Pros: The place truly is as beautiful as the photos and the little bungalows are just perfect. The surrounding water has bioluminescence at night which is magical as well. The monkeys are very cute and interactive, We were not permitted to handle them during our stay although it sounds like some people get to. Cons: Be ready to spend much more money than the cost listed online. The round trip transportation for two was $160 from Bocas town and the food is $$$$$$. If you have dietary restrictions, bring your own non perishable food just in case. I told the host I don't eat shellfish, but when we arrived we were told that the only dinner option was a $75 per person lobster feast. There was no flexibility on this despite what it says on their website about accommodating various dietary needs/preferences. When I asked about it it was very awkward and we felt a little bit outcast for not participating in the dinner so we felt uncomfortable during our stay and just kept to our bungalow. All in all, this was still a beautiful and special place. If you have a large budget and no dietary restrictions may be the perfect place for you, otherwise just come prepared for unexpected costs and have some backup plans for food.
I only looked this up today to recommend it to another couple. I’ve recommended this experience to most people when the topic of travel comes up over the last two years. The screen picture on my phone for the last two years has been my gf and I with miki (now I can’t remember the monkeys exact name) on my shoulder. Which is horrible of me since she was there every morning waiting to say good morning and hang out with me. Fantastic getaway, not for the very timid or all inclusive type, but great for people with a sense of adventure, those looking for something special, those who are willing to breakaway from the rest of the world for a few days. The food was excellent. The swimming was great. The privacy was great. Francine was wonderful, definitely has a big heart. Panama was a spur of the moment trip, and definitely worth every minute.
This place's location was very intriguing and it claimed to have monkeys, so we had to go check it out. Yes, very remote from Bocas del Toro (about 45 minutes on a speed boat), but the trip there was wonderful as we were able to see the the beautiful never ending landscape and the ocean. Upon arrival, Francine's warm welcome made us feel right at home as soon as we stepped off the boat. We were promptly greeted by Gigi, an 11-moth old howler monkey. We were startled for a second, but it was all good because we didn't expect to see a loose monkey. She was extremely friendly and calm. Francine then showed us where she kept her other monkeys and that was very interesting. They were all kept behind these very large cages because some of them would cause major chaos if let out on this island, so she had a monkey bridge built connected to one of the cages and those monkeys can choose to be free in a separate island at any time they choose. The other 2 cages don't lead to anywhere, but are kept very clean. She only lets those out when she doesn't have guests because some of them could temperamental or would simply steal items from the guests rooms. Anyhow, after visiting this place, we understand how and why she runs the place. You should ask her about it. Quite an achievement, if you asked me. The island itself has many locations for relaxation and the food is very good. Perfect proportions. I don't know how. I eat a lot, but whatever food served for each meal, was enough to hold me off until the next one. The price is on a higher side, say, an American metropolitan city price range. Understandable since it costs a lot to maintain the place, which has no concrete, everything is natural (she's big on energy and flow), employees, foods, etc, and all that came by boat!!!! We were there for 3 nights, so full 4 days of relaxing. We didn't even go anywhere because we were so content with everything there and just focused on relaxing. This place is an eco lodge, so everything is as eco friendly as it comes, meaning, don't expect your usual hotel amenities. I.e. AC and high pressure shower. There is a fan by the bed. If you are a hot sleeper, get either the honeymoon suite or the family room, because those unites receive very nice sea breeze. The 4 standard bungalows don't receive that breeze because it is blocked by the mangrove, so it could get hot if you are a hot sleeper. The standard bungalows have their own shower and toilet, and the walls are made of bamboo fence. No one really can see you in details, only silhouette. And since the place is extremely quiet , some people might be self conscious with making bathroom noises. Fear not, as there are 2 large detached bathrooms that you will give you the privacy you seek. The bungalows are just right above the water so you can go swimming at any time of the day. As a matter of fact, there are little access ladders to the water everywhere. Francine has practically everything and if she doesn't, she might be able to help you get it by next day since she has a captain that makes daily visits to her. Don't be afraid of the monkeys because Francine only lets out the ones that are used to interacting with the visitors and she will tell you what to do or what not to do. Just follow her instructions and all will be fine. She rescues these monkeys, and we were lucky that we were there when she received a 2 weeks old bay howler monkey. She let us hold him and it was the best experience in my life! I must go back to visit baby Odi!!! Anything you need, ask Francine. Don't give low rating to this place because she couldn't guess what you expected or wanted. Always ask. Francine is a very gentle and helpful person. In summary: go to this place if you are looking to relax and actually interact with monkeys (who are all vaccinated) like you've only dreamed of. And this place is good for people over 16 who are respectful of people and nature. Not good for small kids (mostly unfenced areas).
