Eco Venao

This place was great! The staff are amazing communicators, and that’s what I was worried about coming from Canada but everything was incredibly smooth and they’re super responsive. Everyone spoke English and everything was taken care of through WhatsApp. I highly recommend starting a chat thread with them asap, before anything else, do NOT book on Booking.com or go third party…go to their website, add them on whatsapp and start asking questions, they’ll get back to you in no time and you’ll find that all logistics to do with accommodation will be settled in no time, you’ll get better rates, and they can tweak things and give you more definitive answers on availability of rooms etc directly so…no Booking.com or Expedia in this case…completely unnecessary and it might work against you. Plus they don’t want to pay fees to third party apps and neither do you. Moving on, the place itself, the grounds, are very nice, the overall vibe is very cool, aesthetically pleasing and if you’re into board culture and surfing you’ll be right at home and inspired. Even if you don’t surf I would still stay here…if you’re solo or family or a couple…this place is still the spot as it’s away from the EDM music and party scene of downtown Playa Venao, the strip…it’s a 15-20 min work on the beach to the party without the party being in your backyard…at let me tell you, the EDM sometimes starts at 6am so if you’re a boomer, Gen X/Y you don’t want to be woken up or have to deal with that vibe/culture at all. Maybe if you’re Gen Z that side of the beach is your thing but Eco is tranquility, green, environmental, health/wellness, active, rustic…it’s a healthy vibe that’s one with nature…it screams positivity, and as you get older, that’s the type of environment you want to be around. The rooms are great, over 12 days I stayed in the beach cabana, casita and casona, so I definitely got a well rounded experience to space. Overall, if you’re a couple or solo I definitely recommend the beach cabana. It’s worth the extra money, $86 USD vs $115 USD is not a big price difference and the beach cabana is wayyyy better than the Casita. The Casita is actually overpriced in my opinion, the room is very small, the mattress was two singles vs a queen, not as comfortable, the AC didn’t work as well as the Cabana, there’s no mini fridge/freezer in the Casita (huge factor if you want to keep drinks/food cold) the shower had no hot water and the taps were not intuitive, bit of mystery really…great if you like cold showers. The lock of the door I was finicky, the door sweep was loose (more insects, geckos) the ONLY things that were positive about the Casita over the Cabana was the outdoor area is nicer, the front area has a hammock, and a nice table/chairs with a nice view…and second, it has storage, shelves and plenty of space to unpack and store your belongings…the Cabana has next to nothing in terms of storage…like it’s actually kinda shocking. You get a tiny metal rack that looks like a shoe rack for storing anything foldable and then a rod with a couple hangers for hanging clothes…if you’re a couple you’ll basically be living out of your suitcase (if you stay in Cabana #5) as there’s no place to put your stuff. BUT, that’s about it….the Cabana is about 90 percent better than the Casita for around $29 more a night. The Cabana is massive in comparison, get AC, great mini fridge, huge high ceilings, the layout is awesome, with a step down area where the bed is, huge front window for natural light but also good privacy from the trees, two showers, one outdoor for sand, and one glass/stone rainfall indoor shower that actually has HOT water, and taps that are intuitive, the bathroom is split in three parts, shower, rink area and toilet in a separate room with a door, so convenient for couples, one person can be showering while the other person does their business, puts on makeup etc…way better design than having the entire bathroom in one room. The outdoor bamboo shower with feet sprayer -amazing! Overall, stay in the Cabana, it’s worth it!

Really loved the place (we had a cabin overlooking the sea), the service (answered multiple questions with a friendly smile and cleaned the cabin daily) and the overall atmosphere with surfing, amenities nearby, and the location far from the noise of Venao "centre". I would very much love to stay here again.

We didn't stay at this location, but we heard about the little hike to the cascades. Easy 25-30mimutes walk in the jungle where we had the chance to see at least 15 monkeys playing in the trees - it had made our day!!!! There wasn't much water in the cascades since there hasn't been raining much in the last weeks, but it was worth the little hike!

