Guest Reviews & Stories

I am so grateful to you as guides — individually and as a team — for helping Kim and I create a fantastic experience for our students. We all have felt so welcomed, comfortable, engaged and peaceful this week thanks to you all. Here's to bringing more and more students to Istmo in the future!!

I can‘t thank you enough for providing the perfect venue for our family reunion (22 people from California, Colombia, and Spain!).  Your property is beautifully tranquil, and the beach is unbelievably picture-perfect! Rooms were well-appointed, beds were super comfortable, and the  overall ambiance was wonderful.  It was such a gift to be able to spend so much time together, gathering on the Istmo patio for meals, and games, and chatter, and more meals and more games (apologies for the raucous evenings!)  We loved the daily yoga classes: Ayesha did some magic by accommodating our not-so-nimble crowd, while still challenging the more practiced among us.  The surfing at Palmar was excellent for learners, fun for the veterans, too.  Sean, thank you for taking us paddle-boarding in the manglars (a highlight for many of us).  And thank you for the outings to El Valle and Embera: your flexibility and devotion to providing the best experience for us was heroic!  And of course many thanks are in order for the wonderful meals, and especially for accommodating so many particular diets.

Sean, thank you so much for welcoming us this week. You are so amazing — I had so much fun on this trip. Thank you for truly enjoying staying here so much and opening up your home and family to us. It means the world.

I loved every second at Istmo Retreat & Adventures. The hosts were so friendly and accommodating, the excursions were awesome, the food was excellent, and the grounds (including the bungalows and the yoga studio) were beautiful. I cannot wait to return!!!

Thank you for your gracious hospitality during our stay at Istmo this week. Our group experienced the perfect balance of wellness, challenge, and delicious food. We are so grateful for this experience that we will never forget. Now let's find some new clients in Nashville!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Absolutely Amazing Family Adventure at Istmo Retreat! We visited Istmo Retreat during Spring Break for a Family Adventure Vacation , and it was incredible! We're a family of six (2 adults and 4 kids ages 4, 7, 8 & 10), and every single one of us had a great time. From the moment we arrived, everything was beautifully organized and welcoming. We went paddleboarding, fishing, snorkeling, hiking, saw the Panama Canal up close, and even took a surfing lesson! The kids especially loved movie night and playing games with the older kids in the group—it gave us parents a little downtime, too, which was a nice bonus! One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the Emberá Quera village. It was such a meaningful and eye-opening experience for our whole family. We got to learn about the Emberá people's traditional lifestyle, music, dance, and crafts firsthand. The kids were fascinated by the cultural exchange, and it sparked so many thoughtful questions and conversations afterward. It was truly a special part of the trip that made our adventure even more memorable. There was always something fun going on, and the activities were thoughtfully planned to make sure everyone, regardless of age, could participate and enjoy. The food was absolutely delicious—fresh, flavorful, and healthy—and the highlight was definitely getting to eat the fish we caught ourselves. Such a cool and memorable experience! Istmo strikes a perfect balance between adventure, relaxation, and family connection. The staff went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of, and the whole place had such a peaceful and inspiring vibe. We truly couldn’t have asked for a better getaway. Highly, highly recommend to any families looking for a unique and enriching experience in Panama. We’ll definitely be back!

Thank you for being an incredible guide and showing us how beautiful Panama is. This was a life-changing experience.

Incredible! Ayesha and Sean were so attentive, communicative and efficient. The property is secluded, beautiful, and quaint. The food was made with so much love. We felt nourished and supported while hosting our retreat at Istmo and we will definitely be back!

This was a life-changing experience. I learned so much at Istmo and will always remember this wonderful experience. The food is delicious and the accommodations are wonderful. Sean and Ayesha made this week a truly unforgettable experience. I can't wait to visit again — this is easily one of the best college experiences.  

Our family of four, ages 5-39, stayed at Istmo for a week and all had a magical time. The food was delicious and accommodating, hosts were incredibly attentive without being intrusive and provided amazing suggestions as well as acted as our guides on some trips. The yoga was fantastic; challenging yet met the needs of the beginner though to advanced, and thoroughly grounding and relaxing.

Istmo Retreat & Adventures is a different kind of place, a place to relax, the cabins are very well built, comfortable big beds, a/c, fan, ample bathrooms, nice porch, they've many cabins but they're arranged in a proper way to ensure privacy for the guests but also easy access to the main area. The beach is a secluded, clean, not crowded, even clear water, within a few minutes walking distance from the lodge. Everything at the place is designed for your relaxation. One important thing is that this place is family-owned and operated, in my experience this always makes a great difference ensuring you have a pleasant stay.

Hosted a yoga retreat at Istmo in January 2020. Ayesha and Sean were the perfect hosts. Always making sure we were happy and settled in our cabins. They were so easy in helping and adapting the meals to better fit our schedule. The lovely private beach was just a short walk away. The excursions they offered were wonderful and so informative. Istmo is a wonderful place for your next yoga retreat.

I just spent a week with Sean and Ayesha at Istmo and they were great. The rooms were clean, beds super comfortable, food amazing, staff friendly, gorgeous beach, everything you can ask for!!! I definitely recommend I'd you're looking to host a yoga retreat!

In May 2022, we hosted a week long Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training and Women's Retreat at Istmo! We had an incredible experience working with Ayesha, Sean, and the rest of the team. They went above and beyond to make sure we were happy and supported throughout our stay. Ayesha is an incredible host and paid attention to every detail to make sure our retreat went smoothly. Sean is an extremely gifted chef and also took our group on some epic adventures, including paddle boarding. The retreat center is beautiful and is just a short walk to amazing blue water beaches. I would highly recommend Istmo for all retreat leaders and attendees! Thank you so much for everything!

I stayed with 9 other women in this gorgeous natural setting for a 5 day Yoga Retreat. The owners are so welcoming and created a wonderful and peaceful week for us. The excursions were exciting—climbing a volcano and visiting the fish market were my highlights. The setting for morning and evening yoga was stunning—amongst the trees with a cool breeze. The food and rooms were perfect. Definitely will return again and recommend this for small teams, intimate retreat experiences and week-long stays.