Response to manager’s comments: Your response is not reasonable at all. You may have forgotten but I did provide feedback on how awful the day trip was and for most of the remainder of our stay I was sick so I don’t think it is reasonable for you to have expected me to provide a full rundown of my experience at Urruca. Just to be clear, there were clouds when we left in on direction (in the distance) - dark grey ones that were obviously raining (since we didn’t know which direction we were going to head, we assumed that management and/or captain thought it was fine for our trip). And regardless, I really don’t understand why you wouldn’t check the weather for your guest before they spend $140 on a day trip you organise for them, it is a two-minute task. You didn’t provide any gesture after we provided that feedback (a refund is one option, hey, throw in a complementary drink or maybe don’t charge us for the snacks we ate on a miserably rainy beach). I have stayed at quite a number of eco-lodges (a number much more remote than Urruca), and your pillows, sheets and duvets are the worst I have experienced at an eco-lodge. That is my honest feedback. Can you clarify your final comments, are you implying I have an allergy to fish? I have had tests before and I don’t, the only bad choice I made was to stay at Urruca. I trust in the future you will be more careful in your choices] *** Original post: In all honesty, I did not have a particularly enjoyable stay at Urruca and would not recommend it. We experienced a fair few issues, some of which I have described below. We had organised a day trip going to a local beach and a snorkelling stop (45 minutes by boat). I had put trust in management (and our boat’s captain) that someone would have checked the weather for the day but that wasn’t the case. As we found out en route, we headed in the direction where there were very obvious rain/rain clouds that could be seen from the hotel. We spent our day on a boat and beach in the midst of a storm (absolutely saturated, uncomfortable and very cold), not quite the ‘perfection on earth’ as described in the brochure. The snorkelling was also pretty poor since the storm had affected the visibility. And because of the storm we couldn’t swim at the beach (entirety of the beach was full of incredibly strong rips). Again, I appreciate that it is a remote location and weather is outside of people’s individual control but it took me two minutes on our return to find that the weather forecast predicted heavy rain/storm. It cost us USD$140 to be totally saturated on a boat and miserable beach for five-six hours, no refund or discount was offered. Couple of other things. I appreciate that it is in a fairly remote location but Urruca is rough around the edges and lacks attention to detail. For a place that promotes itself as four star (and with the price to match) the bedding, for example, feels incredibly cheap (makes pillows and duvets in a 12 bed dorm look luxurious). I also had a bad bout of food poisoning about 36 hours into our stay. I cannot say for certain how I got food poisoning, but we had purchased the meal package so all our food and drinks were through Urruca. There is a lot of potential for this to be a great place, but from my experience, there are some pretty significant areas of improvement required.
We stayed for our honeymoon at the Urraca Private Island Eco-Lodge in June. We took the Honeymoon Package. We were a bit insecure, as it was above our small budget, but the photos, descriptions, and reviews made it sound so good... And OMG it was!!! The landscape, the PEACE, the great service, the comfy hut, the magic bioluminescence, and the food!! If you are doubting, don't any more! Just go to the Urraca Private Island. Francine, thank you for your attention. You found the right way between watching every detail and need and giving space. Awesome! Alicia, your cooking is THE BEST! Although the day you weren't... Yasmin was an excellent substitute! Isabel, you have magic hands made for massages! Soooo gooood And Gig, Zola, Zizu (I'm not sure I'm writing the names right) were also very good hosts! And so cute! 5* service in a kind of lost island. It may not be a 5* installation, but you won't notice. I miss being there...
