Gamboa Rainforest Resort

This was our fourth visit to Gamboa Rainforest Resort. We previously stayed in 2016, 2017 and 2023. We stayed for three nights the first week of April, 2025, during our six night stay in the Panama City area. We traveled via Uber to the hotel from the international airport and then scheduled an Uber to take us to Casco Viejo for our next stay. We had no problem with the scheduled Uber, using it during our 2023 stay and during this trip. This time , we stayed in Room 439 (which has a king bed) and a loft area upstairs. We had a hammock on the deck, but only one chair for sitting, they should have at least two chairs on the deck, or more, with this size of a room. We come here for the nature, but I will note that although our room was comfortable and we had plenty of towels and hot water that the hotel is showing its wear and tear, but it is in the rainforest and this can be expected. I always advise that if you want to see the nature here that you need to stay at the hotel, not travel here in a day trip. We did not visit the exhibits as we have done that in the past, we walked the grounds in the morning. One morning, lots of activity, the next morning, very little activity from the animals, it is nature! This trip no sloth sightings. We saw a group of Capuchins and a group of Howler Monkeys on the property near the road to the tram, past the exhibits. We saw numerous toucans (my favorite bird) , we know their sounds and calls and easily spotted them a number of times on the property and also on our walk into town and to the Pipeline trail. The swimming pool at the hotel is huge and we enjoyed using the pool during our stay, although there are a few wear and tear issues, such as the railing on steps into pool wobbly ( I noted this same issue during our 2023 visit). At the hotel the breakfast was a buffet, you can visit the station to have your eggs made to order. We chose to include breakfast when we booked our room. We ate one evening in the restaurant downstairs of the main lobby, bottom restaurant, it was open with a buffet, we ordered ala carte from the menu. We don't eat big dinners with all the courses, including desert, so we thought that the buffet at $30 a person was quite pricey. The other two evenings we ate at the Monkey Bar for a more casual dining experience. I would say the food is average, its acceptable, we're here for nature and the ships. One of the biggest benefits of staying on property, if you like to watch the ships in the canal, is that we walk to the main entrance and down to the water (and into Gamboa Town) to watch the ships pass. There is a grocery store on the main road from the hotel into Gamboa Town where we purchase beverages and snacks. The front desk staff was very friendly. I would recommend staying here if you are into the nature, and like to go at your own speed. Each time we say it's our last trip here, we decide to return if we are coming to Panama City as its a special place in the rainforest.

Nestled in the rainforest along the Panama Canal, this hotel offers a paradise for nature lovers, with incredible wildlife, stunning views of Gatún Lake, and delicious food. It’s ideal for retirees and families—even though it has a disco, it only hosts live shows (like clown performances) that end by 9:00 p.m. During my stays, I’ve never been disturbed by noise from other guests at night. The shared pool is family-friendly, with separate areas for kids and adults, and I’ve never witnessed inappropriate behavior. Despite the resort’s size, the restaurant, pool, and tour departure points are conveniently close. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner always feature tasty dishes, including both local Panamanian cuisine and international options.

The Gamboa Reserve made a rainforest adventure easily. We did the aerial tram, sloth sanctuary, Gatun expedition, ziplining and sunset cruise, and did our own hikes. All were excellent. We saw all 3 types of monkeys, the little cabybaras, sloths, butterflies, crocodiles and tons of birds. The guides all were very knowledgeable and spoke English well. The rooms were spacious and affordable. The pool at the resort was huge, and even had basketball and volleyball nets, which was a ton of fun for family. The one negative was that the food is just fine and somewhat expensive for what it was. It ran us about $90 for a family of 4 for the breakfast buffet and dinner buffet. This is pretty high for what it was especially given the room price. The pool food was not bad though. The “nice” restaurant for dinner was strangely a similar price to buffet and was pretty good. I would highly recommend the resort, but for the food options, which is the only reason to lower review. Maybe only stay for 2 nights. We had stayed for 3 nights which was great in terms of the activities and rooms, but we were sick of the food.

The Gamboa Rainforest Reserve is a wonderful place!!! A Place to relax and recharge, connect with nature, and explore the Rainforest. The grounds are lovely and the rooms are spacious. The hammock on the balcony was fantastic. Would definitely go back.

30 minutes away from Panama City (Uber ride is aprox USD 20-25) Request a room with river view and floor 4+ Spacious rooms and bathrooms, WIFI ok as long as room is near hotel main building Good breakfast, did not have lunch or dinner on site Excursions are good, especially lake Gatun and the cable car Bring sunscreen and big repellant Big pool with a bar