panamanian Island

What is it with us and the perpetual hunt for paradise? We’ve all done it, haven’t we? Spent hours scrolling through property listings, eyes glazing over at glossy photos of sleek flats and manicured lawns, dreaming of a life that’s anything but the one we’ve got.

But what if we took that daydream and put a little jet fuel in it? What if we skipped the suburban semi and went straight for something with a bit more… water?

‘Buy Your Own Panamanian Island’ sounds like the punchline to a very elaborate joke, but for some of us, it was a legitimate inquiry.

Highlights

• Why Live in Panama?
• Where Would You Live in Panama?
• How About Your Own Island?
• So What’s the Downside?
• Getting to Bocas del Toro
• All Hotel Options in Bocas del Toro
• Fly Panama City to Bocas del Toro
• Some Essentials for the Tropics
• Our Complete Panama Itinerary

 

Why Would You Want to Live in Panama?

We had arrived in Panama with a simple goal: a four-week reconnaissance mission to determine if this country, lauded in so many magazines as a retirement utopia, was indeed as good as they said. We were looking at the usual suspects—city apartments with sky-high views and rural cottages nestled in coffee-rich highlands.

But then, a digital wormhole opened up, and we fell headfirst into a daydream that involved a boat, a beach, and a total lack of neighbours.

We discovered that we could buy a Panamanian island, fully kitted out with a house and all the mod-cons, for less than the price of a shoebox in a major European city.

From the Urban Jungle to a Tropical One

Our initial plan was, admittedly, a bit vanilla. We were captivated by the idea of living in one of Panama City’s many high-rise flats. We could picture it: a three-bedroom apartment, elevated with staggering sea views, for $1,800 a month in rent. A purchase price of around $400,000 seemed like a bargain for that sort of metropolitan luxury.

It was a perfectly respectable, if slightly uninspired, notion.

But then, as often happens when one travels, the city’s appeal began to wane. The incessant hum of traffic, the constant feeling of being a small cog in a much larger machine—it wore us down.

So, we pivoted. We packed our bags and headed 500 kilometres west to Boquete, a verdant, mountainous region where expatriates flock like migratory birds. Here, the air was crisp, the scenery was magnificent, and a house could be rented for a mere $1,000 a month. A cool $150,000 could make us homeowners in this tranquil haven.

We were moving closer to our true selves, or at least a version of ourselves that appreciated a quieter existence.

However, during our property searches, a whisper turned into a shout, and our new, quiet dream was completely upended. The internet, that fickle mistress, presented us with a vision so outlandish it could only be real: a private island in the Bocas Del Toro region.

An entire island. A private one. The ultimate dream, they called it. A bold statement, yes, but we couldn’t deny its persuasive power.

Panama City to Bocas del Toro

The Island That Money Can Buy

The island in question, Isla Paloma, was listed for a very specific US$380,000.

It wasn’t just a patch of mangrove, either. It was a three-quarter-acre slice of paradise, nestled in a peaceful bay, and it came with a fully furnished and equipped house. We could move in, unpack our swimsuits, and start living the dream immediately. Or so the listing claimed.

A Natural Wonderland

So, what exactly does a person get for the price of a bedsit in London?

Surprisingly, quite a lot:

• The island itself boasts a white, sandy beach, which is a non-negotiable for anyone who fancies themselves a castaway.
• The three-quarter-acre area is a tropical garden, with all sorts of things to eat for free. We’re talking coconut, pineapple, banana, coffee, avocado, mango, cashew, almond, lemon, and lime trees. It’s a literal fruit basket, and we could live off the land like modern-day Adam and Eves… just without the nudity & general awkwardness.
• The island is protected from the open waves by a circle of mangroves about 100 feet out, creating a calm, shallow lagoon. And the tide fluctuation is a manageable 12-17 inches, which means our beach house wouldn’t suddenly become a boathouse.
• As for wildlife, the listing was quite specific: no snakes, spiders, or mammals. Just a smattering of birds and geckos. We found this detail particularly appealing. We could handle a gecko. Snakes, however, are a different kettle of fish (if you’ll pardon the mixed metaphor 😜) .

The House Itself

The house is constructed from local hardwood, which sounds rustic and charming. It comes fully furnished with new appliances, kitchenware, bedding, and bath linens.

It’s not a shack, we were told. It’s a real house, with two bedrooms, a loft, a walk-in closet, a kitchen, a dining area, a pantry, a laundry room, a garden, a workshop, a party-shack, and a BBQ area.

A “party-shack” sounded just like our kind of living. We were hooked.

The Boat House

Of course, you can’t have an island without a boat. Or in this case, a boat house with covered parking for two boats and space for five. We don’t have five boats, but we could certainly dream of owning them. The swim dock has a retractable ladder, solar lighting, and a security alarm.

