Just returned from a month at this property and we had a fantastic time! Daily walks on the beach, chatting with locals & expats around the pool, and then exploring the area were our favorite pastimes. We are already planning to come for two months next year.
One of the unique features of this condo complex are the pools. There is a large one for swimming and playing, another one to swim laps, and a plunge pool that was our favorite overlooking the ocean. While it was unfortunate the hot tub no longer works, we hardly missed it with everything else this complex offered.
Donna, the owner, was also very responsive to our requests for mixing bowls, grill tools and baking sheets, and made sure she was available to help us if we needed anything. Thanks Donna, for helping to make our visit very special for the entire family.
If you go out the main gate onto the beach and turn left, there is a small fishing coop around the point less than 1/4 mile away where you can buy freshly-caught corvina and other fish at very reasonable prices. However, you can also go to Rio Hatto, about a 30 minute drive away, to buy nearly any kind of fresh seafood you can imagine. There are also a number of good grocery stores in the area within a 10-minute drive. Unfortunately, many of the restaurants in the area are just average.
However, if you visit El Valle, a 40-minute trip away, be sure to visit Casa Florencia on the road to Valle. They offer the best Italian food we have had outside of Italy, and it is far superior to anything we could find in the area at very reasonable prices. Trip Adviser now rates them #1.
You will need a car to thoroughly explore the area, but be warned, Panamanian drivers are some of the most challenging we have ever encountered - turn signals are rarely used to change lanes or to indicate turns, many seem to drive down the center of divided roads, and trucks apparently consider you a nuisance to be forced off the road whenever possible. Also, renting cars can be pricey here, since there is mandatory insurance coverage. If possible, try to rent a vehicle with a credit card that offers some car insurance as a membership benefit. Next visit, rather than renting a car at the airport and trying to find our unit on POORLY marked roads, we will arrange to be picked up at the airport and driven to our destination (about $100 for two from Panama City to Nueva Gorgona) and then rent a car locally whenever we need one for a cheaper rate.