I had an amazing stay at Eco Venao. For almost two months I stayed in one of their Cabanas, located next to the river in an great location, just 5mins to the surfing beach. The service was amazing - Manu, Male, Esteban, Orlando, Catalina, Carmen and Rita were super nice and always very attentive to all my needs.

Just got back from a four night stay here to surf and relax.. we had a wonderful time and it was really hard to leave! We stayed in Cabaña 2 and it was right on the water, and very private, and really clean and comfortable. Cabanas are well worth the splurge, but we went off season in May and got a deal.. everything felt very private and romantic so if you’re here for a couples retreat, the off season is a great way to go, plus the surf is better during their winter. Eco venao resort is actually lots of small, very local businesses making up one big eco- focused resort.. it’s truly a magical place and everyone there cared a lot about their role in keeping it that way. It’s a very small team so it felt like we met everyone that worked there and they were all so warm and helpful. Surf Dojo Is connected to the resort and we were able to just saunter over and snag an instructor when we were ready to go out, but if you’re new to surfing check in on the best times for the waves because it’s not a constant option all day long with the tides/ seasons. Instructors were great, very knowledgeable and focused on your safety. There’s no sharks in the areas, or coral/ rocks so it’s a really safe place to learn for first timers. It was my first time on a board and I had a blast. We’re SO glad we stayed here as opposed to any other resort in playa venao. Almost all of them were tightly packed together and had house/ pop music constantly playing even at breakfast.. so it was a party hostel vibe at all times. We couldn’t even hear them at eco venao so it was just waves, reggae at the surf shack and locals chatting with each other. Truly paradise especially if you’re escaping a big city for a few days. Stay longer than you think you should, there’s a ton to do in the area if you have a car like national parks and hiking, and also just so many cool spots to lounge around, plus given it’s the jungle you will have rainy days! We wished we stayed for a full week at least. Suggestion: We drove here ourselves from Tocumen airport, but there are shuttles for like $100 pp available if you contact the hotel via what’s app. It’s a beautiful drive but if you do it yourself we HIGHLY recommend you don’t do it at night, roads are poorly marked through the mountains and it was really stressful at times, plus you miss all the views. Personally, I’d skip the massage. It was $70 USD and felt rushed and much of it was just light touch vs tissue massage.

We've stayed here twice, in very different lodgings and had a very interesting time. Our first visit, we stayed in a private cabin up the road near the rear of this beautiful compound. Up the trail behind us, were monkeys in the trees. Across the road, on the beach they offer even more rooms. They have a great little surf dojo there that offers surf lessons and a beautiful spot to enjoy the amazing waters of Playa Venao. In the heart of the grounds is a huge bunkhouse that has a dorm room of beds, usually filled with young surfers staying from weeks, to months, some ever longer. These surfers come from all over the world. Our second visit, we actually stayed in a smaller room in the bunkhouse. It was not nearly as private or as comfortable as the cabins, but walking around the building in the rain to our shared toilet and shower was a true challenge for my old worn out body, but I'd do it again if the private cabins were full. The resturant on the premises was perfect. We enjoyed whole fried fish that was delightful. They also have an open kitchen for guests and after a day of catching tuna on a boat in Pedasi, we cooked several times for ourseles and the resident gueasts as well. What a fun place to be.

Our stay at EcoVenao was all we could ask for and more. The staff was so pleasant and welcoming. The amount of activities available provide a perfect mix of beach and mountain, best of both worlds. The room we stayed in, Beachfront Cabana, was beautiful, very clean and had all the amenities that we needed. I highly recommend doing the hike to the waterfall and the mirador. Overall our stay was excellent and we look forward to going back soon!

Wow. What an amazing place to stay. Everyone at eco venao lodge is absolutely lovely and made us feel right at home. They upgraded our rooms the second day we got there to the incredible beach side cabanas. The views are amazing and the location is great and slightly removed from all the buzz of playa venao. If you are looking for somewhere to stay look no further it is truly fantastic.