And for those moments we felt sporty, the listing included skiis, boards, snorkel gear, floats, a buoy, ropes, cleats, life vests, and a sixteen-foot wooden canoe. We could become water-sports enthusiasts overnight.

Power & Water

The most crucial detail of all: it’s fully self-sufficient. The power system includes a 5200-watt solar system with a Honda 7500-watt backup generator. We’re not scientists, but that sounds like enough juice to power a small village, or at the very least, our party-shack.

The water system is equally robust, with two 1,250-gallon storage tanks, one 600-gallon tank, an on-demand water heater, and an in-ground septic system.

No need to worry about being caught short, then.

Access to the Rest of the World

We wouldn’t be completely cut off from civilisation. The island is a manageable 25-minute boat ride from the nearest local airport, which offers a 45-minute flight to the international airport. And the nearby village of Loma Partida has everything we could possibly need: groceries, fuel, hardware, markets, and restaurants.

We could still get our fix of civilisation, just on our own terms.

 

Lifestyle…

The lifestyle, we were told, was idyllic. Breathtaking views of the mountains, spectacular sunrises and sunsets, and an average annual temperature of a perfect 80 degrees. Plus, the region has never experienced a hurricane or tornado.

We can only assume this is a sign of some sort of divine favour, or a statistical anomaly waiting to be corrected.

So What’s the Catch?

A fully-equipped island with a party-shack for less than $400,000? It sounds too good to be true, and as our mums used to say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

As we read through the listing, our cynical minds began to churn. We could spot the flies in the ointment. For most sane people, these would be the deal-breakers.

Home & Personal Security

Let’s not skirt around the issue here. We’re on a small, isolated island in the southern Caribbean. The security, we noted, was… non-existent.

The only thing separating us from the rest of humanity is a body of water and a vague hope that no one owns a boat. Anyone with a small vessel could pop over for a visit at any time, whether we were home or not.

We’ve seen the signs in Panama’s bus stations telling us that guns are not allowed on buses. It doesn’t exactly instill a feeling of utter security and, let’s face it, the world isn’t getting any safer.

Panama by Bus – Guns not Allowed

Exposed to the Elements

The listing claimed there had never been a hurricane or tornado in the region. We’re no meteorologists, but we can’t help but think that’s a temporary state of affairs.

We’ve seen what a bad storm can do to a tiny island, and it wouldn’t take much to swamp an island of this size. The stress and anticipation every time the weather turns south might become too much to bear.

The Isolation

This is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the lack of neighbours is a definite selling point. No one to bother us, no loud music, no impromptu visits. But how much isolation can a person take? How many of us could truly cut ourselves off on a tiny island in the middle of a beautiful, but remote, nowhere?

We pictured it: two people, stuck on a small patch of land, with nothing but their own company. It’s a romantic notion for a holiday, but for a lifetime?

We’ve watched enough reality television to know that forced proximity with a significant other is a recipe for disaster. If you’re a couple, this could quickly lead to divorce.

And if you’re alone, you’re going to end up a bit strange, aren’t you?

Hotel Deals in Bocas Del Toro

You’ll Need to Be Handy…

This was the clincher. The absolute, undeniable, final nail in the coffin. The maintenance work.

We looked at the list of amenities—the house, the generator, the solar system, the septic system, the boats, the garden—and felt a wave of fatigue wash over us.

Something, somewhere, is going to break. And when it does, what do we do? We’re not mechanics. We’re not plumbers. We’re not electricians. Where do we get the parts? How do we find someone to help?

The idea of trying to explain a broken generator to a local handyman who doesn’t speak our language, while a storm rages outside, is the stuff of nightmares.

Maybe it’s not so surprising that this fully-equipped island has been on the market for quite some time. The previous owner probably went mad trying to fix a leaky tap.

The Dream Versus Reality

So, Isla Paloma appears to be an incredible deal. It’s a bargain, a steal, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For a very special kind of person, a person with a particular set of skills and a deep, abiding love of solitude, it might just be the perfect thing. For the rest of us, it’s a brilliant daydream.

Panama is a truly wonderful place, filled with opportunity and natural beauty. But maybe, just maybe, our paradise doesn’t need to be surrounded by water. Maybe it can be in a slightly less isolated location, where we can still order a pizza and get a plumber to come and fix things.

We’ll leave the island life to the professionals, the ones who know their way around a wrench. We’ll stick to the mainland, where our biggest problem is a slow internet connection, not a rogue tide.

We’re still looking for our own slice of paradise, but we’ve learned a valuable lesson. The grass is not always greener, and sometimes, the island isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. We are still on the hunt, but we’ve adjusted our expectations.

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If you enjoyed Buy Your Own Panamanian Island, check out our Panama Roundtrip. You may also like:

 

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